Jesus Tattoo Billboard Marks Him As The Ultimate "Outcast" [VIDEO]; Mixed Reactions From Locals As Evangelical Group Seeks To Draw Attention With Controversy

A Jesus tattoo billboard was put up in Texas recently, and it has drawn controversy from locals over its images of Jesus tattooed with words like "outcast" and "addicted".

The website advertised on the Jesus tattoo billboard features a video of an actor portraying Jesus. He has a basement tattoo parlor where tattoos such as "fear," "addicted," and "useless" are magically transformed into "trust," "freedom," and "purpose."

The narrator for the Jesus tattoo billboard website says: "All of us have been marked. As time passes, life leaves its etchings on our minds, our body, even our soul. These markings come to define us, our place in society, how we perceive ourselves...."

The narrator for the Jesus tattoo billboard website goes on to say that "one man proclaimed a revolutionary message of love and forgiveness ... for those labeled as outcasts and unlovable."

Watch Jesus Tattoo Billboard Video Here:  

"The message is a simple one, Jesus' love is transformative. He loves us unconditionally and no matter what you've been marked with, faith in Him and love for others will transform us," said Ashleigh Sawyer, media relations coordinator for Jesus Tattoo, the website behind the billboard.

According to KEYE-TV in Austin, some local residents have called the Jesus tattoo billboard "blasphemous".  Tattoos are of course proscribed in Leviticus 19:28, which says: "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord."

A 2009 Pew poll showed that older Americans aren't so enthused about the tattoo trend, which might explain some reactions to the Jesus tattoo billboard: "Older Americans are far more likely to negatively view this trend: 64% of those 65 and older and 51% of those 50 to 64 say more people getting tattoos has been a change for the worse."