Christian Tattoos?

This is the well-known Serenity Prayer, first seen in a 1943 sermon by Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971).

  

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
 The courage to change the things I can,
 And wisdom to know the difference.”

Here are photos of an unusual way of presenting the prayer.

http://creativefan.com/serenity-prayer-tattoo/

In the ancient world tattooing was a pagan religious practice but now, many people, including some Christians, see it is no more significant than piercing ears for earrings. Some see tattooing as a way to begin a conversation with non-Christians, in other words, an act of evangelism. Other Christians see tattooing as a horrible offense toward God.

Biblical references:

Leviticus 19:26-29

Romans 7:1-4, 14:23

1 Corinthians 6:12

I believe that tattooing falls into the category of meat offered up to idols.  We are not bound to the Old Testament Law for our salvation, but to the gift of Christ. On this point, Paul was willing to argue with and if necessary to break with Peter (Acts 15:1-5; Galatians 2:3-4,11-21). All things are lawful to us but not everything is profitable; permissible but not beneficial.

We should not become aligned with or comfortable with the shifting and vapid trends of our surrounding culture. Christians are to be a set apart holy people, noticeable because of our differences from the surrounding culture and how we love one another..   

The following links present a variety of opinions about the Christian and body-modifications. The articles run the gamut from hyper-fundamentalism to extreme permissive liberalism. All of them think that they are correct.

http://christianity.about.com/od/faqhelpdesk/f/tattoochristian.htm

http://judaism.about.com/library/3_askrabbi_o/bl_simmons_tatoos.htm

http://carm.org/it-okay-christian-get-tattoo  (Read carefully the last two sentences of this web page!)

http://blogs.christianpost.com/confident-christian/is-getting-a-tattoo-a-sin-12619/

http://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-tattoos.html  (This is always a good site for reasoned answers to biblical questions.)

http://www.raptureready.com/featured/schaefer/tattoo.html

http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/should-christians-get-tattoos-what-does-the-bible-say/

http://www.biblebelievers.com/watkins_tattoos/bible.html

http://www.compellingtruth.org/tattoo-sin.html

http://www.todayschristianwoman.com/articles/2008/july/3.16.html

http://www.emilywierenga.com/on-christians-and-ink-why-i-believe-tattoos-are-not-a-sin/

http://tolovehonorandvacuum.com/2014/05/christian-legalism-real-christians-can-get-tattoos/

http://www.mountainretreatorg.net/faq/should_christians_get_tattoos.shtml

http://www.born-again-christian.info/questions/answers.113.htm

The Church of Body Modification is a non Christian group which finds spirituality in piercing, cutting, and tattooing.

http://uscobm.com/news/back-where-we-started/

http://uscobm.com/statement-of-faith/

The Honey Beez

The 73^rd Magic City Classic college football game was held last Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama between the Hornets of Alabama State University and the Bulldogs of Alabama A&M University. The Bulldogs won the game 37-36 before a crowd of 67,710. 

The Alabama State University Honey Beez (pronounced the same as “honeybees”) are one of the treasures of the State of Alabama. They are a plus-sized dance team which performs during the university’s college football games. The players on the football team are known as the Hornets and the cheerleaders are the Stingettes.

The Honey Beez are proof that everyone has something to contribute, especially those who are often excluded. As members of the Body of Christ we would do well to remember this. Not only should we remember that every one of us has been given gifts but that we are expected to exercize those gifts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3RUUqwR_9I  (2013 game highlights)

The World's Slowest Selling Bible

The world's slowest selling Bible and possibly the world's slowest selling legitimately published book is the Coptic translation of the Bible published in 1791 by David Wilkins (1685 - 1745). The book has never sold more than two copies a year.

Wilkins was a Prussian orientalist born as David Wilke (or David Wilkius) in what is now Lithuania. As an adult he lived and worked in England as an Anglican priest, librarian, translator, and university professor. He was a specialist in Arabic, Coptic, Hebrew, Armenian, Chaldaic, and Anglo-Saxon.

Amazing Grace on the Native American Six Hole Flute

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjkXU-4wZKM

http://www.flutopedia.com/fingeringChart_SixDiatonic.htm

What They Think of Us: Creepy Images From An Abandoned Bible Theme Park

As the title of this web page says, this is creepy. A once busy place now sits abandoned and decaying.   I would add that it strikes me as very sad. Many of the sarcastic viewer comments are filled with obvious hate for Christianity. One says that this is "no more creepy than any church."

Parks such as these seem, especially to non-believers, to be gaudy, simplistic, and naïve.  Although well intended, it can be argued that they unnecessarily bring derision upon the faith.

The Prime Minister of Humor

Grady Nutt, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, was professionally known as The Prime Minister of Humor.  He appeared weekly on the country music and comedy based television series, Hee Haw. His hilarious church-related comedy was based on the culture of the southern region of the United States. His appearances at churches and religious events always led to a sermon based on the jokes with which he began his talk.

Grady Nutt died in an small airplane crash.

http://www.the-cartoonist.com/Nutt/Nutt.html

http://www.gradynutt.com/about.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6w-HkQrxgQ

Bible Printer's Errors: The Placemakers Bible

The second edition of the Geneva Bible which was published in 1562 is sometimes known as The Placemaker's Bible because of an error in Matthew 5:9. Instead of "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God" (KJV) the text reads as "Blessed are the placemakers for they shall be called the children of God." The proofreader failed to catch the misspelled word.