The idea of religious tattoos may seem counterintuitive, for several reasons – not only is tattooing prohibited by some religions, such as Orthodox Judaism, but until recently, tattoos were associated with a vaguely disreputable counterculture that seems at odds with religion.
However, religious symbols – Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Islam or otherwise – are actually quite common tattoo designs. It might surprise you that about 25% of all tattoos in America have a religious meaning...
Nowadays, because tattooing has gone mainstream, religious tattoos are not just for gang members – not by a long shot. Tattoos of Christian symbols, such as the cross and the ‘Jesus fish’, are a common way for Christians to express their faith. And it doesn’t stop there – people use religious tattoos to express a great variety of religious views.
Religious tattoos are one of the oldest forms of tattooing. Besides identification, decoration and social ranking, early tattoos definitely had a spiritual purpose. Tribal tattoos offered protection from the gods, even in the afterlife.
Religious tattoos fall into one of several categories. For a start, there are the Christian tattoos..
