Christian endtimers leave their “mark” on the RFID industry

2007 December 21

tags: Alex Jones, christianity, Christians, Endtimes, mark of the beast, Media, Privacy, prophecy, revelation, RFID

by Mark Baard

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Tag 'em and bag 'em. Christians say RFID users put their souls at risk. [Note to Alex Jones & Co.: Please don't lift this copy in its entirety. Excerpts and links back to parallelnormal are always appreciated. Thanks--mb]

Christian endtimers opposed to RFID have formed numerous, interconnected groups whose leaders testify before legislators in the U.S. and Europe.

They’ve written books (some citing my own reporting) for major U.S. publishers. They’ve done thousands of TV and radio interviews, and protested at major retailers in the U.S., U.K. and Germany.

Now, the RFID industry seems ready to admit, the Christians are costing them money.

The production levels and profits predicted by the RFID industry and computer trade rags five years ago have not materialized. (This has not stopped anyone from continuing to make baseless estimates for the future, by the way.)

But rather than discussing production costs, or bad forecasting, RFID industry leaders are blaming the “bad information” being spread about the technology’s capabilities by Christian endtimers–even when they do not mention the Christians explicitly.

RFID Journal editor Mark Roberti last year cited my Wired News profile of Christian endtimer and RFID opponent Katherine Albrecht, in a warning to RFID companies: “Be wary of religious opposition to RFID.” (Roberti erroneously credits C/Net with the story.)

Albrecht has told me she believes RFID, particularly the implantable VeriChip, might be a precursor to the Mark of the Beast predicted in the Book of Revelation.

More recently, I received a call from AIM Global (RFID) president Dan Mullen, who worries that consumers will think the VeriChip implant “is the same thing” as the radio tags that will replace bar-code labels on store goods. (AIM Global is a major RFID industry group.)

Said Mullen: “There is a lot of misinformation out there, about what these tags can do.”

Mullen did not mention Christians in our telephone interview. But AIM Global last month launched an initiative to “dispel myths” and speculation about how RFID will affect people in the future. (Click here to listen to radio host Alan Watt’s coverage of the AIM Global campaign.)

The mainstream media, meanwhile, is making matters worse for the industry, by repeatedly masking the RFID opponents’ Christian endtime beliefs and motivations.

This year’s VeriChip-cancer link story, you will recall, was first reported by the Associated Press, and featured Albrecht as its primary source.

The AP piece might have given the misleading impression Albrecht is a physician, by referring to her as “Dr. Katherine Albrecht” in its first attribution, although she is not a doctor of medicine. The AP’s own Stylebook discourages this practice.

Albrecht holds a doctorate in education.

The AP story also did not mention Albrecht’s chief concern: that RFID technology may lead to a device that is the Mark of the Beast. Instead, the article simply referred to Albrecht as an “RFID expert.”

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No Responses

2007 December 22

Rick permalink

Christians, I feel, are being told a big lie about the chip. They are being led to believe it’s going to be a choice – (”Don’t accept the Mark”)- as if they are going to be able to choose between starving and going through some kind of tribulation or accepting this chip and living comfortably in a Beast society.

But reality is always more complicated. You see, if you don’t accept the Mark, then you won’t be able to buy and sell-that’s true. But if you aren’t able to buy and sell, then you won’t be able to live inside of doors. You’ll be homeless. And vagrancy is a violation of the law. So you’ll be inside anyway. Like in New York, where I was nearly homeless, and was told by homeless that police pick them up and take them to lock-down shelters that are like jails, where rape goes on and abuse. The whole nine yards.

Anyway, in jail, they’ll put the chip in you there. If you try to resist, they’ll declare you insane and strap you down to a chair, put you in a straight jacket; you won’t have the use of your arms. Then they’ll inject the chip in your brain there. Just like in that Twilight Zone episode years ago where a girl was protesting to her parents that she didn’t want to be transformed into a cyborg. She talked about feeling, and poetry, and read books. She was an Individual. Her parents wanted her to get this new facelift and be a happy little drone like everybody else. When she tried to escape, the doctors caught her and tied her down and she came out like a happy robot anyway.

The fact is, once this chip gets going, there isn’t going to be any choice. Any Christian who portrays it as some kind of foolish choice the Damned are going to make should try resisting an implantation when in handcuffs. They should try it sometime.
2007 December 23

coreymajor permalink

haha mark love that you asked Alex Jones not to rip your story off this time. way to go.

seeya next semester.
2007 December 24

Mark Baard permalink

Katherine Albrecht responds:

Mark:

Your recent blog post, “Christian endtimers leave their ‘mark’ on the RFID industry,” contains inaccurate statements about me and my work. My chief concern about RFID is not that it “may lead to a device that is the Mark of the Beast,” but that the technology poses a serious privacy threat to society and is inherently subject to abuse. Technologies of control and surveillance like RFID are antithetical to a free society and should be opposed by people of all faiths.

What’s more, it is not accurate to say that I was the “primary source” for the Associated Press article on the VeriChip-cancer link. That article was based on peer-reviewed studies published in medical journals between 1996 and 2006 which I simply brought to the AP’s attention. I was not the author of the studies, nor was I associated with them in any way. Numerous cancer researchers provided source material, commentary, and background for the story, which can be found here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/08/AR2007090800997_pf.html

After the AP article was published, I wrote an extensive literature review for researchers seeking more information about the link between implantable microchips and cancer. My paper can be found at: http://www.antichips.com/cancer/index.html

Now back to the issue of my faith, which you imply somehow undermines the legitimacy of my my work. As you know, I am the director of CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering), a 15,000 member consumer privacy organization I founded in 1999 that has worked on RFID privacy issues since 2002. Our website clearly states that “CASPIAN is a secular (non-religious) organization which welcomes members from all faiths and backgrounds,” and that “CASPIAN members span a wide range of political, philosophical, and social viewpoints.”

It is true that I am a Bible-believing Christian who has spoken publicly about technological, societal and political trends in light of biblical prophecy. However, I have spent eight years in the trenches doing the privacy work I do because I believe all people — Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Atheist, Hindu, Jewish, Baha’i, Wiccan, Pagan, Rastafarian, Taoist, you name it — have an inherent right to privacy and to live in a society free from oppressive surveillance and Big Brother control.

Having spent the last eight years of my life as a privacy researcher and passionate consumer advocate, I have earned a reputation for scholarship, accuracy, and integrity among my peers in the privacy and regulatory communities. Though RFID proponents would surely like it to be otherwise, my life is proof that it is possible to be an impeccable researcher, outspoken consumer advocate, freedom-loving libertarian, and a person with deep spiritual convictions — all at the same time.

There are no inconsistencies here, nor is there a hidden agenda.

With best wishes for continued freedom,
Katherine Albrecht, Ed.D.

============================================================
Dr. Katherine Albrecht
Founder and Director, CASPIAN Consumer Privacy

Host of “Uncovering the Truth”
We the People Radio Network, M-F 10AM-12PM EST
Listen Live: http://www.wtprn.com
Archives: http://mp3.wtprn.com/Albrecht07.html

Co-author of “SPYCHIPS: How Major Corporations and Government
Plan to Track Your Every Move with RFID”
http://www.spychips.com/book/booksales.html

WEBSITES:
Human Chipping: http://www.AntiChips.com
RFID: http://www.SpyChips.com
Shopper Cards: http://www.NoCards.org
Bio online at: http://www.spychips.com/media/katherine-albrecht.html
================================================
2007 December 26

Randy Maugans permalink

“[Note to Alex Jones & Co.: Please don’t lift this copy in its entirety. Excerpts and links back to parallelnormal are always appreciated. Thanks–mb]”

What IS it with these liars, Jones and Watson? They stole material from my sites, also—even video—no links, no attribution. Nice call, Mark.

BTW-While I am a Christian, I do not view this whole chipping thing from the perspective of some “Mark of the Beast” scenario.
Y’see most of these so-called “believers” think they get raptured off the planet BEFORE the “mark”. Also, Verichip has been the recipient of many investors largesse in the rapturist community who have invested thinking they cannot be chipped—AND they can leave the monet for those poor Jewish folks whom God is going to pummel to make them believe in hi Son.
Pack of morons! They don’t even need a chip—they’re already zombied.

Randy Maugans-Exotica
2007 December 26

Randy Maugans permalink

“[Note to Alex Jones & Co.: Please don’t lift this copy in its entirety. Excerpts and links back to parallelnormal are always appreciated. Thanks–mb]”

What IS it with these liars, Jones and Watson? They stole material from my sites, also—even video—no links, no attribution. Nice call, Mark.

BTW-While I am a Christian, I do not view this whole chipping thing from the perspective of some “Mark of the Beast” scenario.
Y’see most of these so-called “believers” think they get raptured off the planet BEFORE the “mark”. Also, Verichip has been the recipient of many investors largesse in the rapturist community who have invested thinking they cannot be chipped—AND they can leave the moneyfor those poor Jewish folks whom God is going to pummel to make them believe in hi Son.
Pack of morons! They don’t even need a chip—they’re already zombied.

Randy Maugans-Exotica
2007 December 28

Michael permalink

I thought you might be interested in this article: You Will Soon Be Microchipped – All Your Thoughts And Every Movement Will Be Logged And Monitored

http://newsbuster.com/Pages/exclusives/the_cia_family_jewels.html
2007 December 29

Jimi permalink

Anyone having problems understanding the implications surrounding RFID technology and it’s intention only need see this movie…

The truth of the matter is all right here:

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com:80/
2007 December 31

winston permalink

The choice according to St John in the Book of Revelation is “the chip or death”.

Be not fearful of death, for we are spirit,a nd our souls may live forever, but only if our individuality is not assimilated into the Beast.
2008 January 1

bfwible permalink

I was “wandering” the Internet this evening and by happenstance came across this discussion. Like everything in life the arbitor for success is $. The RFID Industry will languish until it can bring the price per tag down from 5 cents to 1 cent. When that occurs be ready to receive a call at work from your refrigerator letting you know you need milk!
2008 January 3

Randy Maugans permalink

Uhhh—that is NOT exactly what he said—and there really is no proof that what you refer to IS the chip.
No wonder Christians are constantly discredited—they make moronic statements with no proofs and offer their “prophetic” gobbledy-gook!

The notion of chipping a populace is sinister of itself. Attaching loosely construed scripture to it just obscures THE real issue and creates a “lunatic fringe” aura which undermines the efforts of those fighting against such efforts.

God-save us from “Your people”.

winston, on December 31st, 2007 at 3:51 am Said:

The choice according to St John in the Book of Revelation is “the chip or death”.

Be not fearful of death, for we are spirit,a nd our souls may live forever, but only if our individuality is not assimilated into the Beast.
2008 January 3

Mark Baard permalink

As an aside, Randy, your comment came up as 1666 on this blog!
2008 January 30

Pearl Harry permalink

It saddens me deeply to see how ficle minded most people are, it very unfortunate that awhole lot of people would prefer to accept a lie rather than pure unabridged truth. RFID is the gateway to the mark, regardless of your beliefs what the Bible prophecied in the book of Revelations is true. If in doubt do your home work, read it for yourself search for information and you would defintely see the correlation. If you feel you know it all then it foolery because ignorance in such an advanced world is costly.