A fresh debate has erupted online after popular Nigerian pastor and relationship coach, Kingsley Okonkwo, stated that the Bible does not clearly forbid Christians from having tattoos.
The comments followed a viral video that showed the clergyman calmly getting a tattoo drawn on his hand.
Pastor Okonkwo, who leads the David Christian Centre, addressed the controversy during a recent interview.
He explained that opposition to tattoos among Christians is often rooted in personal beliefs, church traditions, or denominational rules, rather than direct biblical commands.
According to him, this distinction is often ignored, therefore creating unnecessary tension within the Christian community.
Speaking further, the pastor cautioned against forcing personal convictions on others under the guise of spirituality.
He stressed that faith should not be weaponised to shame or control fellow believers.
Moreover, he said Christians should focus more on their personal relationship with Christ than on public opinion or religious pressure.
According to Pastor Okonkwo, many criticisms surrounding tattoos lack clarity and depth. He challenged those who strongly oppose tattoos to clearly explain their stance using both scripture and science.
In addition, he argued that emotional reactions without proper understanding do not reflect sound Christian teaching.
“There’s no scripture that says a child of God cannot have tattoo. So people are doing personal preference of what the holy spirit told them or what their church policy is and he they want to impose it on other people and this isn’t how these things work,” he said.
He continued by questioning the logic behind the condemnation. “Somebody needs to sit me down and spell it out that tattoos are bad because if someone draws an ink on their body, their brain goes back or that their attitude change. And they must give me scriptural and scientific proof to back this up. But nobody, everybody is just shouting. But nobody can tell me why tattoos are bad…”
Meanwhile, the pastor acknowledged that some believers may personally choose not to get tattoos.
However, he noted that such choices should remain personal and not be turned into universal rules for everyone. Furthermore, he warned that judging outward appearance often distracts from the deeper values of faith, love, and character.
The viral video and subsequent comments have divided opinions online. While some Christians praised Pastor Okonkwo for addressing what they described as hypocrisy, others maintained that pastors should uphold conservative standards.
