Thanks to Ben Tribbett at Not Larry Sabato for covering this developing story. It’s been on my peripheral, but I thought I’d add a few comments to it now. The Washington Post has also recently picked up on the absurdity of the “Mark of the Beast” legislation.

The skinny is that the House of Delegates is scheduled to vote on a bill today that would prohibit human micro-chipping, and (you might have guessed) the bill’s sponsor is a Republican, Delegate Mark Cole of Fredericksburg.

What’s really fascinating here is that while Cole does say the main reason for the legislation are privacy concerns, he offers up a secondary reason which is…wait for it…Biblical prophecy!

“My understanding — I’m not a theologian — but there’s a prophecy in the Bible that says you’ll have to receive a mark, or you can neither buy nor sell things in end times,” Cole said. “Some people think these computer chips might be that mark.” (Washington Post)

The specific prophecy, from the Book of Revelation, reads, “He causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”

So I’m thinking the legislation goes too far. I think if Cole really wants to reel in those rightwing evangelicals, he should just have the legislation prohibit chips being placed in people’s right hands or foreheads. Then he’ll really get his point across.

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