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31 Aug

Tattoos…yea or nay?

Posted August 31, 2015 by dana mentink in books, fiction writing, giveaways, Uncategorized, writing tips. Tagged: , , , , .

 

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Okay, that Popeye was a rebel, wasn’t he? A tough little sailor who made cartoon waves with an anchor tattoo. Tattoos used to be reserved for tough guy rebels or military types, but no longer. Now it seems (at least here in California) that tattoos are as common as flip flops, for both men and women. They are a dime a dozen and not just for celebrities.  Since I write for fairly conservative readers, my characters are generally not sporting tattoos, but maybe this is old fashioned thinking. Perhaps this current character I’m creating, a disposal ordinance technician, should have a tattoo.

What do you think? How would you feel about a Christian fiction hero with a tattoo? Share your thoughts and you’re entered to win the Septembers prize which is a signed book and Amazon gift card.  (My apologies about the August contest. I was so busy with the start of school, I did not keep up with the blogging. All you lovely people who entered in August will be rolled over into the September contest.) 

41 responses to this post.

  1. Posted by Renee on September 10, 2015 at 3:21 am

    I personally don’t have a tattoo. I thought about getting one on several occasions. It was either going to be a cat paw because I love my fur babies and to show my love for cats. Or I was going to get a bible verse, I was not sure which one that would be, but I do know it would have represented what the lord has done for me and my life, and how he is a constant presence in my life regardless of how its going. I have so many favorite bible verses that mean alot to me it would be hard to choose 🙂 A lot of my friends and family have tattoos and they each tell me that it represents something about them or about their life. I never got the tattoo because I am to chicken honestly. I am not very tolerant on the pain, and depending on where you get it , some places can hurt and to be quite honest I am not all for being in pain. So I will probably never get one lol. The pain of getting one outweighed the possibility of getting one in the end. I for one can not judge someone on having a tattoo when I myself was thinking about it as well. Sometimes tattoos can be an opening to witness to people about the lord. As far as one of your characters having a tattoo, I am okay with that. I have no problem with it at all. Like alot of other people have said it really just depends on the tattoo in general, the meaning behind it and the location of the tattoo. I think it just brings the character more to life, and a lot of people can relate to that sort of thing.

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  2. Posted by JackieW on September 3, 2015 at 4:18 am

    I don’t personally like tatooed bodies…I will never put one on my body. I don’t mind if other people want to do this to their bodies.Most of them are not attractive and take away from the person and their looks.

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  3. Posted by Christy on September 1, 2015 at 11:46 pm

    Either way. It depends on the story/character/tattoo as to whether or not it’s appropriate.

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  4. Posted by susanmsj on September 1, 2015 at 4:32 pm

    I don’t have a tattoo, but I don’t have too much of a problem with them. My son has 3 and each one of them has a story behind it. I don’t want one but I understand how some people do.

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  5. Posted by Suzan Michet on September 1, 2015 at 1:14 pm

    Personally I don’t want a tattoo – being a worrier, I would obsess about that ink injected in my skin and what it’s doing to my body. However I know a number of people that have them, and don’t judge for other people. Also, I think it’s very common for military people to get tattoos (perhaps a stereotype ?), so it would fit into the storyline you are working on.

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  6. Posted by Cozynookbks on September 1, 2015 at 10:10 am

    Personally I’ve never been interested in getting a tattoo, and after I became a Christian even more so because as Christians we are told to dress with modesty and soundness of mind. Tattoos draw attention to ourselves, and as Christians it shouldn’t be about us. Also, if we are trying to represent the God we worship a tattoo could actually stumble someone we are trying to witness to. Also, tattoos may seem cool to people when they’re young, but how will they feel to have a body riddled with tattoos when they get older? I realize that trends dictate how society acts, but one thing I know for sure and that is that God doesn’t change.
    That said, it’s certainly not for me, but it’s not my place to judge others who might choose to have them.

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  7. Posted by Carole Chapman on September 1, 2015 at 2:31 am

    I personally don’t like tattoos, but some of my sweetest, most thoughtful students have had lots of tattoos. There are many reasons people get tats. Who are we to judge people on that one thing?

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  8. Posted by Karen Meyer on September 1, 2015 at 1:39 am

    If the Christian hero has a tattoo, is he proud of it or trying to hide it? I think tattoos are not attractive, they sometimes call attention to places we shouldn’t stare at, but they show what is important to the one who has them. Christians can have tattoos, but why not spend your money on something more worthwhile?

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  9. Posted by Valri Western on August 31, 2015 at 11:10 pm

    I feel the same – tattoos are not for me but I don’t judge. If someone has tattoos from their past and then came to the Christian faith, I think that’s wonderful! He may choose later to have them removed – his choice – but we are taught not to judge so I don’t!

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  10. Posted by Patrice P. on August 31, 2015 at 9:47 pm

    I don’t mind small, meaningful tattoos on people, but I do not like arms or necks or very visible places covered with them.

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  11. Posted by Trixi on August 31, 2015 at 9:23 pm

    I personally do not like tattoos and would never consider getting one! That being said, I don’t mind if other people have them. I’ve read stories where the hero has a tattoo but it usually means something and isn’t gaudy, outlandish or visible. The one hero I read about, had two small baby feet tattoos above his heart to represent his son who died shortly after birth. It wasn’t something he showed off, but a sweet reminder of his son close to him in heart & with God. I’d have to agree with Aerykah, as long as they are handled well I have no issues with them. Even if they were gory but the hero covered them up somehow, that would be ok with me!
    So there you have my opinion 🙂

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  12. Posted by Aerykah on August 31, 2015 at 6:00 pm

    I’m not against tattoos in general. It really depends, though, on the type of tattoo & where it is. For example, one of my uncles spent several years in prison & he came out with some… indecent tattoos that we have to ask him to cover up when he’s around our family. On the other hand, there are some guys in our church who got tattoos when they were younger– they aren’t meaningful, but they aren’t bad either. And I know some guys who have Bible verse references tattooed on their arms. One guy has a crown of thorns with Isaiah 55: 4-5 inside it. I think those are very meaningful & can trigger conversations about God.
    All that to say this: I would be totally okay with a Christian Fiction character having tattoos as long as they are… “handled well”, I guess you would say.

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  13. Posted by Beth Carpenter on August 31, 2015 at 4:36 pm

    I have no moral problem with the character having the tattoo, but I would personally find him less attractive. I wish when someone is considering a tattoo, especially something large and in an obvious place, I could show them pictures of, say, Cher from 1985, and say, “She thought this looked good at the time. Good thing a haircut isn’t permanent. Are you sure your tattoo’s style will hold up to the decades?”

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  14. Posted by Heidi Robbins (@colorvibrant) on August 31, 2015 at 4:15 pm

    Nay. Your body is the temple housing your spirit and defiling it in any way, not just tattoos, will affect your spirit as well. Bowing to society’s trends and compromising higher standards are why so many believe that Christians are hypocrites.

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  15. Posted by Summer H. on August 31, 2015 at 3:42 pm

    I’ve wanted a tattoo but too chicken to get one. I don’t have any problems with a Christian hero having a tattoo. My pastor has a tattoo.

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  16. Posted by Samantha B on August 31, 2015 at 3:30 pm

    It always depend on what the tattoo is and where it is 😛 But I don’t have a problem with a character with tattoos. I don’t have any myself and don’t intend to get any, but I know of Christians who have tattoos and it’s fine by me.

    The best thing though is when the tattoo really mean something. Because just having a character with a tattoo for no reason would feel a little weird 😉

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  17. Posted by Jeannie on August 31, 2015 at 3:00 pm

    Personally, tattoos are not for me. But, I don’t have a problem with a Christian hero having tattoos. The pastor, some of the deacons and most of our praise team at my church have them. Sometimes they can open up doors for witnessing.

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