OversigtI dag er mange kristne kommet verdens gud i møde ved at klæde og opføre sig som dem, der åbent vedkender sig, at de har Djævelen til fader.
I de sidste år er det yderligere lykkedes den gamle morder og ødelægger at få mange – især unge – til at lade sig tatovere, som aldrig har været brugt blandt kristne undtagen i disse, sidste årtier, hvor mange af de lunkne laodikea kristne er faldet for denne hedenske, dæmoniske prægning af huden, der førhen kun har været brugt i baaltilbedelse, shamanisme, mysticisme og andet ugudeligt. I Bibelen læser vi: ”I må ikke præge tegn ind på jer. Jeg er Herren (Yahweh).” 3. Mos. 19:28.
Mange af de personer, der udfører tatovering, påstår, at de har forbindelse til den overnaturlige verden, bruger magi til at kurere sygdomme, kan spå om fremtiden og kontrollere åndelige kræfter, m.m.
Tidligere heks og forfatter Laurie Cabot skriver, at tatovering kommer fra ældgammel magisk praksis. (Laurie Cabot, Power of the Witch, cited in Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated by Dr. Cathy Burns, p. 301) I Amy Krajows kronik The Total Tattoo Book skriver hun, at tatovering ofte sker under påkaldelse af ånder.
Har du en tatovering eller flere på dit legeme, har du frivilligt ladet dig mærke, så du åbent vedgår at være en tilhænger af Satans verdensorden. Har du fortrudt denne handling, må du bede Herren om tilgivelse og renselse for alt det, der evt kan være påført dig i forbindelse med tatoveringen. Og få denne prægning fjernet.
En tatovering kan blive et permanent hjem for ånder
Why XX Mod?
an exploration of the reasons behind
male and female body art and body modification
Why XX Mod?
an exploration of the reasons behind
male and female body art and body modification
In the words of Dr Catherine Grognard: The very soul can be read on the open page of the skin (1). She was referring to the skin as a bodily organ, and its ability to reflect desires and show emotions, as well as indicate torment or sickness. I use the quote for another, not altogether different reason. I am referring to the skin as a canvas, a pincushion, a billboard, and, among other things, a mirror to the soul of the men and women who make the most of (or abuse) their bodies outer crust. Why does he have a panther tattooed on his shoulder, a septum ring and two nipple rings? Why does she have a navel ring, and a rose tattooed on her thigh, made slimmer by liposuction? In this study I explore the reasons behind the body art and body modifications of the two genders.
The oldest mummified tattoo is dated at 2,000 BC, and is found on the priestess of Hathor, from the eleventh dynasty of ancient Egypt, who has the Egyptian sun god pricked into her skin. Egyptians tattooed their dead, especially royalty, as protection against violent spirits in the next life.
The Iceman, found after having been frozen in a glacier for more than 5,000 years, has tattoos in inconspicuous places: his lower spine, his ankle and behind his knee. Because of their locations some have suggested the tattoos were not for tribal purposes, merely personal ones (2). The Iceman liked the look of ink under his skin, so he acquired a few in places that wouldnt affect him in his day-to-day life.
The ancient Romans tattooed their slaves so that runaways could be identified and returned. The Romans, like many races, also branded their cattle...
The Maya peoples of South America are known for some of the most extreme body modifications in the world, disfiguring themselves to the point of ugliness to segregate themselves from other humans and become closer to the gods.
The Mursi women of Ethiopia have their lip pierced when they come of age as a rite of passage into womanhood.
The Picts and Native American men used tribal markings as a form of permanent war paint to scare and confuse the enemy.
Burmese men tattoo a parrot on their shoulder for good luck, Thai women tattoo a left-handed scroll.
Maori, Ainu and Japans Hokkeido Island women tattoo blue whorls around the mouth to emphasise the lips.
Some might say that he twentieth century Westerner turns to body art because they like the look of it... Or is it more than just aesthetic appeal?HE (Male Bodmod)
I forgot that your tattoos and your knife were, above all, an armour for your artichoke heart. (Renaud in Manu) (3)
A look at the surface of male body art might suggest that the tattoos and the piercings of the man are little more than an armour for the heart. Some might say he covers himself in stainless steel and permanently shades his skin with images often intended to shock and offend, as a protection against his emotions and histrue self. The tough exterior is a deterrent for a horrible soul.
This view is stereotypical, but it can be argued that it contains some elements of truth. Just as the bodybuilder takes his strength from his appearance, so does the man with a tiger or a snake, an eagle or a dragon, a jaguar or a spider tattoo. He may be a featherweight, but his artichoke heart tells him he is invincible because of his piece of permanent art. Because of the pain he went through to get it, and the belief that perhaps some of the animals power and strength has become a part of him, he, perhaps unknowingly, has provided an armour for himself.
Claude Levi-Strauss wrote of tribal body art: One had to be painted to be a man. Those who didnt alter their natural state were indistinguishable from the animals. (3) In this sense, body art makes the man, as opposed to just making him feel like one. What this paint is is irrelevant. It could come in the form of a tattoo, or it could be completely unrelated to paint, such as a body piercing or other form of body modification. What is relevant is why one must be painted to be a man. In this case it sets man apart from the beasts. In modern Western society it could be to set themen apart from theboys, the gang member from the rest or the biker from the businessman. Here we find that it is the modification, colloquially calledmod, that makes the man because the majority of body art involves pain of some sort, always a test of manhood. It doesnt really matter what is done, so long as some change is made. To leave ones temple of the soul unadorned, to simply exist, is what the animals (and, to a lesser extent, the boys and the businessmen) do.
The Jim Rose Circus Sideshows Mr Lifto, whose specialty is lifting heavy objects from any of his various exotic body piercings, was once asked why he was constantly trying to find more extreme forms of body modification. Im always looking for some new kinda kick, he answered. Gotta try to experience everything at least once. (5) Of the reasons given for their body art in my questionnaires, this type of response was the most common for males: a bit of fun and a new experience. The bearer must be either very sure of, or apathetic towards, his body, doing it because he knows he wants it, or just because he can. Certainly some sections of Western communities regard body modification for the sake of body modification as something of questionable nature.
Then there is the minority. This group of people, I believe, were not even represented in the questionnaire, and yet are often believed to be in the majority of people with body art and body modification. They are the men who are insane. Truman Capote, author of In Cold Blood, interviewed more than one hundred killers over a period of ten years and says eighty percent of them have one thing in common: Tattoos. Theres something really the matter with most people who wear tattoos, he says. I know from experience theres something terribly flawed about people who are tattooed above the little something Johnny had done in the Navy, even though thats also a bad sign. Capotes valued judgement based on his research is that for these men tattoos are a sign of some feeling of inferiority, trying to establish some sort of macho identification for themselves. (6)
A picture says a thousand words, as the old saying goes, and tattoos can say even more. Tattooing is an ideal medium for expressing sexual fantasies: Mermaids and pin-up girls are two popular traditional designs obvious in their connotation. Modern tattoos seem to rely more on symbolism and the position of the piece to express their meaning. Either way, the man externalises his sexual impulses, openly displaying them in order to control and exorcise them, without saying a word. (7)SHE (Female Bodmod)
The perfect tattoo... the one I believe we are all struggling toward... is the one that turned the jackass into a zebra. (Cliff Raven) (8)
Unlike the majority of male body art, which is often designed to disfigure the body and shock, body art for women is usually to complement the shape of the body, or is an attempt to take the woman from one state to another more beautiful one. Often these women may feel a little cheated by nature. They may try to make themselves beautiful by adding colour to the skin here and there (a more permanent form of make-up) or hanging jewellery from any body part that sticks out. Perhaps the next steps up from these sorts of body modification are the modifications of cosmetic surgery, a much more obvious way of beautifying the self than a navel ring. But tattoos, at least for now, are by far more accessible than a $20,000 trip to the doctors. Women can walk into a tattoo studio, spend a few hundred dollars, and walk out, as Cliff Raven said, a zebra. The woman is beautiful because the art is beautiful, and this leads us to the next group.
Many women get tattoos for the sole reason that they like tattoos! I asked body art enthusiast Jennifer Bond why shed turned to tattoos. The answer is really quite simple, she said, They are beautiful. Just as traditional art-lovers hang paintings around their home, lovers of tattoos as an art form stick art to their souls home. The meaning behind the tattoo may be minuscule or non-existent, other than the fact that they like the art, and it is this attitude that many people without tattoos find disturbing. Submitting oneself as a human canvas for the art one loves and then having to live with the results forever doesnt seem to make sense to many of those who have avoided the whirring needle.
After the art-lovers comes the lovers of the art-lovers: The women who follow fashions and trends. Any craze inevitably attracts those who have not properly thought it through, writes Michelle Delio in her book, Tattoo - The Exotic Art of Skin Decoration, Of course, tattooing is one trend that, by its very nature, is going to last. (9) Whereas men often get a tattoo because they have seen their mate with one, women are more likely to become tattooed because they have seen a tattooed celebrity. There are inked celebrities everywhere: Madonna, Drew Barrymore, Pamela Anderson, Courtney Love, Cher, Spice Girls Mel B, Aquas Lene Grawford Nystrøm, All Saints Melanie Blatt, and the hip list goes on, including numerous supermodels. It is often the fashion cats who regret their body art in later years. The reason being that their tattoo is a result of a temporary fascination instead of a genuine and lasting personal desire to express themselves in a life-long way through a tattoo.
Cher once said, For someone who likes tattoos, the most precious thing is bare skin. (10) Womens tattoos are almost always erotic in some way, and are often in places concealed by clothing, reserved for the eyes of the privileged. They become like a second skin, so that the woman is never truly naked, as the tattoo both attracts and diverts the eye from the skin. It could perhaps be surmised that men express sexual fantasies through their tattoos, whilst women make themselves into sexual fantasies through their tattoos, trying to arouse feelings of desire by clothing themselves in beauty born from pain.
Because body art appeals to such a wide variety of people, it has a wide range of influences and obsessions. This makes it very hard to view the art objectively. The body is a link as well as a barrier to the outside world, and it is not easy to determine whether a persons body art is from the inside or because of the outside. The groups I have labelled, and the reasons I have given for mens and womens body art and body modifications are largely from my own point of view. Even quotes from the people who know have been interpreted through the mind of an un-tattooed and yet-to-be-pierced year 12 Art student. On the other hand, it could be argued that the value and motivation behind all art forms is in fact a subjective judgement both by the artists themselves and those who view the art.
Throughout the year, through the questionnaires, the contact with artists, the books, magazines and web pages (and with one eye constantly watching the world of bod mod) I have noticed two pairs of opposite reasons for why so many men and women have succumbed to the needle in one way or another. The first contrast is beautification versus disfigurement. The second contrasting reason is acceptance versus rejection. The Iceman was tattooed because he liked the look of them: beautifying. The Romans tattooed their slaves as a form of humiliation, defacing their bodies as they did their animals: disfiguring. The Egyptian priestess was tattooed so she would be recognised in the next life: acceptance. The Maya people pierced, implanted, tattooed and scarred themselves to the point of ugliness to get closer to supreme beings and separate themselves from humanity: rejection.
The conditions may change, techniques will change, and society has changed. However, the motivations behind male and female body art and body modifications are the same for each gender, and are the same as 4,000 years ago. Body art truly is forever, no matter which sex you are.
References
1. Catherine Grognard, The Tattoo - Graffiti for The Soul, The Promotional Reprint Company, 1994
2. Catherine Grognard...
3. Catherine Grognard...
4. Catherine Grognard...
5. http://www.bmezine.com/people/mrlifto.html
6. http://bmezine.com/tattoo/bme-tatt.html
7. Catherine Grognard...
8. Chris Wroblewski, Skin Shows - The Art of Tattoo, 1989
9. Michelle Delio, Tattoo - The Exotic Art of Skin Decoration, Pan Macmillan Publishers, Australia, 1993
10. Michelle Delio...
2. Catherine Grognard...
3. Catherine Grognard...
4. Catherine Grognard...
5. http://www.bmezine.com/people/mrlifto.html
6. http://bmezine.com/tattoo/bme-tatt.html
7. Catherine Grognard...
8. Chris Wroblewski, Skin Shows - The Art of Tattoo, 1989
9. Michelle Delio, Tattoo - The Exotic Art of Skin Decoration, Pan Macmillan Publishers, Australia, 1993
10. Michelle Delio...
Bibliography
Catherine Grognard, The Tattoo - Graffiti for The Soul, The Promotional Reprint Company, 1994
Michelle Delio, Tattoo - The Exotic Art of Skin Decoration, Pan Macmillan Publishers, Australia, 1993
Chris Wroblewski, Skin Shows - The Art of Tattoo, 1989
Chris Wroblewski, Skin Shows 2 - The Art of Tattoo, 1991
Laura Reybold, Everything You Need To Know About The Dangers of Tattooing and Body Piercing, The Rosen Publishing Group Incorporated, 1996
The World Book Encyclopedia (Volume 19), World Book Inc., USA, 1988
The World Book Dictionary, Doubleday & Company Inc., 1978
The NIV Study Bible, The Zondervan Corporation, 1985
Encarta96, Microsoft Corporation, USA, 1993-1995
(Michelle Delio, Tattoo: The Exotic Art of Skin Decoration, p. 8)
Tatoveringen er langtfra altid neutral. Der kan være indlagt ”streger eller tegn, der har stærk magi, uden du ved om det. Samme kilde side 13.
Her er en liste over de mest okkulte steder, der udfører tatovering:
· Alchemical, Astrological/Zodiac, Runes & Tarot Symbols
· Books on Tattoos, Symbols & More
· Magic & Magickal Symbols
· Masonic Symbols & Tattoos
· Non-Retarded Christian perspectives on tattooing
· Pagan, Wiccan & Neo-Pagan Symbols
· Religious & Cultural Symbols
· Religious, Mythological & Other Tattoo Galleries
· Satanic & Demonic Symbols, Imagery and Tattoos
· Sigils & Seals
· Tattoo Meanings & History
· Tattoos, the occult & crime
Denne liste er opført i Hambly Wilfrid D. 1925 bog The History of Tattooing and its Significance, p. 233, cited in Gilbert, Steve, Tattoo History: A Source Book, p. 162) (Hambly Wilfrid D. 1925.
Og Rolling Stone magazine skriver, at berømte tatovører ”… tillod sine klienters dæmoner at hjælpe med til at styre nålene. ” (Rolling Stone magazine, March 28, 2002, p. 40.)
Tatovering er langt mere farlig end mange tror. Henry Ferguson og Lynn Procter skriver i deres bog The Art of the Tattoo om det:
TATTOO: THE MARK OF DEATH
In Leviticus 19:28 the Lord gives a clear condemnation of tattoos – ... cuttings in your flesh... nor print any marks upon you.
Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:28
It’s very interesting that Leviticus 19:28 links the tattoo with the dead.
Care to take a wild guess as the number one theme of tattoos? Even in today’s modern, civilized, society...?
You guessed it...!
DEATH...
Death and darkness have always been a classic tattoo theme – skulls, snakes, demons, spiders and spiderwebs are all conventional tattoo imagery. Darkside tattooing takes our fascination with mortality, death, isolation, fear and evil to new levels.
(Jean-Chris Miller, The Body Art Book: A Complete, Illustrated Guide to Tattoos, Piercings, and Other Body Modifications, p. 56)
According to authors Henry Ferguson and Lynn Procter of The Art of the Tattoo, the most popular tattooed image of today is – the all-pervasive grinning skull!
... probably the most popular tattooed image of today, the all-pervasive grinning skull!
(Henry Ferguson and Lynn Procter, The Art of the Tattoo, p. 76)
Skulls imprinted on skin abound, and depictions of the Grim Reaper are commonly seen... These images, indelibly marked on the skin, reflect uncertainty about the future, and sublimate the pervasive fear of the unknown. Possibly, at the same time, to wear a death’s figure on one’s body may be an invocation of whatever undefinable forces of nature and the cosmos that exist, in an attempt to protect the wearer from such a fate.
(Henry Ferguson and Lynn Procter, The Art of the Tattoo, p. 76)
Take a tour of most tattoo shops and morbid scenes of death, demons, serpents, and hell will engulf you! Grim reapers, flaming skulls, snakes crawling through skulls, demons, Satan, pornography, blasphemy, naked flames of hell – every satanic scene of hell is glorified. Who do you think is the master artist painting such hellish scenes in the minds of the tattooist? You know as well as I do who’s the real master tattooist...
Skulls imprinted on skin abound, and depictions of the Grim Reaper are commonly seen... These images, indelibly marked on the skin, reflect uncertainty about the future, and sublimate the pervasive fear of the unknown. Possibly, at the same time, to wear a death’s figure on one’s body may be an invocation of whatever undefinable forces of nature and the cosmos that exist, in an attempt to protect the wearer from such a fate.
(Henry Ferguson and Lynn Procter, The Art of the Tattoo, p. 76)
Ronald Scutt, in his exhaustive book, Art, Sex and Symbol covers a great deal about the history and culture of tattoos. Scutt documents that most of the time tattoos are connected to spiritual, religious and mystical purposes. The following documentation is from Scutt’s book:
In fact tattooing is much more likely, in view of its subsequent development, to have had a mystical significance, or to have been used as a status symbol, the red ochre carrying an association with blood and life.
(Ronald Scutt, Art, Sex and Symbol, 1974, p. 22)
[Tattooing] In association with sun-worship, megalithic building, ear-piercing, serpent worship,...
(Ronald Scutt, Art, Sex and Symbol, 1974, p. 22)
These marks [tatoos] are believed to be associated with the worship of the sun-goddess Neith
(Ronald Scutt, Art, Sex and Symbol, 1974, p. 24)
Gennem hele historien har tatovering været et symbol på oprør. Enhver bog om tatovering, gammel som ny, bekræfter dette. (Jean-Chris Miller, The Body Art Book: A Complete, Illustrated Guide to Tattoos, Piercings, and Other Body Modifications, p. 32)
Bibelen fordømmer i stærke vendinger oprør. Oprør og trolddom hører sammen. ”Oprør er trolddomssynd…” 1. Sam. 15:23. Og du skal ikke lade en troldkvinde/mand leve.” 2. Mos. 22:18.
Tatovering må anses for at være social uacceptabel (Ronald Scutt, Art, Sex and Symbol, 1974, p. 179.)
Steve Gilbert skriver i sin bog Tattoo History: A Source Book, at ordet tattoo betyder et mærke af vanære eller skamplet.
Tatovering blev i ældre tid brugt til at mærke kriminelle, utugtige, forræddere, desertører og dem, der var udstødt af samfundet. (Ronald Scutt, Art, Sex and Symbol, 1974, p. 162.)
Tatovering var også et mærke på usømmelighed og blev betragtet som væmmelig og uanstændig. (Ronald Scutt, Art, Sex and Symbol, 1974, p. 179.)
Selv i lande som det umoralske Grækenland og Italien blev tatovering anset for at være et tegn på fordærvelse. Og det er en af Satans mesterværker i forførelse, når han i dag også får en del kristne til at lade sig tatovere. (Danny Sugerman, Appetite for Destruction: the Days of Guns N’ Roses, p. 40.)
Tatovering er et mærke på pervers, seksuel afvigelse. Studier, der er sat i forbindelse med homoseksualitet, lesbianisme og grov seksuel afvigelse viser dette med tydelighed. Undersøgelser viser, at 60 % af homoseksuelle i New Zealand og 90 % af lesbiske er mærket med diverse tatoveringer.
Yet further analysis indicated a ratio of aggression to the number of tattoos, and that the most heavily tattooed girls were unstable and insecure and tended to take the masculine role in their sex encounters. (Ronald Scutt, Art, Sex and Symbol, 1974, p. 87.)
[Associated with tattoos] Among these conditions Raspa cited: impulsiveness, low self esteem, lack of self control, homosexual orientation, sexual sadomasochism, bondage, fetishism, bisexuality, lesbianism, antisocial personality, borderline personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, mania and bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. (Raspa, Robert F. and John Cusack 1990, Psychiatric Implications of Tattoos, American Family Physician. 41: p. 1481 cited in Gilbert, Steve, Tattoo History: A Source Book, p. 159.)
In the Borstal institutions [criminals] it has been estimated that the incidence of tattooing can be as high as 75 per cent. (Ronald Scutt, Art, Sex and Symbol, 1974, p. 113.)
Comprehensive studies performed in Denmark, revealed the following enlightening statistics concerning tattoos:
42% of homes for short-term detentioned were tattooed
60% of homes for young men with behavior difficulties
72% of prisons for young men
52% of prisons population (Side 114.)
The same Denmark studies also disclosed less than 4.8 in the general population were tattooed..(Samme side.)
Investigations by law enforcement officials also came to the conclusion that:
The presence of ornamental body tattoos could serve to indicate the existence of personality disorders which are liable to manifest themselves in criminal behaviour. (Ronald Scutt, Art, Sex and Symbol, 1974, p. 117)
This [tattoos] is one of the problems behind prison rehabilitation. Hence the reason why some plastic surgeons associated with prison service are prepared to spend an enormous amount of time removing tattoos, especially those on exposed areas... (Side181)
Mange vil nok tænke, at det kun var i gamle dage, at tatovering blev sat i forbindelse kriminelle, fordærvelse og umoralsk opførsel, og ikke i dag.
Men en meget omfattende studie og analyse, der blev offentliggjort i april 2001 af Dr. Timothy Roberts, a pediatrician at the University of Rochester Children’s Hospital, viser noget helt andet. Hans undersøgelse omfattede 6072 personer mellem 11 og 21 år, udvalgt fra hele USA fra forskellige etniske grupper og fra alle økonomiske og sociale baggrunde. Undersøgelsen virker chokerende ved, at den især har et greb i unge mennesker.
Are nearly four times more likely to engage in sexual intercourse
Over two times more likely to experience alcohol related problems
Nearly two times more likely to use illegal drugs
Over two times more likely to express violent behavior
Over two times more likely to drop out of high school
Dr. Roberts writes, that the results of the study reveal:
Tattooing in adolescents was significantly associated with sexual intercourse, substance use, violence and school problems in bivariate analyses and in logistic regressions adjusting for sociodemographic factors and peer substance use.
(Timothy A. Roberts, M.D. and Sheryl A. Ryan, M.D., Tattooing and High-Risk Behavior in Adolescents, Division of Adolescent Medicine, Strong Children’s Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY)
Dr. Roberts, writes in the conclusion of the study that tattoos have strong associations with high-risk behaviors in adolescents
Yet the worship of the sun-god Baal had involved the marking of the hands [tattoos] with the divine token in a mystic attempt to acquire strength.
(Ronald Scutt, Art, Sex and Symbol, 1974, p. 64)
Jeg ville ønske, at du som har en tatovering på dig, så vidt muligt får denne prægning fjernet. Idet den som beskrevet er et tegn på oprør.
Jeg har valgt at bringe et udsnit af en artikel, som findes på internettet, skrevet af Lynette Schaefer:
“It is clear that we are living in the end times, right before the return of our Lord Jesus Christ to rapture home His blood-bought bride, the Church. It is also clear that these are perilous times. (2. Tim. 3:1) The current trend that more and more Christians seem to be picking up is tattooing. There are even “Christian” tattoo shops opening up, and deceived Christians are flocking to them more and more. They justify this activity by saying they are “tattooing for Jesus” and it’s fun to sport their new, colorful images or statements. Therefore, tattooing is no more an activity that the Bible expressly forbids, but it’s become the latest, cool, fun thing to do; and tattooing is popularly regarded as simply “body art”. Well, let’s explore what tattooing really is and what God has to say about it.
1. The Mark of Blood. The tattooing procedure involves cutting the flesh with a sharp needle or instrument in order to carve out or make designs. The result is something called “blood-letting”. Blood-letting has both occultic and demonic origins as it is considered a power source that is supernaturally unleashed. Many pro-tattoo sources describe tattooing as having a magical, occultic connection with blood and blood-letting as being normal. Several pro-tattoo historians indicate the connection with scarification and blood-letting associated with religious practices. Another source indicates “the importance of licking the blood that was released during tattoo operations” (Steve Gilbert, “Tattoo History: A Source Book”, pg. 181). We read in 1Kings 18:25-28 the account of the prophets of Baal who met with Elijah to find out who was the true God. These were satanists who were attempting to unleash supernatural power by cutting themselves (vs. 28). In the New Testament, there was a man named Legion who was possessed by demons in Mark. 5:1-9 who went about cutting himself with stones. (vs. 5) Leviticus 19:28 says “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.” (emphasis mine)
2. The Cup of Devils. Historically, the origin of the tattoo is associated with paganism, demonism, Baal worship, shamanism, mysticism, heathenism, cannibalism and many other pagan beliefs. The tattoo has NEVER been connected with Bible believing Christians. But today in the 21st century, the trends are reverting from paganism practices to include the modern Christian and the new “Christian” tattoo shop. Satan is the god of this world and his agenda is to deceive many Christians, especially in the last days. But the fact remains that the tattoo has its roots in beliefs and practices that are demonic and pagan. Many pro-tattoo books indicate that tattooing is a magical rite and the tattooist is respected as a priest or shaman; it is connected to a religious ceremony and performed by priests or priestesses; it is intended to put the human soul in harmony with supernatural forces; at other times dancing accompanies the tattooing ritual to exorcise demons. In other words, it is connected with the spirit world and a tattoo is really much more than simply a body decoration. Today’s popular tattooing craze is “tribal tattoos”, which are pure paganism. These designs bear serious symbolic mystical and occult meanings. They are strongly connected with channels into spiritual and demonic possession. Many pro-tattoo artists and historians can attest to this by saying things like, “tattoos have a power and magic all their own”, “there is in addition to the opening of numerous inlets for evil to enter”, “allowing his clients’ demons to help guide the needle”. Ronald Scutt, in his exhaustive book, Art, Sex and Symbol, covers a lot about the history and culture of tattoos. He documents that most of the time tattoos are associated with spiritual, religious and mystical purposes; linking it to mystical significance, sun-worship, serpent worship, and the sun-god Baal. Author Steve Gilbert, of Tattoo History: A Source Book, p. 99, records, “The Spaniards, who had never heard of tattooing, recognized it at once as the work of Satan.” Yet today’s gullible Christians are out there in droves “marking themselves for Jesus”! Pagan tattooing is not just from the dark ages: many body artists perform ritual tattoos today as the quotes from tattoo authors above bear witness. Some will burn incense or light candles. 1Cor. 10:21 says, “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.”
3. The Mark of Death. Lev. 19:28 says, “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.” Yet DEATH is the number one theme of tattoos! References from tattoo books again reveal this as a fact: “Death and darkness have always been a classic tattoo theme – skulls, snakes, demons” (The Body Art Book, pg. 56); Henry Ferguson in The Art of the Tattoo, states “probably the most popular tattooed image of today, the all-pervasive grinning skull!”; “Skulls imprinted on skin abound, and depictions of the Grim Reaper are commonly seen”; “Possibly, at the same time, to wear a death’s figure on one’s body may be an invocation of whatever indefinable forces of nature….in an attempt to protect the wearer from such a fate”. Tattoo shops mostly display morbid scenes of death, demons, serpents, and hell. Grim reapers, flaming skulls, snakes crawling through skulls, demons, Satan, pornography, blasphemy, naked flames of hell – every satanic scene of hell is glorified. Who really is the Master Tattooist? Satan, of course! (Rev. 6:8; Hebr. 2:14). He is the author of Death; and the representative of Hell (Rev. 6:8; Matt. 25:41); also of the Serpent (Gen. 3:1; Rev. 12:9; Rev. 20:1-2); whereas Jesus is Life (John 1:3; John 6:48; John 11:25; John 14:6; Acts 3:15; Ro. 6:23; 1John 1:1-2; 1John 5:12).
Many tattoo artists embody satanic symbols of death and hell while they display demonic scenes in their shops, calling it “art”. They are often people who demonstrate their allegiance to Satan with vile and filthy depictions of the underworld.
4. The Mark of Rebellion. The Bible condemns all rebellion throughout its pages and declares that rebellion is as bad as witchcraft. (1. Sam. 15:23) It is clear that the tattoo has always been an indication of a spirit of rebellion and deviancy on its wearers. All the tattoo books make comments about tattooing being rebellious. In addition, the tattoo is considered a mark of disgrace or reproach by the same tattoo books. Throughout history, the tattoo was used to mark the criminal, adulterers, traitors, deserters, the deviant and outcast. Thirdly, it has been the mark of the sideshow freak throughout history. Also, it is the mark of indecency. They were associated with barbarians in barbaric, immoral Greece and Rome. One tattoo book, “Art, Sex and Symbol”, 1974, by Ronald Scutt, pg. 179, says “In a society that considers nudity as dirty, indecent, and subversive or morality … - it is not surprising that decorations to the body are allocated to the same category.” The tattoo is also considered the mark of depravity by many tattoo books. Studies have been done that indicate a high percentage of deviant behaviors and troubled persons that were tattooed. Studies have also been done that link tattoos to homosexuality, lesbianism, and gross sexual perversion. Statements made in many of the tattoo books bear this out. Recent studies on today’s tattooed young people indicate 1) they are nearly four times more likely to engage in sexual intercourse; 2) Over two times more likely to experience alcohol related problems; 3) Nearly two times more likely to use illegal drugs; 4) Over two times more likely to express violent behavior; and 5) Over two times more likely to drop out of high school.
What about Jesus? Wasn’t He a rebel? NO WAY! To the contrary: Jesus was 100 percent OBEDIENT unto death – even the death of the Cross! (Phil. 2:8) In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, “not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42-44) If there was the slightest chance that Jesus was a rebel, then He would have sinned against God, and we would all be lost!
5. Tattoo’s Deadly Little Secret. It is a well-known fact that tattooing runs a risk of acquiring any number of deadly diseases, including Hepatitis C and AIDS. The reason is because the needle that is used to tattoo punctures the skin 3,000 times a minute. In an hour, that would be 180,000 times that puncture wounds provide a potential path to a deadly disease. Not only that, but it is also well documented that tattoo shops are not regulated by the government to uphold medical standards. Also, many tattoo artists do not inform their clients of possible infection from the needle or the ink. The Mayo Clinic sounds a warning about commercial tattooing: “Few states have hygienic regulations to ensure safe tattooing practices in commercial tattoo parlors, and even fewer monitor and enforce standards”. (Body Piercing and Tattoos: More than Skin Deep, Mayo Clinic, www.mayoclinic.com). Tattoos can cause many chronic skin disorders such as sarcoid, keloid scarring, allergic dermatitis, photosensitivity reactions, psoriasis, and tumors. Finally, the Bible gives a real warning about this sort of procedure (Psm.38:5-8)
6. Tattoos and the Bible. We know already what Lev. 19:28 says. But people use that to say, “But that’s in the OLD Testament! What about the New?” Well, do you know that Lev. 19:29 says not to prostitute your daughter; yet it says nothing in the New Testament about that, making it okay to prostitute your child? I think not! These moral laws are timeless and are as applicable now as then. Lev. 19:28 indicates that we are to not print ANY marks on us. Period. Lev. 19:26-28 is a condemnation of assorted pagan, witchcraft and heathen practices, of which tattooing is clearly one of them. Every commentary written on Lev. 19:28 says that tattooing comes from pagan origins. Isaiah 44:5 & Ez. 9:4 indicates “he will write with his hand to the Lord.” Some go as far as to say that Jesus Christ is tattooed! (Rev. 19:16) If that is literally true, then Jesus is a sinner who disobeyed Lev. 19:28. Finally, because our bodies are the Temple of the Living God (1Cor. 6:19-20), God wants them pure for His glory. Defiling the temple of God, him will God destroy (1Cor. 3:16-17). God meant what He said! (Num. 23:19; Gal. 6:7-8) 2Cor. 6:16 says, in part, “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God.”
7. Tattoo: The Mark of Regret. Those who get tattoos while in a backslidden state will forever have to live with them. Even those who flock to get laser surgery in an attempt to remove the tattoos will have to go through a lot of expensive and painful procedures, and yet the tattoo will never be totally removed and will just look ugly. Many who are foolish enough to get tattoos later regret them and hate looking at them. There are many consequences of getting “marked”: spiritual, health, social. Once a person has that mark put on them, they are then in a different category: one of the gang, cool, and spiritually defiled against God who shakes their fist at His law. Not to mention that after getting the tattoo, some serious medical problems could start to germinate. Getting a tattoo can also damage relationships with friends, family, teachers or employers. According to Bonnie B. Graves, Tattooing and Body Piercing, p. 43, many jobs are not available to those who have visible body art. So, then, is getting a tattoo really worth all the consequences?
If you have tattoos and are still unconvinced that any of the above applies to you, then consider this: tattooing, in addition to being disobedient, is idolatrous because it displays an image. If someone is “tattooing for Jesus” and thinks that’s acceptable, it isn’t because the “Jesus” (or any symbol) you are marking yourself with is an image. God says very clearly and explicitly that we are to have no other gods before Him, and that it is He and He alone who is supreme. (Ex. 20:3; Is. 45:5)
The Bible expressly tells us to keep ourselves unspotted from the world (Jas. 1:27), to abstain from the appearance of evil (1. Tess. 5:22), and that friendship with the world is enmity with God. (Jas. 4:4). We are instructed to come out from among them and be separate from the world. (2Cor. 6:17) Christians therefore have the responsibility to obey God’s commands and abstain from worldly associations, pastimes, or habits; not just out of duty but because we love God and have a living relationship with Him. (John 14:15). Please beware that ALL tattooing is wrong, not just the graphic stuff described above. It all has the same origin in paganism and is expressly commanded by the Lord that we are to avoid this practice at all costs!
If you received tattoos before conversion to Christ, then you have already been forgiven for that. On the other hand, if you have received tattoos after giving your life to Christ, you need to repent of this sin and not repeat it, under any circumstances, because it is considered abominable.” Udsnit fra artikel slut.
Dr. Hamply er med stor sandsynlighed den bedste der har levet, der historisk har gransket tatovering. Han fortæller igen og igen, at tatovering er baseret på hedenske, åndelige ritualer. Og han viser, at det har tilknytning til dæmoner og overnaturlige kræfter. (Steve Gilbert, in his popular, Tattoo History: A Source Book).
Historien viser, at hedenske områder, der blev omvendt til kristendommen, som noget af det første tog afstand fra tatovering. Hvorfor? Fordi de vidste, hvorfra tatoveringen kom, og at den var af hedensk oprindelse. Og Helligånden lærte dem omgående, at der ikke måtte findes nogen form for tatovering iblandt dem. (Jean-Chris Miller, The Body Art Book: A Complete, Illustrated Guide to Tattoos, Piercings, and Other Body Modifications, p.9)
Overalt, hvor kristendommen kom frem, blev tatovering forkastet. (Gilbert, Steve, Tattoo History: A Source Book, p. 101.)
(Se også Jean-Chris Miller, The Body Art Book: A Complete, Illustrated Guide to Tattoos, Piercings, and Other Body Modifications, p.11.)
Da Cortex og hans fæller ankom til Mexicos kyst i 1519, blev de forfærdede over at opdage, at folket der ikke blot tilbad dæmoner i form af forskellige afguder men også havde figurerne prentet ind i deres hud, (Gilbert, Steve, Tattoo History: A Source Book, p. 99.)
“I kan ikke drikke Herrens bæger og dæmoners bæger. I kan ikke tage del i Herrens bord og i dæmoners bord.” 1. Kor. 10:21.
US News og World Report oplyser (3.nov. 1997), at tatovering er landets sjette største af de hurtigvoksende virksomheder. Og de vokser med en forbavsende fart.
TATTOO: THE MARK OF DEATH
In Leviticus 19:28 the Lord gives a clear condemnation of tattoos – ... cuttings in your flesh... nor print any marks upon you.
Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:28.
It’s very interesting that Leviticus 19:28 links the tattoo with the dead.
Care to take a wild guess as the number one theme of tattoos? Even in today’s modern, civilized, society...?
You guessed it...!
DEATH...
Death and darkness have always been a classic tattoo theme – skulls, snakes, demons, spiders and spiderwebs are all conventional tattoo imagery. Darkside tattooing takes our fascination with mortality, death, isolation, fear and evil to new levels.
(Jean-Chris Miller, The Body Art Book: A Complete, Illustrated Guide to Tattoos, Piercings, and Other Body Modifications, p. 56)
According to authors Henry Ferguson and Lynn Procter of The Art of the Tattoo, the most popular tattooed image of today is – the all-pervasive grinning skull!
... probably the most popular tattooed image of today, the all-pervasive grinning skull!
(Henry Ferguson and Lynn Procter, The Art of the Tattoo, p. 76)
Skulls imprinted on skin abound, and depictions of the Grim Reaper are commonly seen... These images, indelibly marked on the skin, reflect uncertainty about the future, and sublimate the pervasive fear of the unknown. Possibly, at the same time, to wear a death’s figure on one’s body may be an invocation of whatever undefinable forces of nature and the cosmos that exist, in an attempt to protect the wearer from such a fate.
(Henry Ferguson and Lynn Procter, The Art of the Tattoo, p. 76)
Take a tour of most tattoo shops and morbid scenes of death, demons, serpents, and hell will engulf you! Grim reapers, flaming skulls, snakes crawling through skulls, demons, Satan, pornography, blasphemy, naked flames of hell – every satanic scene of hell is glorified. Who do you think is the master artist painting such hellish scenes in the minds of the tattooist? You know as well as I do who’s the real master tattooist...
WebMD warns of the Russian Roulette tattoo procedure -- as each stick of the tattoo needle opens you up to contracting a deadly disease:
Hepatitis C is spread by infected blood and infected needles, which is the virus connection with tattooing. Tattoos involve lots of needles making lots of sticks in the skin. Each stick carries potential for contamination -- and not just with hepatitis, but also HIV,...
(Pamela Anderson Says She Has Hepatitis C, WebMD Medical News, March 21, 2002, content.health.msn.com/content/article/1678.50634)
Still want a tattoo?
Ask actress Pamela Anderson about the harmless tattoo. Pamela contracted the deadly hepatitis C from a simple, small finger TOMMY tattoo.
The fact of tattoos spreading deadly diseases is nothing new. Its been known and documented for years.
According to the Hepatitis Control Report, Spring 2001, Outside the United States, several studies have connected the practice [tattoos] to hepatitis B and C virus transmission...
Tattooing poses health risks because the process exposes blood and body fluids. Because of this a person who gets tattooed risks getting a disease or infection that is carried through blood. These blood-borne diseases include hepatitis B and C, tetanus, and HIV.
(Bonnie B. Graves, Tattooing and body piercing, p. 40)
By the middle of the nineteenth century, it was becoming more and more apparent that the practice was not without its medical hazards. For instance, in 1853 the first case was reported of syphilis, transmitted not in the old fashioned way, but via the tattooist’s needle.
(Ronald Scutt, Art, Sex and Symbol, 1974, p. 133)
In the late 1950’s, a New York City boy contracted blood poisoning from being tattooed with an unsterilized needle.
(Laura Reybold, Everything you need to know about the dangers of tattooing and body piercing, p. 17)
In 1961 an outbreak of hepatitis B in New York City was linked to the tattoo. And the ultra-liberal New York City outlawed the deadly tattoo from 1961 until 1997!
Did you know the American Red Cross prohibits donors from donating blood for 12 months - one complete year -- after getting tattooed? Their Blood Donation Eligibility Guidelines under Tattoo reads, Wait 12 months after a tattoo. This requirement is related to concerns about hepatitis.
Get this... According to research published in the Journal of School Health, 70 percent of 642 adolescents surveyed in a study reported hemorrhaging while being tattooed. (Donald Staffo, The Tuscaloosa Times, January 10, 2001)
Despite the attempt of many tattoo websites to nullify the possibility of contracting HIV / AIDS from a tattoo, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) gives a different answer:
Can I get HIV from getting a tattoo or through body piercing?
A risk of HIV transmission does exist if instruments contaminated with blood are either not sterilized or disinfected or are used inappropriately between clients. CDC recommends that instruments that are intended to penetrate the skin be used once, then disposed of or thoroughly cleaned and sterilized.
(www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/faq/faq27.htm)
Why are tattoos so vulnerable to deadly diseases?
Simple. Because the tattooist is puncturing thousands of tiny potential disease bearing wounds with very little, if any, serious state or federal health regulations. And not only that, many of the customers receiving a tattoo are drug-users, criminals, rock artists, deviants and homosexuals who just happen to be the major carriers of the deadly blood-borne diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis.
And there exists no or very little federal or state laws enforcing any serious sterilization regulations. It is basically up to the tattoo shop owner to sterilize or not sterilize his tattooing tools and procedures.
Where tattooing is legal, however there is little or no government regulation of tattoo artists... Since there is little regulation of tattoo artists, however, it is important to recognize that, as in any field, there may be unscrupulous or incompetent practitioners. Tattooing opens your body to potential infection, disease, and scarring.
(Laura Reybold, Everything you need to know about the dangers of tattooing and body piercing, p. 18)
On their web site, the world-renown, Mayo Clinic sounds a warning about the dangers of the commercial tattoo shop and lack of serious health regulations:
Keep in mind that tattoo parlors and piercing venues are not held to the same sterility standards as doctors offices and hospitals. Few states have hygienic regulations to ensure safe tattooing practices in commercial tattoo parlors, and even fewer monitor and enforce standards.
(Body piercing and tattoos: More than skin deep, Mayo Clinic, www.mayoclinic.com)
WebMD also acknowledges the lack of sterile regulations missing in most tattoo shops:
By and large, tattoo artists and shops are not required -- by state or local governments -- to follow the same sterile operating practices as other operations that use needles, like hospitals and doctors offices.
(Pamela Anderson Says She Has Hepatitis C, WebMD Medical News, March 21, 2002, content.health.msn.com/content/article/1678.50634)
Dennis Dwyer, executive director of the tattoo’s industry voluntary-self-monitoring organization Alliance for Professional Tattoo Artists (APT) readily admits the problem, Many people are trying their best to provide safe tattooing. But this industry has a lot of nonconformists,
(Pamela Anderson Says She Has Hepatitis C, WebMD Medical News, March 21, 2002, content.health.msn.com/content/article/1678.50634)
Tattoo industry expert Professor Myrna Alexander of Texas Tech University, who has researched the tattoo industry for 10 years, warns, There are some very reputable tattoo artists out there. They work hard, and their studios are as clean as medical clinics. They do a good job because they believe what they are doing is art. The problem is, there are many who dont.
(Pamela Anderson Says She Has Hepatitis C, WebMD Medical News, March 21, 2002, content.health.msn.com/content/article/1678.50634)
Most tattoo shops do not and will not advise you to the real potential for serious health dangers. Despite the vast amount of research available (just search the Internet) many tattooist still refuse to acknowledge the very serious health dangers the tattoo invites.
OTHER LITTLE DANGERS
Besides the possibility of killing you with fatal diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis, the harmless tattoo provides an arm-load of other ailments.
Tattoos can cause chronic skin disorders such as sarcoid, keloid scarring, allergic dermatitis, photosensitivity reactions, psoriasis, and benign or malignant tumors. (www.saintmarys.edu/~health/dyk0010.html) Many people experience infection and allergic reaction to the tattoo ink.
Also, the pigments in tattoo ink contain small metal fibers such as iron oxide. These metal fibers can cause intense burning pain during an MRI procedure. Some medical institutions refuse to perform MRIs on people with tattoos. The MRI is an important medical procedure and this risk should not be taken lightly. (www.ezpermanentmakeup.com/IronOxideLetters.htm) And every prick is an invitation for blood-bourne diseases such as hepatitis and AIDS.
Think before you get that tattoo...
A tattooing machine can puncture the skin 3,000 times a minute. And every one of those thousands of punctures creates a hole 1/64 to 1/16th of an inch into the dermis that literally invites infection and disease. Every single puncture of the tattoo needle opens up the real possibility of AIDS, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, tetanus, tuberculosis and about any other blood-borne disease. With the average tattoo taking about 60 minutes that equals 180,000 tiny Russian Roulette puncture wounds providing a potential path to a very deadly infectious disease.
Beware!
Your tattoo could have inserted more than harmless ink in your exposed flesh.
My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.
I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.
For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.
Tænk på din sundhed, medens du endnu har den. Det er let at miste den ved en tåbelig handling, såsom tatovering og piercing. Begge dele kan medføre, at du får problemer, du siden vanskelig kan blive fri for. Også piercing er en ældgammel hedensk skik, som nu er på mode til Djævelens fryd. Har du fået en tatovering eller piercing, er det fordi du vil ligne dem, der har givet efter for lysten til at ligne verden. Du hører ikke om de problemer, som kan opstå ved overfølsomhed eller sår, der bryder op nu og da. Og du hører ikke om, hvad det koster at få en tatovering fjernet. Det koster adskillige gange mere end det gjorde at få den lavet.
Du bør også tænke på usterile nåle, som laver tusindvis af huller i din hud for at få farvestoffet ind, som kan påføre dig alvorlige infektioner såsom hepatitis, stivkrampe eller HIV. Og mange kan være allergiske.overfor sådant Det fortæller lidt om, hvad der er sket med legemet, når du ikke kan være donor af blod i et år efter en tatovering eller piercing. Moden med tatovering og piercing breder sig selv blandt kristne. Sammen med rock musik er sådant oprør så omfattende, at det viser, hvilken vej især mange unge vælger.
Du mener måske, at det bestemmer du selv. Og deri har du ret for en tid. Men efter døden bestemmer han, i hvis kraft du lever, kan røre dig og er et tænkende væsen. (Apg. 17:28.) Du er skabt med fornuft for at bruge den. Brug den bl.a. til, at du for eks. aldrig vælger at solde dit liv bort med dumme handlinger af nogen art.
Der er en Gud foroven, som du for evigt skal fryde dig ved at være sammen med, eller græde over, at du ikke er hos. Har du nogensinde læst Bibelen? Hvis du har, forstod du måske kun en bagatel af den. Og har du læst den mange gange, er du først nået dertil, at du ved, at der er meget, du stadig ikke forstår. Men budskabet om frelsen er så enkelt, at selv et barn kan forstå det. Spørgsmålet er alene, om du vil bruge tid til at prøve at forstå det. Vil du det, er det på høje tid at få begyndt. I dag er nådens tid, i dag er Gud at finde. I morgen er det måske for sent.