Religious tattoos like praying hands seem a little contradictory, as until fairly recently, tattooing was believed to be prohibited by many religions. This belief has now changed, and religious tattoo designs have begun to see a great rise in their popularity and prominence. Tattooing one's body is a statement of sorts, and what better way to proclaim your stern faith in religion and God than getting a permanent tattoo. Praying hands tattoos are just a few of the large number of religious symbols that have been adopted as tattoos, and they signify something more than just a simple act of belief. Atheists and agnostics would probably not fully comprehend its meaning, but for the people sporting it, it is a permanent reminder that their faith in divinity is unflinching. The Significance A few years back, if you saw someone with a distinct religious tattoo design, it would be fair to assume that the person could be part of some cult or extremist religious sect, that chooses to display its allegiance with some unique religious tattoo designs. But they have become so much a part of the mainstream market that, today you can easily spot people sporting a very deep rooted and significant tattoo. In the mind of the person involved, it is similar to the art of praying. The perception of God differs from person to person, and showing a perpetual symbol of worship and prayer is some people's idea of offering their faith to their God. The presence of this tattoo primarily shows an inherent faith in God, and secondly, it shows that the person is not afraid to be devout and holy. Now, if you do not agree with such a gesture of faith and belief, it should go without saying that, you are not an authority to judge and condemn that person for wanting to display his faith in this manner. A great inference from the design is also that the person sporting it, is most likely to be a Christian. A pair of praying hands certainly does not imply Christians only, nor is it restricted to this faith, but the fact is that, it is most commonly seen on people following this faith. The origins of this design are not known, but the idea behind it has remained the same throughout the course of its history. There are many alterations that can be made to it, at the same time there are many additions that can be made as well. The most common upgrade that people resort to, is including the symbol of the cross along with the tattoo design. This makes it clear what faith the person belongs to and what God he/she prays to. If you are such a strong believer that you can ink a pair of praying hands on your body, then you can surely add the God you're praying to as well. But on the other hand, if you are more liberal in your thinking, you can exclude such an addition and give the impression that you simply believe in the God, and not a God. After all, all religions proclaim the same thing, so why be a devout follower of only one religion. Include a set of beads or a rosary or a divine aura around the tattoo to showcase your strong faith. It is simply an expression of faith and belief, and not a doctrine to be discriminated against. Religion, as you may have noticed, is a sensitive issue. The reasons for this are plentiful, and not offending another person's sentiments is very important. But at the same time, this cannot be done at the cost of compromising your own values and belief. If you feel that praying hands depict your emotions accurately, get it done by all means and don't worry about the potential reactions from people. At the end of the day, there is only one person's faith that you should be concerned with, and that person is you.