Branded and cut

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“You came into this world without one, so you should leave the world without one, your body belongs to God and you should not defile it”. It is common for a tattooed person to hear this every time they are in a conversation or a debate with someone who is totally against tattoos. For a religious person, such actions of marking, and cutting of the skin are often referred to as a sin and it defaces the art of God. Since the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, it should be treated with respect, and modifying the body is an act of sin. Every person has the right to say whatever they want, and to believe whatever they want to believe. It is sad to think that there are times that some people can really be so ignorant, and so judgmental of other people's choices, especially when the choices made were the opposite of their beliefs. Other members of our society still views people with tattoos in such negative ways. In this current generation, there are still mixed perceptions about tattoos, people who wear it are often times stereotyped negatively. Yes, tattoos have grown in popularity throughout the years, but this does not take away the fact that people with tattoos are still looked down upon. Being raised in a catholic family, in a religious community, and in a country that has the third largest catholic citizens in the world, the Philippines, it is easy to get used to being around individuals who are very vocal about their religious beliefs. Coming from this background, tattoos are still considered a taboo, which is hard to believe because tattooing has been a part of our culture since early 1900's, since the pre-Hispanic colonization, in several tribes where tattoos were a representation of rank and accomplishments. Then why u... ... middle of paper ... ...piercings he is wearing. These modifications only alter the person's outer appearance, not his characteristics, not his moral qualities. Works Cited Bahadosingh, Sharon. "Some Religions Forbid Tattoos." Body Piercing and Tattoos. Ed. Sharon Bahadosingh. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. At Issue. Rpt. from "Young People Ask m Should I Get a Tattoo?" www.safepiercing.org. 2003. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. Phillips, Melanie. "Body Modification Is a Sign of Cultural Depravity." Self-Mutilation. Ed . Mary E. Williams. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Why I Deplore Anne's Facelift (and Beckham's Tattoo)." Daily Mail 24 May 2004: 10. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. Leo, John. “The Modern Primitives.” Mirror on America. Ed. Leasa Burton . New York: Bedford St. Martins, 2012. 160-162

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