Christianity

There is no consistent Christian position on tattooing. The majority of Christians do not take issue with the practice, while a minority uphold the Jewish view against tattoos (see below) based on Leviticus 19:28. Tattoos of Christian symbols are common.

Islam

Tattoos are usually considered forbidden in Sunni Islam According to the book of Sunni traditions, Sahih Bukhari, "The Prophet forbade [...] mutilation (or maiming) of bodies." Sunni Muslims believe tattooing is haraam (ie. forbidden) because it involves changing the creation of Allah, and because the Prophet cursed the one who does tattoos and the one for whom that is done. There is, however, difference of scholarly Sunni Muslim opinion as to the reason why tattoos are forbidden. But the use of tattoo made with Henna is very common in Muslim North-Africa. Tattoos are allowed in Shi'a Islam and are not seen to be against sunnah, as per fatwas by high ranking figures such as Ayatollah Sistani.

Judaism

Tattoos are forbidden in Judaism based on the Torah (Leviticus 19:28): "You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead, or incise any marks on yourselves: I am the Lord." The prohibition is explained by contemporary rabbis as part of a general prohibition on body modification that does not serve a medical purpose (such as to correct a deformity). Maimonides, a leading 12th century scholar of Jewish law and thought, explains the prohibition against tattoos as a Jewish response to paganism. Since it was common practice for ancient pagan worshipers to tattoo themselves with religious iconography and names of gods, Judaism prohibited tattoos entirely in order to disassociate from other religions. In modern times, the association of tattoos with Nazi concentration camps and the Holocaust has given an additional level for revulsion to the practice of tattooing, even among many otherwise fairly secular Jews.