to the Atheist who was pondering Armageddon...

As a computer programmer that ran the barcoding division of a small manufacturing plant for eight years, I say this article does not even remotely deserve a cursory glance, or a "harrumph!".

yawn. an atheist wouldn't give a shit about that piece of writing. i have more respect for similar 'mark of the beast' pieces which take things a bit more literally, i.e. not conflating any use of credit/id numbers with receiving the mark. they warn against receiving the actual PHYSICAL MARK - don't get the barcode tattoo, or whatever. which sounds like good advice to me :-)

i know this fellow references that stuff, but he blows it with some total nonsense:
Preceding this 9-digit Social Security number are 3 digits corresponding to one's telephone area code. Obviously, the whole world is tied by phone; even barren deserts with no inhabitants have area codes. In front of these numbers is a country code; for America it is 110. From this single universally consistent number, the government will instantly know a person's country, region, and identity. Does that seem logical so far? But that accounts for only 15 digits, and the system is based on 18. The missing 3-digit code specifes that you are in the system: 666.

the dog tags on every soldier in America are to be converted to 666.

OMG! You're one of them!!!!!! Really, I'm only interjecting here to add a question:

Who here is ready and willing to get one of these here 666 marks if it'll help stamp out terrorism and rebuild the economy (I mean, if such a thing was ever proposed to you in such a way)?

i'm not. i would classify myself as agnostic, but i don't see any point in pushing my luck in case i'm wrong :-)

besides, who wants a smelly old microchip in their hand?

(i did happen to read some similar sites recently. i think i did a search on "internet mark of the beast" or some such.)

I meant "them" in the "great satanic horde" sense, but I was only joking. This post was actually for thee fellow who posted before as an "atheist considering armageddon", but I forgot who... I was just giving him more fodder for paranoia.

i think it was mr diamond? but i took an interest because he and i were talking a lot on that thread.

my question is why an atheist would be concerned with biblical end-times?? the interesting stuff on that other thread was the olduvai business

i meant "i'm not" like "i'm not willing to get a beast-markish implant"

Yeah, I hear ya. I'm thinking "no way in hell", but uh... let's take this to science fiction proportions, shall we? What if it was like a Social Security card or Driver/Non-Driver ID in the sense that you either had to get it or you're screwed and nobody will give you a job? Choice between living on the street or living like a normal person with a chip in your hand?

You know, the old "gun to your head" question, but with slightly different parameters.

Oh, btw, more misunderstanding in my careless wording: I did not mean this thread was only for Mr. Diamond, I just meant it wasn't supposed to be read as a generic sort of post addressed to "all you atheists".

And now, foot in mouth enough for one evening, I'm off to beddy bum.

like i say, at this point i don't think i'd take the chip.

goodnight

I'd take The Chip!
And the Tatoo too!
If they were free!

I'm the atheist.

I wouldn't get one of these, just as I wouldn't willingly allow the police to search my home upon request.

I don't care about the biblical endtimes or 666 (why would the beast concern him/herself with something as prosaic as a number?), I'm still too worried about Supervolcanoes.

sorry, forgot it was you j