The Mark of the Beast + SmartCards

Well, I'm not much with words, but here's my attempt at a discussion starter :

Has anyone ever approached you on the street, preaching about a connection between "the Mark of the beast" and GPS systems, credit cards, etc. I was, twice. About a year ago and sometime last week. Then, at work today, after I joked about implanting a credit card chip in my fingers so I could never lose it, (I had recently lost my card) a coworker went on and on about "the mark of the beast". When I worked in an animal shelter a few years ago, I learned that we already use similar technology in our pets.

I'm not Christian and I don't really read the bible, so when I first heard of this, I thought it was just craziness. The people who spoke with me seemed normal. And I really didn't expect to hear my co-worker agree with them. But this doesnt seem right to me. I did a little search on this board and on the web and these are the best links:

www.abovetopsecret.com...
www.tldm.org...


Form the frist site:

Be branded...
"Each man on earth who has been baptized and set himself up as a follower of My Son in infancy has received the mark of the cross upon him. He can in his lifetime cast this away and be branded with the mark of the beast. This will be of his choice. No man will be lost without his own choice." -Our Lady of the Roses, December 31, 1972

When I was refilling my SmartCard, (just a card that you can load with money to use on the Bus or metro. You don't have to carry money all the time, very convieniant.) I was approached my a young lady who invited me to bible study and warned me against using said SmartCard because it's basically like putting 666 on my forehead or the back of my neck.

After reading this and skimming the links, does anyone care to disscuss?

I remember in the late 1950's early 60's when credit cards were first being introduced there was a great whoha about this being what was meant in the book of Revelations re the mark of the beast. Those who didn't believe in Jesus would be numbered with the mark of the beast.
The number of the beast is as you know 666, but the number on your credit card was the earthly manifestation of the Devils identifying number on all the non beleivers in Revelation.

I believe this goes a lot deeper than the religious fraternity trying to equate it with the mark of the beast.
All of us who use credit/store/loyalty/cash cards are providing a footprint of what we do and where we do it.
One of the fastest-growing areas of computer technology is called data mining. This is a sophisticated technique which utilises powerful computers and very clever software to sift through billions of transactions, flights, cash withdrawals and so on to dettect patterns.
The FBI use data mining to to spot suspicious patterns of activity - sudden runs on medicines for instance, which might be the sign of a biological terror attack, or unusual patterns of air-ticket purchasing that might indicate a large terrorist attack is planned.
That may all be fair enough. But large companies including Banks and and retail outletts use data mining too.
Be aware that when you spend anywhere in the world, someone is watching, even if it's only a machine.

So, returning to your original post, perhaps it is true to say we are all already marked or numbered and the Christian religions who believe in the book of Revelations prophecies believe themselves to be justified in spreading the 'word' as a warning to us all....