Ink
Somebody asked about tattoos... Here's a writeup I did a while back, but also check out this video which was just released today, which takes it from a slightly different angle but that's basically on target.
Anonymous asked:
I know the Church does not like a person to get a tattoo because our body is the temple of God. So we should take care of it and make sure it's holy and pure. But what if the tattoo is something that's connected to God, like having a tattoo that says "What would Jesus do?" as a reminder to oneself to always follow on God's steps. Also what about piercing? like navel piercings, is that not allowed as well? and if it is not then why having multiple piercing in your ears are allowed?
Good question! I'm not sure what you may have heard about the Church's teaching on it. It's like many questions which mostly boil down to cultural sensitivities rather than hard-and-fast dogma.
You're right that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, so anything you do to it should make the beauty of God shine through more. Some tattoos can do that; we can all agree that others don’t. I think the WWJD tattoo you mention, so long as it's not ostentatious and showy (like the Pharisee's Temple prayer), could work in that sense.
The Catechism's teaching is simply to say that if a tattoo or a piercing renders a part of the body unable to perform its proper function, it's definitely immoral. (If the image or words offend against charity, so would that.) There is an excellent writeup here.
I think it would be a good idea for you to definitely ask yourself the “Questions to Consider” at the end of that article before moving forward. And as with all tattoos, consider seriously — maybe even get the opinion of others — the possibility that you might regret it a few years down the road. You may even want to ask some people 10-20-30 years older than you what they would think about the tattoo you're thinking of; chances are that, when you're their age, you'll think something similar, and it won't be easily erasable, of course!
I don't know of any specific teachings regarding the types of piercings you mention (it would probably vary by culture anyway), but I think it's worthwhile to stop and ask yourself first, "Why am I doing this exactly?" If it's for shock value or merely to be noticed, there is probably some vanity there that is a sign that this probably isn't in line with what God wants you to look like. Just a thought.
God bless you!
- Father Shane