www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Religious Tatoos Anyone?

Hi John,

That is exactly why I want to make it.
I want the authorities to recognize me as a Christian, even if I ever cowered out and denied my Lord and savior (happened before - shame on me - God forgive me).
We suffer persecution here, and I want to be proud and enjoy every painful moment of it and never even dare to forget or deny who I am: A CHRISTIAN.

LOL I think They Will Want to Know Any ways


GodsEternalServant

Dan

I want to have the Pantokrator or Our Lady of Perpetual Help tattooed on my chest.

Do you really and honestly think that Icons are appropriate for body tattoos ?

They have this article linked on spiritdaily.com about tatoos from 2002. I think he is right the nature of many tatoos have changed, but where do you draw the line. Only five years ago, humm
http://www.latinmassmagazine.com/articles/articles_2002_SU_Joseph.html

According to my definition of Icon (byzantine icons at least) it is hardly true that you can write in on someone's body.

You might be able to paint/draw an image of an icon on someone's shoulder, but it will never be the real written thing.

Thank you for the article -
helpful indeed and yet it left me short.
Father Peter Joseph is making it clear that there is no true right and wrong here, and yet at the same time stating 10 reasons why NOT to do it mentioning (merely) one reason when it becomes "ok" to tattoo (and that was when he spoke about cultural status).
I agree with Father Peter in many points, but I don't know why he fails to mention that some tattoos will have nothing to do with most of the 10 points he made so clear.

If I recall correctly, Armenians who have made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem will have a cross tattooed on themselves, with numerals indicating the year in which the pilgrimage was made.

Not only Armenians,
Many Europeans who pilgrimed to Jerusalem used to tattoo a special symbol (mostly cross) - or so I heard at least...

EXCELLENT article, excellent insight, excellent and astute assessments by the good Father. Thank you for the link...

I know that like many other things, we become desensitized to trends that initially repel us, but I still think that young people should think twice before tattooing themselves.

Unfortunately, tattoos are also popular with the younger generation in Greece as well.

I agree with the author of this article in that they are ugly.

Could multiple piercings and tattoos be another way of a different generation showing that they are 'counterculture', and not part of their parents' generations' values of decorum and appearance?!?

There seems to be a deeper psychological reason for all this, and it may be to distinguish their generation, just as other generations embraced being counterculture in the image of the hippies, use of drugs, difference of clothes, wearing of blue jeans, and/or taste in music, etc.....

Just some scattered thoughts,
Alice