Tattoos

Body art......inking.......a stupid mistake......call them what you like, tattoos are a part of our society.  I have often wondered if I would ever consider getting a tattoo or not.  My conservative mind screams NO!  I must admit that I have a few friends who have very classy tattoos that I admire and consider a thing of beauty.
It is important to understand that tattoos are no longer a sign of a specific lifestyle.  They can be found on men and women, wealthy and poor, educated and ignorant.  Some of the individuals in my life with tattoos are men of great loyalty and kindness who I trust implicitly.  On the other hand, there are people whose skin is completely unmarred and are as immoral and deceitful as Satan himself!
Let's see if I can clarify my view on tattoos.  Do I think having a tattoo is a sin?  No, I don't.  I think it is important for the Christian to clearly think about the image he is having placed on his body, insuring that there is nothing unbecoming to a Child of God implied by the image.
Personally, I hold to the mantra "less is more."  Whether decorating a home or your body, it is necessary to have blank space surrounding your art in order to truly highlight the beauty of the design.  I find that a single tattoo is much more beautiful than the arm that is so heavily tattooed that you cannot clearly determine where one image ends and another begins.  Additionally, I think it is important to think about your future life as you choose where to place a tattoo.  Concealing body art does not necessarily imply that you are ashamed of it;  rather, it shows your maturity in understanding that it might inhibit your success in certain business and social settings.  (Once again....just my opinion....definitely not law).
Would I ever have a tattoo?  Probably not.  I'm too big of a whimp to allow someone to come at me with a needle of any size.  Doctors have to threaten me with extreme sickness to get me to take an injection.  Show me a syringe and you will generally find me lying on the floor after I have fainted fast away!  I can only imagine my physical response to the sound of a tattoo machine that is going to repeatedly puncture my skin.   I don't think so!