Tattoos- your thoughts?

Today the fella that did our sermon mentioned tattoos and piercings. A topic I always find interesting. I've fallen in LOVE with a show called Miami Ink and it has really made me see tattoos in a different light. Not so much in a good light, but it has broadened my outlook as to why people get them, the type of people that do, and just how many different types of tattoos are out there.

Some people think tattoos are a way for non-conformers to conform with other non-conformers. Yeah I can see that but what about the people that get them in places others don't know about?

Some people say it is a way to express yourself. Yeah I can see that, maybe you love art or the image you get means something special to you.

Some people get them because they are in pain and the process of getting the tattoo may help them address and deal with that pain. Maybe this isn't a great idea, you should get through your pain by giving it to God but who am I to say that this process can't be apart of that process?

Some people just like to not like it because they feel "safe" that other "good" people like them will agree that it is just bad. Maybe some people get tattoos just to weed these people out of their lives- wouldn't that be interesting?

For them (those looking down on the practice), addressing what they see as weakness in others shows just how strong they themselves are- conforming to a different conformity. Isn't it interesting that there are so many people that love to judge something they don't relate to as something that can only be bad? Ever wonder why we have to think negatively about things we don't understand? I mean, if it isn't hurting anyone and/or the bible doesn't condemn it... of course people say there is scripture condemning tattoos and the like so I did some research on it...

The Bible warns us against tattoos in Leviticus 19:28 (Amplified) which says, "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print or tattoo any marks upon you: I am the Lord."

1 Kings 18:28: "And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them."

Deuteronomy 14:1(Amplified): "Ye are the sons of the LORD your God; you shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead."

Now... I found this stuff on http://www.bible.com/answers/atattoos.html
Some people object to using Old Testament scripture as a reference to tattoos since the New Testament doesn't speak of these things. However, in the New Testament we are even called to a higher law. We are to have God's laws written in our hearts. When we remain close to the Lord and obey Him, He can direct us in things that are not good for us. For example although the Bible does not say, "Thou shalt not smoke" or "Drug addiction is bad for you;" we know that these things are destructive to the human body. In the New Testament, we are told to glorify God in our bodies. This would include not marring our bodies with tattoos, as the principles in the Bible clearly tell us it is wrong to defile our bodies.

I say, who are you to determine what is defilng our bodies?

1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

But it did admit...
God looks on the heart and can use different things to testify of Christ's love, even tattoos.

About piercing it said...
We couldn’t find anything that directly said you should not pierce your body. In fact, I was surprised to see in certain parts of Scripture that women wore nose rings in the Old Testament.

So after looking into it- it seems to me like there were likely good reasons not to do tattooing (or the like) in the Old Testament. I don’t disregard anything in the Old Testament just because it is Old Testament doctrine mind you BUT I also know a lot of it covers Old Law and is directly related to practices of the day back then. So when I put it in perspective, I always look to see if the New Law supercedes the Old Law (such as in the cases when it is clear that the items being discussed fall into that category). BUT to me, in today’s society, if the intent behind getting a tattoo is not bad, if your heart is not trying to hold onto this body/this life, if the subject isn’t in conflict with Christianity... I think it is possible for a Christian to get a tattoo and not offend God. It is a tricky subject and I think it is something people do see differently for logical reasons and I don't mind if any Christian disagrees with me because it is a fairly complicated subject- just as long as it comes from Biblical Principals and not being mean-spirited/off this world.

Your thoughts?