Body Modification

From the ancient Aztecs and primitive tribes to our modern culture body modification, the deliberate altercation of one’s body, has existed for thousands of years. As this industry has grown, so have the debates over body modification. Melanie Phillips has gone as far as equating these practices to “self – mutilation and their popularity as a sign of a morally corrupt, shallow, and spiritually empty culture.” This is not the case. Body modification is overflowing in history and culture from around the world. These practices allow people to express their religious identity, family identity, and personal identity. The ancient Aztecs used piercings as a way to communicate with their gods or as a symbol of class. In their societies, lip piercings were reserved for males in the higher class. Ear piercings, used by primitive tribes, were designed to protect people from possession. They believed demons and evil spirits entered the body through the ear, and metal repelled the evils. Tattoos in ancient times were often used as declarations of love and also as protection. The ancient Egyptian women decorated their abdomens and thighs with tattoos for protection for their unborn babies. Since ancient times, body modification has been associated with more than just body decoration.
Some religious people feel they need to show their dedication to their faith through tattoos. They do this by tattooing religious symbols, figures, or even verses from their religions core text, such as the Bible. This past year was the first time in the history of the Miss America Pageant that a contestant showed off her tattoos. Miss Kansas, Theresa Vail, displayed her tattoo of the Serenity Prayer on her right side. Her platform was to “empower women to overcome stereotypes and break barriers.” In order to support her platform, she showed her tattoos. Theresa Vail proved that tattoos can be an acceptable expression of her identity through religion.
Many people go through body modification