Religious Tattoos: September 2011

Religious Tattoos, Designs, Pictures, and Ideas

Religious Tattoos, Designs, Pictures, and Ideas

Religious tattoos and the symbolism of the various religions have strangely become popular to secular society. Crosses and pictures of Jesus and praying hands or the sacred heart have been seen gracing the biceps of clearly non-religious individuals.

This is partly because any and all kinds of symbolism in the field of tattoo art have been appropriated and assimilated into the mainstream culture. This is true not only of one religion but to all systems of belief. It is why a person can have a mix of Celtic crosses, tribal tattoos, Buddhist imagery, Chinese characters, Japanese symbols, and all kinds of religious tattoos all mixed up in one. Aside from Christianity, Celtic, and Buddhist thought; there are also images from Hindu, Islamic, Maori, and tribal culture.

The phenomenon of the secularization and subsequent popularity of religious tattoos might be due to the breakdown of the walls of meaning in the information age. As all the symbols and their meanings have become readily and easily available to us, we have arbitrarily appropriated them in any manner that we see fit. The meanings have then obscured as the images spread from believers to non believers. It is why this mishmash is found to be acceptable in contemporary times.

These are good points to ponder on before going out to get yourself one of those obviously religious tattoos:

o Does it have meaning for you?
o Will it offend someone else's beliefs?
o Are you aware of its history and true meaning?
o Are you prepared to become identified with a certain group by virtue of your tattoo?
o Are you prepared to defend your choice?

If you have read all these questions and still want to go ahead with your chosen tattoo design, then noone is stopping you. If, after reading these words, you come across some doubt in your mind, then stop first and think deeply about it. A tattoo is a permanent body ornament and a very visible statement.

It would be presumptuous for us, however, to assume that all bearers of religious tattoos have appropriated it from somewhere else. Some of the avid tattoo enthusiasts out there do have themselves pierced with images from their own religions. This then functions as a sacred reminder of a person's faith, and a symbol of their spirituality. Inasmuch as the original act of tattooing the body was part of a sacred ritual enacted in rites and ceremonies, so these modern tattoos could also function as such once again.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3226435

Religious Tattoos, Designs, Pictures, and Ideas

Post Title

→

Religious Tattoos, Designs, Pictures, and Ideas

Post URL

→

http://religious-tattoo.blogspot.com/2011/09/religious-tattoos-designs-pictures-and.html

Visit Religious Tattoos for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Pictures of Religious Tattoos Hold Mixed Meanings

Pictures of Religious Tattoos Hold Mixed Meanings

For as long as there's been tattoos and religion, there have been people who have wanted a picture of religious tattoo on their bodies. Whatever the religion, the icons that people identify with that religion have been very popular tattoo subjects. Some of the most popular tattoo images are crosses and designs where crosses are used.

The cross as a symbol of a religion is one of the most powerful images in the world, recognizable by the majority of the world's people as a religious symbol, even if those people aren't members of that religion. Many tattoo customers choose the religious tattoo designs for a variety of reasons. Some like the memory of the design and what it means to them. It may bring back fond memories of times when religion played a bigger part in their life and they want to recapture some of that reverence.

Other people may have these designs on their body as a show of respect for the religion, even if it's not their own religion. Of course, as with any religious icons, some people have tattoo designs for all the wrong reasons and sometimes the designs they choose aren't really showing the proper respect to these religious symbols. Youth gang members sometimes have religious symbols tattooed on their bodies as a sign that they're protected by some higher power, which is probably not true as they're in violent gangs and all. This is a time when religious symbols aren't the best choice for tattoos in this case with the gang members.

Some people choose to have religious tattoos because of their faith and because they want to proclaim this faith in as many ways as they can. They can talk about it, or sing about it or have people see it for themselves by looking at the religious tattoos on their bodies. For many years tattoo shops have been getting customers who come into the shop and want certain religious symbols tattooed on their bodies.

The tattoo shop artists can create special religious tattoos if the customer wants, with some religious elements worked in with other regular design elements to create a unique and personal statement about that customer's religious beliefs. For many years some customers have visited tattoo shops and asked to have specific religious symbols and images tattooed on their bodies. The artists have been only too happy to oblige the customers and have created many exciting religious designs for them. Customers often search online and find many religious designs and images and bring those designs to tattoo shop artists to see what unique designs can be created from the search results. Some of the tattoo designs created are very striking and even breath taking.