In the intrigue, disgust, and horror over what happened at Virginia Tech was the mystery of two words: "Ismail Ax."

The mystery was in the fact that those letters were scrawled in red ink on the right arm of Cho Seung-Hui, the 23-year-old student who shot 32 to death before taking his own life -- and leaving that arcane clue (if a clue it is).

There are those who have looked at its potential biblical links.

As we have previously said, Ismail, or "Isma'il," is Arabic for "Ishmael" -- which comes from a Hebrew name meaning "God will hear."

In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Abraham who is the traditional ancestor of the Arabs.

Is there meaning in that -- a Muslim connection -- or was it simply a misspelling of Turkish hip-hop artist Ismail YK?

Some believe that it was a reference to Cho's nickname on a video-gaming site.

Oh, those video games, those movies. Cho played violent ones, and was also acquainted with the works of horror-writing masters like H. P. Lovecraft.

One theory, perhaps in left field, is that the name is an anagram for SALAMI XI as deciphered according to the ancient texts of the unique Buddhism-Shamanic religion as practiced only in ancient Korea. Others speculate that "Ismail Ax" is simply from Moby Dick, where the narrator is "Ishmael" (Cho was an English major).

It was a self-made tattoo and the point is that he had used his skin to send a message at a time when many are also marking their skin and are also finding themselves with a connection to the dark side.

In many ways, tattoos are a sign of the times and in a fashion also a mark of evil when they consist of crossbones and skulls, lewd images, demonic faces, and even the number "666" (which is currently being tattooed on the ankles of an eccentric cult whose leader claims to be both Jesus and anti-christ).

The point here is that tattoos are too often associated with evil, are far too pervasive, and when they bear demonic images can bring a demonic power in the same way that holy images can draw down grace. Too often tattoos separate the goats from the sheep and are a signature of the devil.

Too often, they are a symbol of the spirit of rebellion.

This is hardly to say that everyone with a tattoo is evil, just that tattoos are frequently associated with such, posing a danger. Many are those who have innocently pursued skin decor (little flowers on the ankle, in the case of women), or who picked up their tattoos in the Navy. There are good people with tattoos, even off-color ones (usually accomplished in youth). There are expressions of affection (the names of wives or children).

But there is something inherently unsettling about permanently marking our bodies, which are the temples of the Holy Spirit. Tattoos are nearly graffiti on the temple. Those who have them would do well to remove them. Those who don't should avoid them. The Bible itself says in Leviticus 19:28, "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord."

Over and above that, tattoos, as previously mentioned, seem to have become a demarcation. Again, we are not speaking about military tattoos as much as other types. We are not speaking of things that were done forty years ago. We are speaking about the way they are used in the current day to set people apart.

The darkness -- and not just in the black leather -- is tangible. There are two sides of the fence and there seems to be a set of morals and a way of lifestyle that goes with tattoos, along with a spiritual aura that seems to bring the wrong kind of fortune.

Many criminals bear tattoos (prisons are filled with them), and there was the mass murderer Richard Speck who preceded Cho as one who killed students (in 1966) and who bore a tattoo that said, "Born to raise hell."

In Naugatuck, Massachusetts, three weeks ago, a small business owner put up a sign saying, "Easter: beep for Christ."

That was followed by a neighboring business which put one up that said, "Honk twice for..." [followed by a picture of the devil].

The latter was placed there by a store called "No Regrets Tattoos" (indicating that many must in fact regret it).

There is an aura that comes off, a spirit, and such is especially true when a tattoo has an occult motif. There are those who tattoo themselves with the actual names of demons. There are dragons. There are skeletons. There are frightening facial images.

Tattoos have graduated into the hideous practice of body piercing -- which is clearly contrary to what God allows.

So far has this craze gone that there are even those who have had horns built under the skin on their heads, or have had their teeth sharpened.

Tattoos and body piercing are bumper stickers. They are a stamp of what is inside. That they tend to the dark side is obvious in the way that so many tattoo parlors bear satanic motifs and are in the tawdry part of town.