Viewer Question - We are Christian parents. Our teenage daughter wants to get a tattoo. We don't want her to permanently mark her body and she says a tattoo is just art. Do we have any scriptural grounds for handling this?

Dr. Linda's Response - The verse Christian parents quote to their children concerning tattoos is Leviticus 19:28, "You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord" (NKJV). In the Old Testament, God gave His people a command not to tattoo their bodies. But in the New Testament, Jesus made this command, as well as other issues of the law, a matter of the heart.

He told us that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and we are to glorify God in our temples. The question then becomes; does a tattoo glorify God?

As Paul says, "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable" (1 Cor. 6:12, NASB). If your teen is interested in pleasing God, ask her to pray and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to her. As a parent, don't get critical and stuck in legalism. Some kids will say they want a Christian tattoo as a witnessing tool. For those who have come out of a life of sin and are radically saved, a Christian tattoo such as "Blood Bought" is a counter message to their previous life of sin. The tattoo is a positive statement about the radical surrender to Jesus, which includes living a holy life. You can hardly condemn that. Over time, the Holy Spirit will teach them how to please God in all areas of life.

To answer the point about tattoo as art, help your teen think through this. If tattoo is art, then your body must be the canvas. To paint on the body canvas, you must own it. The truth is, our bodies are not our own. They have been bought with a price -- the blood of Jesus (1 Cor. 6:19-20). So a saved person would have to find scripture supporting her permanently painting on God's canvas. I don't believe there are any.

Obviously these laws of God can't be applied to those with lawless hearts. Therefore, to criticize those who are unsaved and tattoo is foolish. But Christian kids need to consider their motivation for wanting a tattoo. If their motivation is to conform to the world, then it's wrong to do. For those who are radically saved and new in Christ, the motivation may be to witness to those who are lost.

The bottom line is they have to judge their heart against the Word. God knows your teen's heart and motive, so encourage her to be honest. Don't alienate your teen on this issue. Tell her your love is unconditional no matter how she looks. But also teach your teen the Word and encourage her to seek to please God in all she does, especially when that something is permanent.

Dr. Mintle – author, professor, Approved Supervisor and Clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy – is a speaker and media personality, as well as a licensed clinical social worker with over twenty years in psychotherapy practice.

For more articles and information, visit Dr. Linda Mintle's Web site.