Thailand wants to ban tourists from getting Buddha tattoos

[Katefox Tarnagona]

Aakosir

Esiris

Aakosir

It bothers me when I see someone who has a religious symbol, but doesn't show any sign of being that religion. My brother has a cross, yet he acts like some heathan... I have an ankh, because I believe in an afterlife not dissimilar to the Egyptians. Most people don't know what an ankh stands for anyways...

That's a bit judgmental- it sounds a lot like your setting yourself up to be a judge of who follows their path and who doesn't.

I don't see how it's judgemental. If you have a religious symbol on your body, then you should act the part. It's hypocritical if you get a cross, but are not christ-like, or if you have a star of David and aren't following Judaism.

But that assumes one is getting the cross to symbolise Christianity, or the Star of David to symbolise Judaism. For example, I work with a magical system of six Elements, and might choose to represent that with a six-pointed star (rather like the pentagram can be used to represent a system of five Elements). Am I, by using that symbol, claiming to be Jewish? Evidently not. Should I be banned from using that symbol just because the Jews had it first? I would hope not. (Hypothetically. I don't plan on having any tattoos; the thought of having something permanently inked into my skin weirds me out.)

I don't think it's right to make judgements about what people decide to put on their skin (not saying you are, but in general). Should people put serious thought into what tattoos they want? Yeah, they really probably should. But if they don't, they're the ones who have to live with the consequences.  

[Esiris]

Katefox Tarnagona

But that assumes one is getting the cross to symbolise Christianity, or the Star of David to symbolise Judaism. For example, I work with a magical system of six Elements, and might choose to represent that with a six-pointed star (rather like the pentagram can be used to represent a system of five Elements). Am I, by using that symbol, claiming to be Jewish? Evidently not. Should I be banned from using that symbol just because the Jews had it first? I would hope not. (Hypothetically. I don't plan on having any tattoos; the thought of having something permanently inked into my skin weirds me out.)

Do you think you'd be interested in the more traditional hexagram, the Marian Star or a unicursal hexagram?  

[Katefox Tarnagona]

Esiris

Katefox Tarnagona

But that assumes one is getting the cross to symbolise Christianity, or the Star of David to symbolise Judaism. For example, I work with a magical system of six Elements, and might choose to represent that with a six-pointed star (rather like the pentagram can be used to represent a system of five Elements). Am I, by using that symbol, claiming to be Jewish? Evidently not. Should I be banned from using that symbol just because the Jews had it first? I would hope not. (Hypothetically. I don't plan on having any tattoos; the thought of having something permanently inked into my skin weirds me out.)

Do you think you'd be interested in the more traditional hexagram, the Marian Star or a unicursal hexagram?

The Star of David hexagram is the traditional hexagram, isn't it? Or are you thinking of something else?

Actually, if I was going to choose a symbol to represent the Elements, it would be something like this one. Just imagine that the broken lines are also solid. Each point represents an Element, and all the lines between them to show all the ways they are interconnected. If I was looking for a symbol to wear, it would probably be a unicursal hexagram, as a six-pointed star distinctly different from the Star of David* that I could actually find as a piece of jewelry. The Marian star doesn't really appeal to me.

* While I think I have as much right to use the symbol, given it's simple and common (what child doesn't learn to draw stars by putting two triangles together?), I, as a matter of personal preference, don't see any point in confusing, and possibly angering, people by wearing the symbol when I am not Jewish.