03/29/2006

The hot season is the best time of the year to see the amazing range of tattoos displayed on people's bodies. This is because as the weather becomes unbearable, most men in a village tend to shed their shirts. For most people today, a tattoo is more or less just a fashion statement. But for many people in Asia, tattoos are much more than decorative art. For the true believer, tattoos are a means to harness power. It is an insurance policy – a protection against disaster – written in blood, and etched in skin. It can never be lost, misplaced, or forgotten. A serious tattoo will usually have a secret incantation pronounced over it as it is made. Some tattoos are said to be able to stop bullets. Other patterns and inscriptions are said to protect the owner from being tricked or deceived. This belief system is being steadily displaced as the gospel advances across the face of Asia. One Lahu man recently told me how his tattoos had saved him from being killed by gunshot on two occasions. Nevertheless, now that he has become a Christian, he has given up his faith in protective symbols and has put his trust in God.

Tatoos to Protect Against Attacks	Tatoos Powerful Enough to Stop Bullets
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