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**i32I7qyH** · 12-29-2009, 01:01 AM

As for citing Copts and Ethiopians having tattoos, this in itself is meaningless as a reason for an Orthodox Christian to get a tattoo

A couple of thoughts on this. First is that both the Coptic Church and the Ethiopian Church are not within the mainstream of the Orthodox Community (as they are non-chalcedonian; I do not make the statement that they are not the Church, that is a matter for bishops and councils, not the likes of me), therefore their traditions may not be consistent with the practices of those in the mainstream Orthodox Churches. Second, the practice of tattooing in the Coptic and Ethiopian Churches, if they are part of the praxis of the Church, are part of a greater whole and thus in order to use this argument to justify a tattoo, one would have to adopt the whole of the Coptic or Ethiopian practice rather than pick and choose what you like.

Fr David Moser

12-29-2009, 01:01 AM	#18
i32I7qyH Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 418 Senior Member	As for citing Copts and Ethiopians having tattoos, this in itself is meaningless as a reason for an Orthodox Christian to get a tattoo A couple of thoughts on this. First is that both the Coptic Church and the Ethiopian Church are not within the mainstream of the Orthodox Community (as they are non-chalcedonian; I do not make the statement that they are not the Church, that is a matter for bishops and councils, not the likes of me), therefore their traditions may not be consistent with the practices of those in the mainstream Orthodox Churches. Second, the practice of tattooing in the Coptic and Ethiopian Churches, if they are part of the praxis of the Church, are part of a greater whole and thus in order to use this argument to justify a tattoo, one would have to adopt the whole of the Coptic or Ethiopian practice rather than pick and choose what you like. Fr David Moser
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