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jane from florida asks - "my boy friend has a tattoo and my pastor tells me that he is forever marked a sinner because God will not accept him with a tattoo.  is that true? "

well jane, my quick response to the question is "no" - by the way, that is also my long response, "no."  i understand where the pastor is coming from.  in leviticus, 19:26, it says that we should not "pierce ourselves or tattoo ourselves." what they leave out is the next line that says, "for the dead or other gods."  so, in itself a tattoo is not "against" God, and God will accept someone with a tat.  what i find interesting is this, chapter 19 of leviticus also lists the following:

do not eat meat with blood still in it - there goes the rare stake.

do not cut the hair at the sides of your head - how long is your hair?

do not trim your beard - no shaving at all

rise in the presence of the aged - do you stand whenever an "older" people comes in the room?

do not mistreat any aliens in your land - this includes mexicans

you must pay workers daily - there goes the weekly pay check

no gossip, at all for any reason - church ladies, all over america are shaking right now.

do not wear cloths woven from two kinds of material - that includes that cotton-blend.

if we are to separate one group from God based on one section of this chapter, why not all of the separate all who violate a section of this chapter?  well, we now know that a tattoo is not "against" God's "law" (though i do not find "law" to work - read our position paper of the law for a better understanding of where we are coming from in connection with "law.")

the second thing that comes from your letter is the fact that a tattoo, or anything, will mark us as a "forever sinner" to God.  interestingly enough, your pastor must have forgotten one of the basics of the christian faith - we are all sinner, operating under grace.