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As a naturopath I see numerous people every day with some form of body modification - body piercing or tattoo. Some of the people I see have health problems because of the body piercing or tattoo.

As a father my two sons have asked me on numerous occasions "Dad what's wrong with getting a tattoo?" "Why can't I get a tattoo, Madonna has a tattoo on her right shoulder? Mr & Mrs B have matching tattoos on their ankles. What does the Sacred Scriptures have to say about tattoos and body piercing?

Well my blue-eyed, sons David and Matthew the following is an outline of what the Sacred Scriptures have to say about body modification -

"VANITY is the quicksand of reason," wrote a French novelist. Certainly, reason has had little to do with many of the things we humans have done to ourselves for vanity's sake over the centuries. For example, in an effort to have the tiniest waist possible, 19th-century women painfully corseted their abdomens until they could hardly breathe. Some claimed to have waists as tiny as 325 millimetres. Some women were so constricted by their corsets that their ribs were actually pushed into their livers, causing death.

While that fashion fad has mercifully died out, the vanity that produced it is as much in evidence today as it was then. Men and women still undergo difficult, even dangerous procedures to alter their natural appearance. For example, tattoo and piercing parlours, once the haunt of the less savoury elements of society, are springing up in shopping malls and suburbs. In fact, in a recent year, tattooing was the fastest-growing retail business in the United States.

More radical forms of body decoration are also gaining ground especially among young people. Extensive piercing of body parts - including nipples, noses, tongues, and even genitals - is increasingly popular. For a smaller group, such extensive piercing is already too tame. They are trying more radical practices such as branding, cutting,* and body sculpting, in which objects are inserted under the skin to produce extravagant holes and ridges.

Decorating or modifying the body is not new. In certain parts of Africa, ritual scarification and tattooing have been used for centuries to identify specific family groups or tribes. Interestingly, in many of these lands, such practices are now viewed with disfavour and are on the decline.

Tattooing, piercing, and cutting existed in Bible times. They were most often practiced by pagan nations in connection with their religion. Understandably ADONAI for bade his people the Jews, to imitate those pagans (see Leviticus 19:28*). As ADONAI' s own "special property," the Jews were thus protected from degrading false religious practices (see Deuteronomy 14:2).

The Torah sets out certain principles that have been carried over into Messianic /Nazarene Congregations. These principles are often expressed within the bounds of propriety when it comes to the type of adornment men and women choose to wear (see Galatians 5:1; 1 Timothy 2:9-10). However, this freedom is not without limits. Yeshua's Emissary Kefa (Peter) tells us: "Submit as people who are free, but not letting your freedom serve as an excuse for evil; rather, submit as God's slaves" 1 Peter 2:16.

Rabbi Sha'ul wrote: "You say, "for me, everything is permitted"? Maybe, but not everything is helpful..." 1 Corinthians 6:12. Rabbi Sha'ul understood that his freedom as a Nazarene did not give him license to do whatever he wanted without consideration for others. Love for others influenced his behaviour (see Galatians 5:13). "Look out for each others interests" he urged, "and not just your own" (Philippians 2:4). Rabbi Sha'ul's own selfless viewpoint serves as an excellent example for anyone whether they be black or white, Jew or Gentile, contemplating some form of body decoration.

One of the mandates for Messianic/Nazarene Believers is to preach and teach the Good News (Matthew 28:19-20; Philippians 2:15). A Messianic/Nazarene Believer would not want to let anything, including his appearance, distract others from listening to that message (see 2 Corinthians 4:2).

While such decorations as piercings or tattoos may be popular among some people, a Messianic/Nazarene Believer needs to ask himself or herself, "What kind of a reaction would such a decoration provoke in the area where I live?" Would I be associated with certain fringe elements of society? Even if my conscience were to allow it, what effect would my piercing or tattoo have on others with the congregation? Would they view it as an evidence of "the spirit of the world"? Might it cast doubt on my "soundness of mind"? (See 1 Corinthians 2:12; 10:29-32; Titus 2:12).

Certain types of body modifications carry serious medical risks. Tattooing with unsanitary needles has been associated with the spread of hepatitis and HIV. Certain ink colours can also cause hepatitis. Skin disorders sometimes result from the dyes used. Piercings can take months to heal and can hurt for much of that time. They can also produce blood poisoning, hemorrhaging, blood clots, nerve damage, and serious infections. Additionally, some procedures are not easily reversed. For example, depending on the size and the colour, a tattoo can take several expensive and painful laser sessions to remove. Piercings may leave lifelong scars.

Whether or not an individual decides to accept these risks is a personal decision. But to the person who seeks to please ADONAI recognizes that by being a Messianic, Nazarene or a Christian involves the offering of oneself to Elohim. Our bodies are living sacrifices presented to Adonai for His use (see Romans 12:1). Hence the mature Believer does not view their bodies as their exclusive property to be damaged or defaced at will. Especially those who qualify to take the lead in the congregation are known for their moderate habits, soundness of mind, and reasonableness - 1 Timothy 3:2-3.

Developing and exercising the Scripturally trained power of reason will all Believers to avoid the extreme masochistic practices of this world, which is so hopelessly "...estranged from the life of God, because of the ignorance in them," Ephesians 4:18. They can thus let their reasonableness shine before all men - Philippians 4:5.

* A clear distinction is made between cutting for medical or even aesthetic purposes and the compulsive cutting or mutilation many young people, especially teenage girls, practice. The latter is often a symptom of serious emotional stress or abuse, which may call for professional help.

* All Scripture in the above article unless otherwise stated was quoted from The Complete Jewish Bible, translated by Dr. David H. Stern.