Televangelist Joyce Meyer, the president of Joyce Meyer Ministries in Fenton, Missouri, announced that she got her first two tattoos at the age of 79 to “honor God.” Despite the belief among some Christians that tattoos are sinful, Meyer is convinced that the Bible supports her decision. Meyer cited Isaiah 49:16 to justify her decision and said that “Behold, I have indelibly imprinted or tattooed a picture of you on the palm of each of my hands,” which supports getting a tattoo.
In a video clip posted on her YouTube page in October, she addressed an audience at one of her events and said she had decided to get a tattoo that says “I belong to Jesus” after reading the scripture.
Meyer shared a story about how a tattoo artist who had bipolar disorder and had been convinced by other religious Christians that he was going to hell for being a tattoo artist, heard her saying that she wanted to get a tattoo that said “I belong to the Lord,” and it inspired him to return to his profession. Last fall, Meyer found out that both she and the tattoo artist had a mutual friend in Dallas, Texas, who revealed that the tattoo artist’s dream was to give her a tattoo. Meyer said she and her husband, Dave, got tattoos from the tattoo artist.
Meyer further urged her critics not to send her letters complaining about her decision to get tattooed because she already prayed about it, and her conscience is at ease. She also stated that it’s between her and God and that when she stands before God on Judgment Day, He’s not going to ask someone else what they think about her.
While some Christians cite Leviticus 19:28 to argue against getting tattoos, Meyer stated that it’s a matter of her heart and that she did it as an honor to God. Got Questions, a Christian apologetic website, states that the New Testament is silent on whether believers should get tattoos, and getting a tattoo falls under the category of a “gray area,” so believers should follow their convictions.
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