Piercing God's ear

[Antisocial_Worker]

This happened to me yesterday. My New Year's resolution was to change my appearance and toward that end, I shaved my beard down to a goatee, cut about five inches off my hair, and got my ear pierced. Re-pierced, I should say because I used to have it pierced, lost all the earrings, and the hole closed up.

At any rate, I went to the mall yesterday for the ear piercing and haircut, ran into my friend Michelle and together we set off for wacky adventures in retail. While waiting for my hair appointment, we headed over to Claire's for the ear piercing.

They had the little piercing station set up by the door, and the Claire's girl gloved up while I filled out the form that says Claire's isn't liable if I end up accidentally lobotomized. While filling out the form, Michelle, the Claire's girl, and I suddenly realized that a lady who had come up to us talking was actually talking to us rather than blathering on a cell phone or something.

"You know you're not suppoed to do that," she said, "The Bible says you're not supposed to mark your body like that!"

I kept filling out the form, which incidentally was in Spanish because they'd run out of English forms. It was a learning experience.

Michelle and the Claire's girl stared at the lady, kind of dumbfounded.

"God created your body just right and that's His property! You're marking up God's property!"

Still filling out forms, I said, "Ma'am would you please go away?"

She headed off, still talking though. "I will, but you aren't supposed to do that! The Bible says so! God says you're not!"

"It's a free country!" said Michelle.

"It is, but God's in charge!" replied the lady, "You're not supposed to do that!"

And off she went.

And now I have a little white gold stud in my ear.

[Ciarrai]

Gotta love the Bible freaks. She would have had a heart attack if she had seen me getting my tattoo. I also have four earrings.
I must be going to hell. Then again, I would also have screamed at her. Do not piss off the red headed Irish tempered atheist.

[Antisocial_Worker]

Well, she picked an interesting crowd to proselytize to, I'll say. I'm a Baptist, but one of those gay Baptists you hear about from time to time. We're kind of like werewolves -- people suspect we exist but nobody's really sure. And Michelle is a practicing witch (married to a Catholic incidentally). If the Claire's girl had been a Buddhist or something we could have had a trifecta!

[Teysa]

I don't know what Bible that woman is reading, but piercings were quite common in the old testament. They're not mentioned so much in the new testament but I don't recall anything about them being forbidden. And anyways, there are much more important things to worry about in life than a complete stranger getting his ears pierced.

[AFpheonix]

Heck, Isaac picked up Rebekah by giving her a nose ring after the whole well incident.

Shrug....

[Becks]

...Funny, I don't know anyone named Issac.

[Kiwi]

One of my supposedly "good friends" from my teen years said something similar to me, we were both raised in the same religion, however our families were complete opposites, hers were bible thumping maniacs who refused to associate with anyone "non insert religion here" and my family bordered on hooligans according to them, this conversation when on at her 16th birthday party, I was her only guest.... it was pretty much the end of our friendship...

Her: "I could never mutilate my body the way you have, I could never hurt God like that"
Me: "What did you say?"
Her: "Piercing your ears, youve marked the gift god gave you,[ meaning my body] I would never dissapoint God like that"
Me: "Actually Charlene, my mum had them pierced when I was 6 months old, I didnt have a choice in the matter, so I dont think God really blames me for something I had no control over"
Her: "Well she will have to answer for it when she dies"
Me: " When she had them pierced she wasnt a member of this church, so no actually she wont"

I cant remember what happened after that, I do remember an argument when she said Jesus wouldnt have been allowed in heaven if he wasnt married and I realised there was no possible way of having any kind of friendship with someone so freaking "my way is the only way"

I have nothing against the religion I was raised with, many of my family and friends whom I love are members. The religion wasnt the problem..... SHE was the problem.

I cant stand people like that, I dont care if they are arguing for God, or against God or non accepting people in general. We all have to live together wether we like it or not.... to be tolerant, do you have to tolerate the intolerant?

[iradney]

i just don't get involved with arguments like that. if that's true, then my mother, who is a devout Catholic, will not get into Heaven because she has a pair of discreet pearl earrings in her ears. Hell, if you really want to get nitpicky, cutting your hair is changing your body! So is dyeing it, plucking your eyebrows, wearing makeup and clothes, getting a tan, losing a tan etc, gaining weight etc. Just brushing your hair when you get up in the mornings is changing your appearance/body, so you're stuffed either way! :P

[Pagan]

I'd give that woman a stroke! I've got six piercings in one ear, two in the other, one in my belly button, and a tattoo. Oh, and let's not forget that I'm a druid!

[MystyGlyttyr]

"God created your body just right and that's His property! You're marking up God's property!"

Me: *shows off various knife scars* "Other people already beat me to it."

or

Me: *rolls up pants leg to show off enormous scar on leg* "God dropped me on a shard of glass when I was four, so he already marked me up long before I got around to it."

or

Me: "If you've ever had any surgery, a cut, a scrape, or a bruise, you were marking up your body, too."

or, if you really feel the need to be evil...

"But God COMMANDED ME to do this! Wait, what's that??" *listens to empty air, then brandishes Claires pen* "He orders me to smite the nonbelievers!!"

Okay, maybe not that last one, heh heh. Any of the other ones would probably make her head explode.

[Bella_Vixen]

Hell (slight pun intended ), just growing UP is going against the way God created you. I mean, he created you as a baby right?

[IT Grunt]

Well God saw fit to give me a brutal case of appendicitis when I was younger...does that mean I'm going to hell for the big scar on my belly?

Ditto on the appendicitis. (It hurts just thinking about it...)

That lady sounds like she's not firing on all cylinders. If her reasoning is true, then pretty much everybody is screwed for every cut, bruise, scrape, and broken bone that practically every kid gets while growing up. (Everybody who skinned their knee falling as a kid raise their hand! )

If God had intended for no one to get marked up, he'd have made the Earth out of pillows.

[Becks]

Somehow I don't think God is so superficial as to be concerned with whether we have piercings or tattoos or what have you.

I'm going to Hell for the use of hairdye alone.

[trunks2k]

Well, she picked an interesting crowd to proselytize to, I'll say. I'm a Baptist, but one of those gay Baptists you hear about from time to time.

Then you should have said, "And the bible says I shouldn't be having sex with men, but that's not stopping me"

[SuperDan]

I wonder what she'd say about my (Lutheran) pastor taking his son for a tattoo at age 17? (The tattoo, by the way, was the son's idea as well as his own design, it's an alpha and omega encircled by a crown of thorns.)

*must resist urge to tell Baptist joke*