More Than Skin Deep

Tattooing has been a cultural practice from one community to another. Different religions have been practicing tattooing associating them with their gods, like Hindus. It is an art attracting potential economic growth in Western European countries, operating on lances basis and paying taxes at high rates. Moreover, this industry has been attracting many potential customers, from younger age to adult hood. It is common with the local and international celebrities all over the world like hip hop artists Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Wiz Khalifa and Eminem. Entertainment industry has many fans majorly the youth. They are influenced by this industry. The youth put tattoos because of the movies they watch, music they listen to and passion they follow. Entertainment industry portrays these tattoos as cool, once somebody adds them in the body they feel like a society of their own, besides, it is an impression of followers. This is why in Australia almost 25% of the youth have tattoos. American men are more likely to have a tattoo than women as compared to teenagers at18% to 40%. ⁽¹⁾ 

Information from American Academy of Dermatology classifies tattoos into different types: natural, resulting from injury, unprofessional, professional, medical and cosmetic tattoos. Stigmatization of the society began many years ago. In the current world we have seen numerous videos on the social networks or movie sites talking about the exposure of celebrities to their worship. The illuminate use signs and tattoos on their bodies, revealing demonic worship as claimed by the researchers. Snake tattoos or the beast sign, are categorized but why do we see the president limousine having the beast sign as a number plate? This question has raised so many theories behind the United State of America politics and criticism by Christian bodies such as churches.

In the old testament Christians practiced tattooing as seals of God’s name, Leviticus chapter 19 verse 28 says, ’you shall not tear your body for dead person or incise a mark on yourself.’’⁽²⁾ The same words are shared by Muslim followers in the Holy Koran, both view it as a sin revealed in a story of Cain. The Roman Catholic Church does not prohibit the art, giving the image is not offensive. They base their argument on events in A.D. 786, when Christians received a tattoo in the cross form at the Calcuth catholic council in Northumberland. Moreover, other religions take it as based on their cultural believes, like Hindus and Neopagans. Neopagans use tattoos to represent their beliefs and Hindus mark their forehead to enhance spiritual being, women practice the same to send off evil and make them look more beautiful. Hindu community encourages their men and women to tattoo their arms and hands for better luck. ⁽¹⁾

Tattooing is linked to negative ways of living. In most western countries, criminals use signs for their crime operation. United States military force uses the same tattoos description to describe the battle war killings they had carried out in other countries for peaceful missions, like Iraq. Japan yakuza crimes are strongly associated to the tattoos. The public uses this to write huge signs of the crime to prevent them from entering such areas thinking that they are their members. In the USA, teardrop tattoo is a symbol for murder with each ear corresponding to a comrade death. Criminals use tattoos to indicate their way of organization affiliation, crime behavior and prison sentences. Moreover, British Armed Forces also use tattoos for the battlefield remembrance. A survey study conducted among 500 grown-ups ranging from 18 to 50 years, proved that 72%  of those, who had either hands, neck, face, or fingers tattooed, had spent one or more days in prison.