THREE HILLS, Alberta, Canada (EP) -- Forget WWJD bracelets. Toss the Jesus t-shirt, fish necklace and cross earring. To show true commitment, some Christians are trying tattoos -- and not the peel-off kind.

According to Christian Week reporter Kevin Heinrichs, tattoos are the latest trend needling their way into Canadian evangelical counterculture. Traditionally the decoration of biker enthusiasts, the permanent tattoo is beginning to be used as a permanent proclamation of faith.

Derrick Rachul's tattoo on his upper arm is a stylized image of Jesus on the cross. Two-and-a-half years ago, he found the symbol in a surfer magazine, blew it up on a photocopier and walked into Primal Art tattoo shop with seven of his closest friends and $75 each to get it done.

That summer, he went to Hawaii with Youth With a Mission to do evangelism among surfers.

"I met a guy that had a whole pile of tattoos: demons, naked women, the whole bit. He noticed my tattoo and asked me about it, what it meant," Rachul told Heinrichs. "We talked for quite a while, actually. I told him I'm a Christian and talked about what it represents.

"That was part of the reasoning in getting it. This could give me opportunities [to talk about faith]. I thought it was cool."

Rachul, 27, is in his final year of the aviation program at the conservative Prairie Bible Institute. He has had to remove both earrings while attending PBI, but has not received any flak for the tattoo. He and his wife are interested in serving overseas with an aviation mission.

The tattoo has become more common in society in the past few years, transforming from rebel insignia to fashion accessory. Tattoos among swimmers, surfers and basketball players have become commonplace. At the last summer Olympics, the entire Australian team had the Australian flag imprinted on their arms.

Prices can range from $50-$200 for small to medium-sized tattoos, and into the thousands for large, complex ones. Even the latest incarnation of Barbie, the world's most famous doll, comes with a butterfly tattooed on her stomach, along with a nose ring, as part of Mattel's new line of Generation Girls.

Sociologists have also noted the trend, particularly among evangelical Christians. "For a growing subculture within evangelical Christianity, religious tattooing is becoming an increasingly legitimate expression of individuality, identity and faith," according to a paper presented at a meeting of the society for the Scientific Study of Religion.

Christians quote various parts of the Bible to justify or condemn tattooing. Leviticus 19, for example, says "Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves."

But in Galatians, Paul says, "Let no one cause me trouble, because I bear on my body the marks of Jesus" a verse most scholars attribute to beatings Paul suffered for his belief. Other biblical passages from Exodus to Revelation describe divine symbols being placed on the bodies of believers.

Whatever the reasoning, Christian tattooing is a trend gaining adherents. Last year, tattoo artists from almost 100 U.S. tattoo parlors joined the Christian Tattoo Association.

So for Christians, is this just evangelical fashion kitsch, a sort of human bumper sticker?

It's more than that, says Rachul. He and his buddies got the same tattoo, then burned the pattern. Rachul says the tattoo reminds him not only of his faith, but also that he has been blessed with close friends who have had a deep impact on his life.

"We're really tight," he told Heinrichs. "Most of us have been friends since we were little squirts. And we've all been around during important times in each other's lives, especially spiritually. I know it sounds kind of cheesy, but if I see it in the mirror or something, I think, 'The guys...what are they doing?' "

For Jon Koslowsky, also in aviation at PBI, the symbolism is obvious. His tattoo on his left shoulder depicts an airplane ("the first I ever flew") with cupped hands under it, along with Psalm 139:9-10.

The verse says, "If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast."

"It's something that I thought about for a long time. My family isn't for tattoos as a whole, but once they saw what it meant to me, they were pretty okay with it."

(EP - Evangelical Press News Service)

(Post date: March 25, 1999)