Tattoos and Baptism: Marking the Body and Soul

Baptism puts a mark on your soul; The Holy Spirit marks you with the seal of the Lord for the day of redemption (CCC: 1274); a permanent interior mark. Whereas tattoos put a visible mark on the external part of your body; on the human flesh.

So, what’s the difference? One is an interior mark and the other is an exterior mark?

Now, I don’t think people realise just how incredibly powerful Baptism is! People seem to treat it like it’s just a pouring of water on a baby’s head because it’s almost expected. When you are Baptised, you are being enrolled into the war on sin. Baptism abolishes the inherited failure of humanity that exists in original sin. It brings the person being Baptised into the Catholic Church.

CCC: 1272 “Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, the person baptized is configured to Christ. Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark (character) of his belonging to Christ. No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation.83 Given once for all, Baptism cannot be repeated.”

Baptism puts a permanent mark on your soul that cannot be hidden. Baptism is a tattoo on your soul, so to speak. When you get a tattoo, you can cover it with your clothes but your Spiritual Tattoo isn’t like that. Heaven or Hell, this mark will shine. Your soul has been changed for the rest of eternity through your Baptism.

There is a pretty strong similarity between your baptism and getting a tattoo. Both are permanent. You can get a tattoo covered or removed but there will always be a trace of it. People often bring up Leviticus 19:28; “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord”, but if we are going to live the way Leviticus teaches we also can’t wear ripped clothes or cut the hair on the sides of our heads, trim our beards and we have to eat locusts. This verse is not binding upon Christians for the same reason that the verse, “nor shall there come upon you a garment of cloth made of two kinds of stuff” (Lev. 19:19) is not binding upon Christians. Namely, it is a part of the ceremonial law that was binding upon the Jewish people but not binding upon Christians (except for when it coincides with the moral law). Leviticus was written for the Israelites following Moses and a lot of it is amazing stuff that should be followed to the letter. However, that was written for that time and was so applicable to those people.

There are hundreds of ceremonial laws that no longer apply to us as Catholics. We can’t cherry pick laws from the Old Testament to support our desires. Either we follow them all, or we don’t follow any and Saint Paul makes it very clear that the ceremonial law is no longer binding and Leviticus 19:28 falls under ceremonial law.

The reason being that, in principle, the Church isn’t against tattoos. I personally know heaps of priests with tattoos.

But if you’re going to get a tattoo, have a think:

1. The images should not be immoral, such as sexually explicit, Satanic, or in anyway opposed to the truths and teachings of Christianity.

2. Be prudent. While “Mum” is probably a safe bet, tattooing your current girlfriend or boyfriend's name on your arm probably isn’t. Let’s be real, it’s pretty stupid.

3. Just because the Church doesn’t prohibit getting one doesn’t mean that you SHOULD and because the Church doesn’t say you SHOULD doesn’t mean you CAN’T.

John the Baptist said that Jesus will Baptise with fire and the Holy Spirit. Heaven reaches down and touches you during your Baptism. It is a huge, life changing event even if it happened before you could walk, it changed your soul. That’s crazy. You have been initiated into the Church. Into the Church established by Christ Himself and you have been chosen and called to the mission of the Church.

Just because you have been initiated into the Church doesn’t make you a Catholic. It makes you BAPTISED. Being a Catholic is a lifestyle. It takes dedication, sacrifice and sincere belief. By no means is it a one time thing. Baptism alone will not take you to Heaven. You have to choose it and I personally don’t want to go to Hell. ESPECIALLY with a permanent mark on my soul that can’t be hidden that screams “I LOVE AND BELIEVE IN GOD AND I ACCEPT CHRIST AS MY SAVIOUR”. To be Baptised means that you’re a fighter and you are going to put on the full armour of God (Ephesians 6: 11-18) and give everything that you have to the battle against sin.

Baptism is intense and if you were Baptised when you were a baby (like me), you are so lucky. If you got Baptised in your teenage or adult years, you are incredible and I am so happy to have you as a brother/sister in Christ.

We know that baptism is a marking on your soul of what you believe in and a tattoo is a marking on your body of something important enough to you to put it on your skin for the rest of your life. A tattoo is paying someone to stab you a few thousand times in a way that will leave a mark but baptism is God Himself reaching down from Heaven to sign and seal you as one of His children.

“Every baptised person should consider that it is in the womb of the Church where he is transformed from a child of Adam to a child of God” ~ Saint Vincent Ferrer

- Written by L.M Clark and K. Wade