Wed, May. 1
... To pierce or not to pierce, that is the question
Wow. April was the longest month ever. It seems like April 1 was so incredibly long ago, but at the same time, it hasn't really been all that long. It's gone by very, very fast. And May's going to go just as fast, if not faster. And then, in a month, I'm leaving! Wow. Crazy times.
And now, I'm going to link to Lynsae's rant on body piercings. Go read it, please? Pretty please?
It's good... I agree with almost everything she has to say. I think that the people who wrote the original article were taking the verses somewhat out of context. No, I don't see how it honors God to have a body full of piercings. I mean, quite honestly, some of them disgust me. And if you use the rationalization (for lack of a better word) that piercings will help to reach out to non-Christian kids, there comes a point when you'll just turn almost anyone away, because you have too many. But I don't think that it dishonors God to have one or two, or several, or a tattoo, or anything like that. I think that it's one of those decisions that doesn't really have a huge impact on eternal destiny.
I have my belly button pierced, and I had my nose pierced for a while, and they didn't hinder me from worshipping God. They didn't enhance my worship experience in any way, but they didn't keep me from God. They're just kind of neutral.
For some people, it may be a matter of respect, and I do agree with the original article, which said that sometimes piercings are a form of rebellion against parental authority, and that that's a sin. Yes, that is. And if a person is getting pierced against their parents' wishes, while the parents are still responsible for their child, I think that's the sin. It's not the piercing; it's the rebellion. It's the same thing as going behind parents' backs to date. It's not the dating itself that's a sin, it's the rebellion. If my younger sister (who's 17) were to get a body piercing, she would be disobeying my parents, because they've said nothing other than ears while we live in their house and under their rules. However, if I were to get another piercing, or a tattoo, or whatever, my parents wouldn't be overly impressed, but they're not responsible for me anymore. I'm responsible for my own actions and consequences, and it's not dishonoring them or disobeying them to get a piercing. If it were going to keep them away from God, that would be different, but if it's just because they don't like it, it's my decision now.
And, just as there are instances where it can be helpful to the gospel to be pierced or tattooed (like Lynsae's example), there are instances where it can hinder it. There are people who may be offended by it, and if those are the people you're trying to minister to, out of respect for them, maybe you should think twice about body piercings.
There's a verse that says, "'Everything is permissable for me'--but not everything is beneficial" (1 Cor 6:12), and there's also a verse that talks about not causing the weaker brother to stumble because of something trivial (the biblical instance is eating certain foods, but I think piercing falls under that category). For me, piercing my body isn't such a big deal that I'll compromise someone else's faith for it. If it's going to cause me to influence another person negatively in regards to Christ, it's not worth it. It's not that big a deal. I like my belly ring, yes, and I don't think there's any harm in it spiritually for me, but if it'll harm someone else, it's not worth my wanting to have it to keep someone away from God.
To me, it's just the body. It's just the outside. There will always be debates about it, and it'll be a topic of consternation between parents and teens. I see, though, things that affect the inside--that affect the character--as being much more important. I would be much more worried about a person who's a nice, "respectable"-looking person who has a problem with deception, or an addiction to porn, or difficulty nurturing healthy relationships, or who is abusive, or any other number of things. Piercing would fall towards the bottom of that list.
Anyways, it's a matter of opinion. The people who think it will affect their soul can have theirs, and I'll have mine, and when we get to heaven, I guess we'll really see how big a deal it was, or if God's just been sitting up there laughing gently at us this entire time, saying, "You silly children, just start to worry about the big things. Don't worry about piercings, or tattoos, or the style of music in the church, or the way that the youth group is run, or whether your church seats are hard or soft. Just worry about getting your hearts right with Me, and with touching other people, because that's what really matters most."
infinite || abyss
posted at 5:52 p.m.
