Dear Suzanne:

The Chi Rho symbol is the symbol of Christ. "Chi" and "Rho"are the first two letters in the Greek spelling of the word "Christ." This symbol is the one that the Emperor Constantine saw in a vision with the motto: "On this symbol thou shall conquer." Under this emblem Constantine won his battles. This symbol is also an emblem of my community, the Order of the Legion of St. Michael.

There is certainly nothing wrong with this symbol.

As for the Egyptian symbol it would NOT be appropriate for a Christian to use it. Even though you may not believe in the Egyptian gods, it is nevertheless a symbol of those gods. Christians have no business using such symbols.

As for tattoos, this subject comes up periodically. The question is usually whether or not a Christian should have a tattoo in the first place (is it a sin?), and secondly, about the kind of tattoo.

Tattoos are primarily an issue of vanity rather than an objective sin in-an-of-themselves (unless the tattoo is vulgar or blasphemous, or it promotes/glorifies sin, other gods,  or the demonic).

The bible to my memory does not address the issue of tattoos nor does the Church. To consider it mutilation as some people suggest is a bit much. The Bible, however, does talk about vanity in general and vanity specifically in terms of bodily adornment.

Vanity is an issue that many in our society ignore as a problem and often will glorify. Vanity can lead to various sins and therefore can be very dangerous.

The Bible does tell us to avoid the symbols of false gods.

Another aspect to this (although somewhat off topic) is that tattoos are often things that many people eventually regret getting. There are untold millions spent every year in cosmetic surgeries to remove things that seemed like a good idea at the time.

In addition, if a tattoo can be seen by the public many employers may not hire the person. In fact, I will not hire someone who has a visable tattoo. If you really look to see who trends to tattoo themselves, it is usually a crowd that is either unsavory, or at least not the best example of Christianity. St. Paul speaks to this that we are not to be  stumblingblock to others. Visable tattoos can cause people tp pause about the character and judgment of a person. Fair or not is not the point. We need to be circumspect about how we, as Christians, present ourselves to the world. This can easily be adjusted in terms of fashion choices, but one cannot easily remove a tattoo. Thus, based on the cultural view of tattoos and St. Paul's teaching, I do not think that Christians should get tattoos.

Bottomline: while it may not be prudent for a Christian to get a tattoo, unless the tattoo is vulgar, blasphemous, promotes/glorifies sin, depicts or represents false gods, is demonic or occultic, or encourages or promotes any other immoral or unChristian act or thought, it is not in-an-of-itself a sin.

The issue to consider is the pride and vanity. We must examine ourselves to see why we want a tattoo or, for that matter, why we want to wear decorations that come off, like rings, necklaces, ear rings, etc. Ostentatious displays and decorations are generally not consistent with Christian modesty and decorum; and as Christians we are to be modest and to avoid vanity and pride.

So, examine yourself to see why you want this and whether this is merely an expression of vanity, or whether there is a good reason for it within the bounds of modesty and humility. This goes for all jewelry and fashions we wear as well.

The second issue to consider is how others will view you if they see the tattoo. A tattoo can, in some instances, damage one's Christian testimony.

The third issue to consider is that employers may not hire you if you have a tattoo that is visible to the public.

As to specific tattoos of demons, evil, false gods, Satan, etc., this is outright improper. St. Paul tells us that we are not to even have the appearance of evil.

I think there is a serious question about the person himself who wishes to have tattoos of that depict evil theme. Why would a person want such a thing? Evil is NOT "cool." The "benign" depiction of evil is NOT "cool."

Whatever clothing we wear, jewelry we wear, or tattoos we have is an expression of something about us. It is a message. What message does a tattoo of evil give?

There is no justification for a tattoo depicting an evil theme. To those people who want one thinking it is just "cool body art" I would recommend seeing a psychologist. I mean that. There is something deeply wrong when a person thinks that demons, evil, and Satan are "cool" in any context. Having such a tattoo is certainly contrary to the Christian life.

Bottom bottom line: While there might be an issue of vanity, Christian witness, or employer reaction that needs to be considered, a tattoo of a Christian symbol such as the Chi Rho, St. Michael, and other such Christian symbols are permissible.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary