Taboo Tattoos: Inking Your Skin Permanently is Not That Bad
Tattoos, no matter what shape or form they come in, have been controversial in our society for some time now. Some professions won’t hire you if you have a visible tattoo. Some people look down on you if your entire arm is covered in ink or they incorrectly judge your character based on how many or what kind of tattoos you have. The ink on a person’s skin should not invite people to become judgmental and critical of that person.
Tattoos are a form of art, just like painting, drawing and sculpting. The only difference is that a tattoo’s permanence and legacy are etched onto skin and not paper or pedestal. It’s a beautiful thing to watch as ink is inserted into the skin with a tiny needle to create an image — to create a work of art on someone’s body for them to carry around for the rest of their life.
Growing up, I was taught that to pierce your skin or get a tattoo was to go against what God says in the Bible. Many Christians believe that it’s a sin to get a tattoo. When I got older, however, I soon realized that there are different ways to interpret the Bible, and while a lot of people have interpreted that it says not to tattoo your body, it doesn’t necessarily state that.
The pastor at the church I used to attend had a tattoo on his forearm, and he never tried to hide it; when he wore a short-sleeved shirt, it was blatantly obvious that it was there. And I certainly don’t believe that God will look at him any differently for that tattoo.
There are also people who accept tattoos, but only think that people should get them if they have some profound or deep meaning. But I say that if you like a certain design or flower or animal, or if you just like the way something looks, you should get it tattooed. I have two tattoos –– against my Christian dad’s wishes –– and while they don’t have tremendous meaning to me, they have some sort of significance in my life –– and even if they didn’t, it would be okay. I have ideas for more tattoos that don’t necessarily have deep, symbolic meanings, and that’s okay.
People shouldn’t feel like their tattoo needs to have a meaning behind it. Art shouldn’t need to be explained. If someone finds something to be beautiful and worthy of being on their skin forever, let them make that decision without judgment. It’s not the end of the world for someone to get tattooed. It’s a unique way of expressing yourself and showing off someone’s skill and their art.
