My dear readers,
1. “Tattoo fashion” among youths
The New Paper (22 and 23 June, 2009) reported cases of schoolchildren in Singapore getting themselves tattooed on various parts of their body. In Hong Kong, the UK and California State, it is an offence for those under 18 years to be tattooed, and once a tattoo has been done, it is extremely difficult and painful to remove, and it leaves horrible scarring.
For Christians, the act of tattooing is an offence against the body which is the “temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 6:19, 20). We reprint an article on this “Pagan Practice” from Christian News, May 12, 2008.
Tattooing is all the craze. It is the new rock & roll fashion statement. What is the history of tattooing? It is a pagan practice and has long been associated with idolatry and debauchery. Even today it is closely associated with paganism. An article by Clay Thompson in the Pacific News Service for July 27, 1996, was titled “Pagan Fashion’s New Frontier – Facial Tattoos.” Note that the author, who in this article makes no claim to be a Christian, associated tattoos with paganism. He connects it with a “new reverence for pagan beliefs.” A prominent book on tattooing is titled “Pagan Fleshworks.” It is by Maureen Mercury and contains photos of Steve Haworth, identified as “the foremost body modification artist in the United States.” “Body modification” describes the practice of burning, inking, cutting, piercing, and otherwise desecrating one’s God-given body. A 2003 survey of more than 2,000 people in the United States, reported in the AFP for Oct 11, 2003, found that among women who get tattoos, 34%, “feel sexier,” and 29% overall “feel more rebellious.” It is not surprising that the Christian rock crowd, being only the slightest step behind the world in all points, is adopting tattooing from their pagan secular brethren.
God’s Word says: “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD” (Lev 19:28). “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thess 5:22).
2. Parents’ sacred responsibility
Parents’ responsibility toward their children is to “… train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Prov 22:6). Christian parents must acknowledge this holy trust laid upon them from the Lord.
In our world of high-pressure and fast-tempo living, many parents have relinquished their God-given duty and conveniently turn their children over to the world’s Satan-controlled machines and instruments of mass seduction – TVs, Videos, DVD, Radios, Computers, etc.
David Cloud of “Fundamental Baptist Information Service” says: “Beware of Amusing Children with TV/VIDEOS.” We reprint his article from Christian News, June 8, 2009.
“The following is excerpted from Training Your Children to Turn out Right, an excellent book by David Sorenson – “I am convinced that discipline of the mind itself is a major key to learning … Parents are guilty on two scores here. First, many a parent errs by encouraging shallow habits of entertainment. Children are allowed and even encouraged to sit and watch TV entertainment. Let us assume that what they watch is not spiritually and morally harmful (though often it is). Yet, they are allowed to essentially place their minds in neutral. They are tacitly encouraged to just sit there and be entertained. The word ‘amuse’ is made up of the basic word ‘muse’ which means to think and the alpha prefix ‘a’ which means to negate or ‘not.’ Therefore, to ‘amuse’ oneself essentially means to not think. And that is exactly what an entire generation of American children is doing. Whether it is cartoons, or videos, or other video entertainment, many children are tacitly encouraged to seek to be amused. Children are conditioned to be mentally lazy and pursue only what entertains their little minds. When it comes to buckling down and actually concentrating, they just shift gears mentally back into neutral and seek something to entertain themselves again. Secondly, parents are guilty of not taking the initiative and (training the children) themselves, sitting them down and training their minds to concentrate on things which may not be interesting to them but are things which they ought to learn” (Training Your Children to Turn out Right, 1995, pp. 53, 54). End of article.
A word to concerned Christian parents: Your children are God’s gifts to you – precious beyond words. Give them the best of the knowledge of God from the Word of God. Teach them to think holy thoughts and learn the ways of God before the world gets them!
If you are in the habit of letting the TV or video amuse and entertain your child, think again, and heed godly advice, before your child becomes caught in the ways of the world. Read Philippians 4:8 – “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Lovingly in the Lord
Dr SH Tow, Advisory Pastor
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