What does the Bible say about body piercing? I have a friend who got his nose pierced and I was wondering if he was wrong or not to do this.
The New Testament does not say anything about body piercing at all! Yet there is a principle that applies: the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and it belongs to Christ, not to us (1 Corinthians 6). We should not do anything to our bodies which ignores or this principle. This principle may help us make a number of possible personal decisions.
People pierce for all sorts of reasons. It may be the cultural norm--as is often the case in some tribal societies (pierced or stretched lips, ears, tongues, necks). I see nothing inherently wrong with this. (This certainly ain't the "norm" in western society!) Other times, people pierce their bodies to "make a statement." This may be born of identity insecurity. Jesus Christ was highly confident in his identity and his purpose, and there is no trace in the scriptures of any such "statements." Jesus was comfortable with who he was: probably more than any other human being, he understood that God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
Ironically, many who do not want to be forced into a mold--they think of themselves as "non-conformist" are actually exhibiting highly conformist patterns as they follow their peers into unusual, non-standard behaviors! Sociologists have noticed this irony: non-conformity itself tends to follow highly regimented, strict rules.
We do not need to judge the morality of body piercing, as this isn't really a moral issue. That does not mean that it was a wise decision--and much less the sort of decision I would feel comfortable making myself. Again, the Bible does not directly address this practice.
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