Disfellowshipped for Tattoos??

Lynnie

Are getting tattoos a disfellowshipping offense? I know several JW's that have them but I always thought they were totally taboo. What do you guys know about this?

sir82

It's not in the elder's manual as a DF offense. It would definitely lead to "loss of privileges", at the very least.

I can conceive that it would lead to someone being "marked".

That said, of course, anyone can be DF'ed for anything that 3 elders agree on. If the tattooee pissed off the elders enough, they'd probably use "brazen conduct" clause to DF him.

You can get DF'd for anything 3 elders agree on. That said, I've never heard of anyone getting the boot for a tattoo, but usually it's one of those things that people do while they're inactive and if they come back the elders don't push the matter.

If someone were to be going to meetings regularly and one day showed up with a very obvious tattoo, I suspect they'd get a good talking to, but it depends on the congregation and their response whether it would become a judicial issue.

The majority, by far, of JWs that I've know to have tattoos were converts and had them before they got ensnared by the cult. In that case, no one cares.

ToesUp

One thing I think is interesting. We know of several Elders wives that have Boob jobs and all is ok with that but you can't have a tattoo? Hmmmm. I guess if Brother Elder has to get his freak off with his wifes new boobs...it's all ok. Hey is that tit for tat? lol

stan livedeath

maybe it depends on the type of tattoo picture--and if its visible

fastJehu

very easy:

No for tattoo = Yes for beard

(Leviticus 19:27, 28) 27 “‘You must not shave the hair on the side of your head or disfigure the edges of your beard. 28 “‘You must not make cuts in your flesh for a dead person, and you must not make tattoo markings on yourselves. I am Jehovah.

WT 2014-11-15 page 17 § 18:

Think about these points: We are not under the Law. (Rom. 10:4)

OneEyedJoe

very easy:
No for tattoo = Yes for beard

One thing is the same in their reasoning: someone, somewhere might look down upon people with tattoos or people with beards, so no JW is allowed to have either.

They don't seem to worry about people who look down upon religions that put forth pharisiacal rules, though, and my guess is that those people outnumber the few that would reject the ultimate religious truth just because it was brought to them by a bearded man.

BluesBrother

I have known several elders who had tattoos ,,from their youth or perhaps in the military before they "came in" . One that I know has a near naked woman tattooed on each forearm. He has to keep his shirt sleeves rolled down .

There is no sanction officially for getting one now. However, if it showed I guess the elders would view you as 'not exemplary"

neverendingjourney

I heard of a weird situation some 20 years ago where this guy was publicly reproved and a month or two later the elders rescinded the reproof, literally read a letter saying so and so should not have been publicly reproved.

In a situation where elders have broad discretion to even DF someone over loose or brazen conduct, whatever they're calling it nowadays, how the hell does that happen? One of the weirdest things I encountered as a JW.

Any thoughts?

Village Idiot

I knew a ministerial servant who had a devil's tattoo on his arm. He got it before becoming a JW. He tried burning it off. I forget if he wore long-sleeved shirts.

Disfellowshipped for Tattoos??

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