The Church of Body Modification is a non-theistic religion with approximately 3,500 members in the United States.[1] The church practices body modification in order to "strengthen the bond between mind, body, and soul" and to experience the divine.[1][2]
In 2002, a member of the Church of Body Modification was fired from a Costco because of an eyebrow ring. When taken to trial, the court ruled in favor of Costco saying that this was not protected under the First Amendment because her religious beliefs did not require her to always wear her eyebrow ring.[3][4]
A 14-year-old member of the Church was suspended from Clayton High School in North Carolina, USA because a nose stud was against the dress code. The ACLU took the matter to federal court on free speech grounds, and a federal judge ruled in her favor October 8, 2010.[5]
The Church has come under scrutiny by members in the recent years for lack of "community". It's believed in the body modification community that the Church is no longer functional, even though they still have over 500 members accessing their site on a monthly basis.