Minister Bars

From BME Encyclopedia

In the early days of the CoBM (Church of Body Modification) some ministers chose to tattoo themselves with three parallel white lines. The lines echoed naval uniforms and represented "mind, body, and soul" respectively.

Members (not ministers) were told that they could show their allegiance to the church by tattooing "member bars" — two parallel white lines. A few members did so, but soon enough one of them asked "Hey ... which one am I missing? My mind, my body, or my soul?" After this, minister bars simply became Church of Body Modification bars and were equally accessible to members and ministers alike.

In addition, the original "white ink" iconography didn't last long either, with some people choosing different colors of ink, scarification and implants, or even piercings to form the markings. The requirement of three equal parallel lines was also short-lived as members and ministers expressed these bars with their own personal style.

Since the CoBM fell apart, many former members and ministers have tattooed over or otherwise obscured these marks.