Why it's okay to get tattoos, according to popular American evangelist

According to popular American evangelist, Joyce Meyer,tattoos are not so bad.

While defending tattoos with biblical evidence, she revealed that she might get one soon in a YouTube video posted by Joyce Meyer Ministries on March 14, 2018.

The video above starts with Meyer explaining the difference between being holy and religious before she makes a biblical case for getting tattoos.

“Holiness is not legalism,” Meyer said. Then, she goes on to discuss the mess made by overly religious people, who put regulations on others when it comes to drinking, dancing, wearing makeup, e.t.c.

Moving on to tattoos, she uses Isaiah 44:5 to defend getting permanent markings. The scripture says, “One will say, I am the Lord’s, and another will call himself by the name of Jacob, and another will write [even brand or tattoo] upon his hand, I am the Lord’s, and surname himself by the [honorable] name of Israel.”

Next, she makes reference to Leviticus 19:28: “Do not cut your bodies for the dead and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the LORD,” which is the common counterargument used to discourage Christians from getting tattoos.

ALSO READ: Does the Bible permit Christians to get tattoos?

Joyce Meyer’s case for tattoos

Meyer argues that there is evidence that God had tattoos.

In her words, “The Bible says in Isaiah 49 that God has a picture of you tattooed on the palm of His hand.”

Pointing to her shoulder blade, she added, “I’m right on the verge of going and getting a tattoo. I thought I might as well just push all the religious people right off the cliff and just get it over with.”

Just in case you are wondering, Meyer said her tattoos would say, “I belong to the Lord.”

Referring to her past, she said, “I lived in so much bondage from legalism. Everything in legalism is about something you can not do. Let me tell you something — it is not boring to serve Christ, it is so much fun and there’s so much you can do and not only that, you can enjoy all of it!”

Meyer ended by encouraging people to look at their motives as they pursue holiness.

“Here’s the bottom line, it’s all about your motives and how you are doing things. We can’t look at the outside of somebody and decide for ourselves that they’re an evil person … That’s why so many people today don’t want anything to do with the church ’cause all they get is criticism and judgment,” she concluded.