Christian Cross Tattoos

Religious body art has long been a popular choice for Americans and people from other countries as well, and none more so than Christian cross designs. Variations are possible with these tattoos and each one can be altered to suit the person's mentality. Displaying one's belief in God and religion has always captured the imagination of the masses.

The most attractive thing about these designs is their unlimited versatility. They can be designed to signify a large number of things, and they are available in an endless array of sizes and colors. In order to add a larger sense of personalization to these designs, a special message can also be added to these tattoos.

You may or may not be aware of this, but the fact is that crosses have been popular designs since long before Christianity showed up. There are many older pagan religions that commonly used crosses as their marks, or worshiped the symbol for varied reasons.

Here are some pre-Christian interpretations of crosses in religion and society:

• Celtic druids viewed it as a symbol of the male genital organ.

• In some cultures, the vertical bar denoted the male genital organ and the horizontal bar denoted the female genital organ.

• The Assyrians viewed it as a directional navigator to prevent people from getting lost.

• The Babylonians associated it with their Moon deity.

• The Egyptians viewed the Ankh symbol as a denotation of the union between Isis and Osiris.

These tattoos are used as a reference to Christianity, it symbolizes the victory of Jesus Christ over the dead and the Romans who crucified him. Crucifixion was a very common way of executing prisoners and slaves at that time, and this is something Jesus endured as well. There are no rules in Christianity that prohibit a person from getting a tattoo.

The vertical line in the many Latin crosses that are a part of Christianity signifies the divine, while the horizontal line signifies the world. It is therefore viewed as an intersection between the two. If the design shows a picture of Jesus Christ nailed on to it, it is known as a crucifix.

Combining some Latin text with a cross is a very well-known design, and some people even opt for placing a rosary or a crown of thorns on top of it, as an allusion to Christ's crucifixion.

Some people view tattoos as a defilement of the body, and therefore look upon them with scorn. This is simply their opinion, because ultimately, each individual has their own way of being devout.