Once considered taboo, tattoos are now a fairly common practice in America and other westernized cultures. However, this practice is strictly forbidden in Judaism and the Old Testament, which was later adopted into Christianity and Islam. The origin of the debate (and opposition to it) is a verse from Leviticus that says “You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead, or incise any marks on yourselves: I am the Lord” (Vayikra 19:28). The arguments for tattoos in Christianity are as diverse as the sects within it. As with the Torah, while the word tattoo is not specifically mentioned, many passages in the Christian Bible are interpreted against getting one. The often-quoted verse against this practice is 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that reads “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” Muslims take after their Abrahamic counterparts, and they too consider tattoos to be haram (forbidden). As with the previous two religions, tattooing is a procedure that causes unnecessary pain and suffering to the receiver, at the same time tainting Allah’s creation; it is often compared with consuming riba or usury (Imam Bukhaari 5032). However, as younger generations develop their own ideals and norms of what is acceptable in society, many times the line is blurred as to what is considered acceptable or sinful in relation to their religion. This paper will examine the origins of the taboo against “cutting” or “making” of the flesh, what is considered a tattoo, and who is punished: the doer or the receiver?