Popular Nigerian pastor and relationship coach, Kingsley Okonkwo, has stated that there is no biblical scripture that expressly forbids Christians from having tattoos.
His comment follows a trending video that showed him having a tattoo drawn on his hand.
Pastor Kingsley Okonkwo addresses critics
Speaking during a recent interview, the clergyman explained that many of the strong opinions surrounding tattoos stem from personal convictions, church doctrines, or individual interpretations, rather than clear biblical instruction.
He warned against forcing personal or denominational preferences on others in the name of spirituality.
According to Pastor Okonkwo, Christians should be guided by their personal walk with Christ and their understanding of God’s word, not by public opinion or religious pressure.
Pastor Kingsley Okonkwo calls for proof
The cleric challenged his critics to provide both scriptural and scientific evidence to support claims that tattoos are inherently wrong or spiritually harmful.
He noted that while many people are quick to condemn tattoos, very few can clearly explain why they are considered sinful. According to him, shouting religious sentiments without clarity or understanding does not align with sound Christian teaching.
Speaking in part, Pastor Okonkwo said:
*“There’s no scripture that says a child of God cannot have tattoos. What many people are doing is turning personal preferences, supposed instructions from the Holy Spirit, or church policies into rules they try to impose on others. That’s not how these things work. Everyone needs to know Christ personally and walk according to the word of God.
Somebody should be able to sit me down and clearly explain why tattoos are bad — whether drawing ink on the body affects a person’s brain or changes their attitude — and back it up with both scriptural and scientific proof. But nobody does that. Everyone is just shouting, yet no one can really explain why tattoos are bad.”*
Watch the video below…
“There’s no scripture that says a child of God cannot have tattoo.”
— Pastor Kingsley Okonkwopic.twitter.com/Uu4t1fbwxb
— @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) February 2, 2026
