On the Other Hand: Tattoo Removal and Memory

Each week in On the Other Hand, Ben Bartlett defies the common wisdom and identifies the other side of the story of cultural hot-topic issues.

One of the most popular posts we’ve had here at CAPC was regarding my friend David’s tattoos.  The topic draws a lot of attention from Christians, both good and bad, because of how difficult it is to interpret biblical mandates like the command to regard one’s body as a temple.

One might think that both sides can agree, then, that the rising business of tattoo removal would be appreciated, even celebrated, by Christians.  After all, it’s essentially a cleansing of the temple.  Correct the wrongs of the past!  Heal the wounds and memories of sin!

I’m not against tattoo removal if you don’t like the tattoo anymore.  Still, in some ways it saddens me a bit.  A tattoo is a moment in time, a long term reminder of who you were and  how you felt at a specific location in your life.  Though I hope that would make people more cautious, somehow I also don’t want to see so many people attempting to forget who they were at specific moments in their lives.

Anyone who has seen Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind knows what it is to wrestle with memory. To feel pain is difficult, but it is also a constructive force in our lives and an important part of who we become.  Each step we take contributes somehow to our current condition, and each memory is a piece of the emergence of our character and personality and selfhood.

What do you think?  Is the rise of tattoo removal an encouraging rise in appreciation for the unsullied human temple?  Is it an indicator of people with no appreciation for memory?  Or is it merely a pragmatic function of people trying to avoid labeling so they can more easily market themselves?