Tattoos and What They Reflect

by Francis Slobodnik August 8, 2024 tfp.org/tattoos-and-what-they-reflect

The Kansas City Tattoo Arts Festival was recently held at the prestigious Sheraton Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri.

According to its website, the event promoted tattoos in every form that can range from harmless designs to the macabre and even the Satanic. Holding such an event at a major hotel lends credibility to tattooing.

I browsed the internet and found that such conventions occur all over the United States. This reflects the growing popularity of tattooing.

According to a 2019 article in Psychology Today, thirty-eight percent of adults between 18 and 29 have at least one tattoo.¹ Today, that number is much higher.

Tattoos have existed since ancient times. In some cultures, they were part of pagan worship. Others used them to indicate social status or tribal membership. In ancient Greece and Rome, tattoos marked prisoners, slaves and criminals.

With the Christianization of the West, tattoos became limited to identifying prisoners and criminals. This was because tattoos were considered contrary to Biblical rules. Leviticus (19:28) says, “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.”

Closer to our times, sailors and pirates wore tattoos. The Nazis used tattoos to mark those interned in concentration camps. Past generations may have had tattoos to remember someone or mark their military service. Some even exhibit some form of religious piety.

However, today tattoos have taken on dark meanings. Gangs and cartels use tattoos. The subject matter of many tattoos today reflects exhibitionism, ugliness, immorality, violence, the macabre and even Satanism.

In addition, today’s tattoos come in all sizes. Whereas most tattoos used to be limited to one or two, it is now common to see them cover half the body or more covered in them. They often appear on a person’s face or head.

Tattoo wearers give many reasons for getting them. Some consider the marks to be a sign of spontaneity, free spirit, permanent commitment or self-expression. Others say this outward sign reflects their inner selves, thus allowing them to appear self-confident and tough. However, the marks do have darker connections with neo-paganism or even a commitment to Satan.

Tattoos are more than just fads or fashions. Their near-permanent nature makes them a manifestation of a person’s soul. The aforementioned Psychology Today article states, “Our bodies were printed as blank pages to be filled with the ink of our hearts.”

Without getting deeply into moral issues, there are some problems worth considering regarding tattoos from a Catholic perspective.

Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We should not deface or alter them without sufficient reason. What we wear on the outside is a sign of what is on the inside.

Thus, tattoos with occult or other themes can be dangerous since they mark and affect the person for life. If a person exhibits immoral, vulgar, or violent tattoos, it can adversely reflect upon getting a job or the search for marriage.

The Church understands the purpose of the things we wear outside. That is why she encourages religious piety by wearing habits, medals or scapulars. To show public commitment, she will promote, for example, wearing a wedding ring.

Finally, we need to consider that tattoos can have a wearing-down effect on the person. People tend to adopt the ideas and philosophies behind their tattoos. Thus, tattoos can eventually change the manner in which a person lives. It can be a slow process that negatively influences the person over time.

Since tattoos are very difficult to remove, those who repent of having applied them on their bodies must live with their decision for life.

The sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders mark the recipient’s soul with an indelible mark that will exist for all eternity whether the person ends up in heaven or hell.

In a certain mockery, tattoos mark the recipient with an indelible mark on the body, reflecting the state of mind that led to the decision.

We should mark our bodies with the fruits of sanctifying grace and virtue. Grace and virtue should radiate from our souls and attract the good. We must not choose those things that are ugly, immoral, violent and Satanic. We should imitate Our Lady and the saints.

“Put on the armor of God.” (Ephesians 6:11)