What does your conscience say?

So we should stop judging each other. Let’s decide not to do anything that will cause a problem for a brother or sister or hurt their faith. I know that there is no food that is wrong to eat. The Lord Jesus is the one who convinced me of that. But if someone believes that something is wrong, then it is wrong for that person. (Romans 14:13-14)

Van Gogh said that 'conscience was a man's compass'. Einstein reminded us, "Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it." Aquinas told us, "Every judgement of conscience, be it right or wrong, be it about things evil in themselves or morally indifferent, is obligatory, in such wise that he who acts against his conscience always sins." If conscience is so important to us, why do so many 'violate' their own conscience time and time again? To believe something is wrong, then pursue it anyway is a clear-cut violation of one's own conscience - the very 'tool' God gave each of us to help us avoid sin in the first place. If we focus on one 'rule' in a stricter sense than we do another 'rule', aren't we being hypocritical? Tattoos were prohibited under Levitical Law, but so were haircuts of certain styles and clothing made up of more than one type of material!

What Paul is saying is that if someone believes something is wrong, then it is wrong for that person. For the longest time, I wondered if God 'allowed' certain things that didn't seem to be outlined as 'good' or 'bad' in scripture. For example, you may not accept that God allows tattoos on one's body (Leviticus 19:28) Scripture asks God's people to live a holy and honorable life - using their bodies as his temple and keeping it holy. Does that mean tattoos are prohibited. Under the Law of Moses, God asked them not to apply marks to their bodies - why? There were people who worshipped false Gods, practiced vile deeds, who marked their bodies. Perhaps he was asking Israel to 'set themselves apart' from those who did this so they would be 'noticed' as set apart. Some would ask if this 'prohibition' continued into the New Testament church. I can find no reference to tattoos in New Testament writings, but...the issue is not whether tattoos are good or bad. It is what is in the heart of a man or woman. 

If someone has given their heart to the Lord, and in good conscience obtain a tattoo, who are we to judge them? As Paul told the Roman believers, it isn't ours to judge. Sometimes we get all wigged-out about stuff that clearly isn't all that important. Paul was dealing with a group of believers (church-goers) who didn't eat meat because it could have been offered as a sacrifice to some 'idol' and then sold in the market. The church was in uproar because some would eat the meat, while others would not. It isn't the 'rule' we look at - it is the heart. If the heart is right with God, and their conscience doesn't get 'pricked', is it okay to engage in the action? In some cases, yes, but we should also be very aware of how our actions affect the faith of another! Never violate your own conscience. Don't force your conscience on another. Be respectful of those who 'believe differently' than you - following a rule to the 'letter of the law', so to speak. We don't hold all the answers ourselves, but if we cannot in 'good conscience' pursue a course of action, while respecting the conscience of those around us, then we should not engage in that action. Just sayin!