The Church of Body Modification is a non-theistic religion with approximately 3,500 members in the United States. The church practices

body modification Body modification (or body alteration) is the deliberate altering of the human anatomy or human physical appearance. In its broadest definition it includes skin tattooing, socially acceptable decoration (''e.g.'', common earring, ear piercing in ...

in order to "strengthen the bond between mind, body, and soul" and to experience the divine.

Practices and beliefs

The core belief of the Church of Body Modification is to create a strong spiritual bond between the mind, body and soul. To ensure a strong connection, the Church uses both ancient and modern body modification rituals to show its faith and allow its members to bring the three branches of life into harmony. The Church practices various types of body modification, such as piercings,

tattoos A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the Human skin, skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several Process of ...

scarification Scarification involves scratching, etching, burning/ branding, or superficially cutting designs, pictures, or words into the skin as a permanent body modification or body art. The body modification can take roughly 6–12 months to heal. In t ...

corsetry A corsetmaker is a specialist tailor who makes corsets. Corsetmakers are frequently known by the French equivalent terms corsetier (male) and corsetière (female). Staymaker is an obsolete name for a corsetmaker. Design and distribution The bes ...

, hook pulling, hair dyeing, reconstructive and cosmetic surgery,

fasting Fasting is the act of refraining from eating, and sometimes drinking. However, from a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (before "breakfast"), or to the metabolic sta ...

, and

firewalking Firewalking is the act of walking barefoot over a bed of hot embers or stones. It has been practiced by many people and cultures in many parts of the world, with the earliest known reference dating from Iron Age India . It is often used as a rite ...

. It states that anything that pushes the flesh to its limits can be included in their list of rituals. The end goal is to live spiritually complete lives. There is no deity involved. The Church itself helps educate individuals on the various body modification rites. In its Vision Statement, the Church says it hopes to one day be able to practice their rituals without restriction in a world that does not have prejudice against them. Members of other religions are welcomed into the Church of Body Modification. Since there is no physical location for the Church, home rituals are usually prevalent. There are monthly online classes for members. It does not gain new members from promotion, but solely through attraction to its ideals.

Statement of faith

Status in the Church

There are various levels of membership in the Church of Body Modification.

Board of advisors

The Church of Body Modification is run by a Board of Advisors. The criteria for becoming a board member includes expertise in the subject of body modification and a positive standing in the community. At the moment, there are currently three advisors: Cere Coichetti, Russ Foxx, and Jared Karnes. One of the former advisors Rick Frueh died in October 2017.

Ministers

Below those Board Members are Ministers, who function as spiritual guides. According to the Code of Ethics, "Spiritual guides are to practice and serve in ways that cultivate awareness, empathy, and wisdom."

Legal cases

In 2001, a member of the Church of Body Modification was fired from a

Costco Costco Wholesale Corporation is an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only big-box warehouse club retail stores. As of 2021, Costco is the third-largest retailer in the world, and as of August 2024, Cos ...

because of an eyebrow ring. The employee sued Costco claiming that wearing the eyebrow ring was a religious practice and thus protected under Title VII of the

Civil Rights Act of 1964 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 () is a landmark civil rights and United States labor law, labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on Race (human categorization), race, Person of color, color, religion, sex, and nationa ...

. The court ruled in favor of Costco, holding that Costco had reasonably accommodated her when they offered to reinstate her if she covered or removed the piercing. On appeal, the 1st Circuit affirmed the ruling, adding that Costco had no duty to accommodate the employee as exempting her from the dress code would result in an undue hardship for Costco. A 14-year-old member of the Church was suspended from Clayton High School in

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, United States because a nose stud was against the dress code. Her school principal said that she could not find any reason as to why the religion required her to wear the nose ring. The

ACLU The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million. ...

took the matter to federal court on free speech grounds, and a federal judge ruled in the student’s favor October 8, 2010.

References

External links

Church of Body Modification Official Website
{{authority control Christian organizations established in 2008 Religious organizations based in the United States Body modification Religious belief systems founded in the United States New religious movements established in the 2000s