RFID "Spy-Chips" Paranoia or Prophesy

Paranoia
Before becoming a committed Christian, I had an opportunity to see the paranoia of RFID first hand. I was managing the Auto Center connected one of the retail stores near my home. My crew consisted of 5 seasoned mechanics, the oldest and most seasoned had worked at that store since it opened in the late 70’s. This was before on-board navigational systems, OnStar, or handheld GPS. The closest thing using radio frequency available was remote starters and keyless entry car alarms.

Not long after taking over as store manager, I noticed that at the end of their shift each of my "Seasoned mechanics" would set on a stool next to their tool boxes, change their boots and leave their "work boots" next to their boxes and exit through the store. No paranoia here right, they didn’t want to drag grease into their car. That’s what I thought, until our new shoes arrived by UPS from Shoes for Crews.

After closing one afternoon, I heard the familiar sound of a die grinder coming from around the corner, and smelled burning rubber. As I rounded the corner I saw my most seasoned mechanic with his old "work boots" in a vice. Using the die grinder he was cutting the security device out of his old boots, which had been molded into the sole of the right boot. Once the small plastic coated device was located, he threw it on the floor and crushed it with his heal like a secret agent debugging a hotel room in the movies.
After a short conversation, I learned that they (the entire crew) had purchased their work boots from the connected retail store. In each case, after desensitizing the boots at the register, from time to time when they crossed the security scanner at the door the theft alarm would sound. The general consensus was that because it was deep in the boot, it could not be desensitized and would enable the store to "track" their movement when wearing the boots. Paranoid? Maybe.

Prophesy
The Veri-chip or RFID is a totally different animal. Recently, I had an opportunity to listen to an interesting interview with Katherine Albrecht from CASPIAN. On a Christian talk show during what I would call the book review section. There was the author explaining this scary, not so new, technology. Typically, this section of the talk show goes on for 30 min or so, then the Host graciously dismisses the author and moves on to the next topic. However, not this guest. Ms. Albrecht was asked on 2 maybe 3 different occasions to stay on the line between breaks after the initial segment ended to take questions and continue to share her expertise on the subject. Which, among other things, included the steps that Ms. Albrecht takes to avoid being publicly tracked.

On the surface, this issue could be mistaken for pure paranoia, anti-big business, and maybe a little radical with proposed protests, boycott, and political lobbying. However, for some Christians it immediately strikes the cord of end of days prophecy. "He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark which is the name of the beast or the number of his name." (Revelation 13:16-17 NIV)

Interestingly enough, during the interview Ms. Albrecht, she said that her book was originally pitched to secular publishing companies but it was her publisher that insisted that she write a Christian book concerning RFID.
RFID – Paranoia or Prophesy, You decide.

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