"Mark of the Beast" Part 2

"Biometric Facial Recognition", finger prints in next year's drivers' licenses: how close to the "Mark" of Revelation 13:16?

4. Tying it all together. Current Technology. The Real ID Timeline [] 5. Hope: the Senate isn't Ready to Roll Over for the Antichrist, Just Yet! [] 6.Why does God care about such a little bitty thing? [] 7. Clue #1: The Census Scriptures. [] 8. Clue #2: The Freedom Scriptures. [] 9. Clue #3: The Small Government Scriptures. [] 10. Challenge!

4. Tying it all together. Current Technology. The Real ID Timeline.

But what can the chip do, that the new biometric technologies can't do better? Chips have 3 huge diadvantages: (1) a thief can steal it, to the injury of the bearer; (2) it cannot be read from more than a meter away; (3) a thief could carry a transmitter, programmed to any signal he chooses, and the scanner wouldn't be able to tell the difference. A Biblical reason the implantable chip can't satisfy the requirements of Revelation 13:16 is that it can't be implanted in the forehead - too boney.

VeriChip: Easy to Trick. The security implications of VeriChip cloning. Halamka J, Juels A, Stubblefield A, Westhues J. Beth Israel-Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02120, USA. jhalamka @caregroup. harvard.edu . "The VeriChip is a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tag produced commercially for implantation in human beings. Its proposed uses include identification of medical patients, physical access control, contactless retail payment, and even the tracing of kidnapping victims. As the authors explain, the VeriChip is vulnerable to simple, over-the-air spoofing attacks. In particular, an attacker capable of scanning a VeriChip, eavesdropping on its signal, or simply learning its serial number can create a spoof device whose radio appearance is indistinguishable from the original. We explore the practical implications of this security vulnerability. The authors argue that: 1 The VeriChip should serve exclusively for identification, and not authentication or access control. 2 Paradoxically, for bearer safety, a VeriChip should be easy to spoof; an attacker then has less incentive to coerce victims or extract VeriChips from victims' bodies." (PMID: 16929037 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Find this article at www.pubmed. gov, type in "Verichip".)

Implantable Chips No Good In Foreheads. "...the uses of biochips in humans and other animals for identification purposes do not involve implanting such chips in the head or the hands. The preferred location for such chips is an out-of-the-way fleshy area that will allow for tissue to bond the chip and lessen the possibility of any irritation or discomfort to the host, making the head and hands (too bony and exposed) non-ideal for such purposes. The recommended implantation location for biochips is between the shoulderblades, towards the back of the upper arm (or on the back between the front legs of a dog or cat). (http: // www. snopes. com/politics/ business/ mondex. asp)

"Biometric facial recognition" is already the law, and is already implemented in many states, such as Iowa. It's called the photo on your driver's license.

Remember when the photo was a polaroid picture laminated on your license? Now, in Iowa, a computer captures the image, prints it on your license very quickly, and then saves it. Face recognition software can enable a remote camera to identify you positively and instantly from a great distance.

It is true that planners and dreamers anticipate an implantable chip that can be tracked by satellite, which would indeed bring new meaning to the word "scary". But that requires a battery powered transmitter, not just a transponder that reflects signals back, and so far that is just too big and short-lived (before the batteries have to be replaced) for an implant. So far the distance from which a scanner can read an implantable chip is measured in inches.

When the Real ID Act was enacted in 2005, with its May 11, 2008 deadline for implementation by every state, (extended to 1/1/10 as of 3/1/7), it was reported that it would include some "biometric measure" like a finger print or a retinal scan. It was widely enough reported that in a press conference 3/1/7, a reporter asked the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) secretary if the new licenses would have retina scans or fingerprints. The answer was "no".

With biometric facial recognition, it was never necessary. The word "biometric" was never in the bill. Perhaps the rumor was based on one of the requirements in the Real ID Act: the license must have "A common machine-readable technology, with defined minimum data elements." Defined by whom? No definition was in the bill! Wikipedia's definition explained, "...(the details of which are not spelled out, but left to the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation and the states, to regulate). "

The growth of the Real ID national database into a worldwide database, without further authorization of Congress, would have begun under S 1348, known as the "Immigration Compromise" bill of 2007. (See "The Big Brother Bills") It failed in June 2007 but is expected to pass in 2009. Even without S1348, the Department of Homeland Security is planning ahead for a variety of biometric scanning devices at the border.

DHS Denies Licences Will Have Iris Scans, Fingerprints, or RFID Chips. FAQ's: Do the proposed regulations require States to collect fingerprints or iris images from drivers? No. Though States may independently choose to implement biometrics into their driver’s license process, the NPRM does not require a State to collect fingerprints, iris images, or other biometric data [other than the digital facial photograph] in connection with obtaining a license and has no plans to serve as a repository for the face images the states will collect. Will Real ID driver’s licenses include RFID cards? The NPRM does not specify the use of RFID cards as a minimum standard. States may independently choose to implement an RFID solution, in addition to the standard 2-D barcode, to meet their constituent’s needs. (REAL ID Proposed Guidelines: Questions & Answers. 3/1/7, www.dhs. govhttp: //www. dhs. gov/ xprevprot/ laws/gc_ 1172767635686. shtm)

DHS Extends Deadline to 1/1/10. ...the law required a May 11, 2008 deadline, . ... But, we also know, a number of states are going to have difficulty meeting the deadline. And in part that’s due to the fact that this rule has taken quite a bit of time to get out. And there is a provision in the statute that does allow us to grant extensions if states have a justification for the request. Therefore, based on that provision, I’m announcing today that states may seek justifiable extensions and obviously they have to prepare, ultimately, prepare a plan for compliance. And, those extensions will give the states that request through December 31, 2009 to come into compliance. Which means the first compliant cards from those states would be issued starting January 1, 2010. [5 more years are allowed for older licenses to expire and come due for replacement:] Question: "Will there be an extension on the other end in terms of when all existing licenses therefore have to be replaced? I think it was something like five years that the states had to do that." ...Secretary Chertoff: "...we’re still looking at trying to get this done in the five year period. " (Remarks By Secretary Chertoff At A Press Conference On REAL ID Release Date: March 1, 2007)

It's almost funny how determined the Senate and DHS Secretary Chertoff are, to make us believe their national and international tracking schemes are not a "National ID card"! Three simple questions: "Is it an ID?" Well, yes. "Is it nationwide?" Umm, I think. "Is it a card?" Duh.

The DHS' explanation focuses on what the Fed isn't doing to make the Real ID database available to inquirers from coast to coast. There is no denial that there will be a Real ID database available to inquirers from coast to coast. "Most states already routinely collect the information..." Maybe, but they didn't, before, routinely share it with other states automatically. Chertoff can argue that we have already had a "national ID card", a case easily made depending on what criteria you accept, but that is no more reassuring to Christians who believe Revelation. The Senate is even worse. Picture a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar saying "I didn't do it! I'm not even here! I'm in my room studying! You're looking at my mean sister dressed up as me!"

DHS Denies it is a National ID: "Is this a National ID card? No. The proposed regulations establish common standards for States to issue licenses. The Federal Government is not issuing the licenses, is not collecting information about license holders, and is not requiring States to transmit license holder information to the Federal Government that the Government does not already have (such as a Social Security Number). Most States already routinely collect the information required by the Act and the proposed regulations." (REAL ID Proposed Guidelines: Questions & Answers." 3/1/7, www.dhs. gov; http: //www. dhs. gov/ xprevprot/ laws/gc_ 1172767635686. shtm) I always want to dispel the notion that the Real ID Act or our standards mandates anything like a Big Brother kind of database or style of government. We at the Department of Homeland Security in the federal government will not build, will not own, and will not operate any central database containing personal information. And what’s equally clear is that our standards actually promote personal privacy because we all know that stolen and phony driver’s licenses are a powerful tool in the hands of identity thieves, and that affects the personal privacy of every single American. (Remarks By Secretary Chertoff At A Press Conference On REAL ID Release Date: March 1, 2007)

Senate Denies its Immigration Compromise bill even "uses" a National ID card! "RULE of Construction- Nothing in this subsection [which lets citizens back in the U.S. without a passport, using the Real ID card] shall have the effect of creating a national identity card. Sec. 135d(2), S1348. NO Authorization of National Identification Cards - Nothing in this section [which establishes an Electronic Employment Verification System which requires the Real ID before anyone in the U.S. may work!] may be construed to authorize, directly or indirectly, the issuance, use, or establishment of a national identification card. Sec. 274A(1)(c)(6), S1348 Nationalizing of State Department of Transportation Databases: SEC. 203. Linking of Databases. (a) In General- To be eligible to receive any grant or other type of financial assistance made available under this title, a State shall participate in the interstate compact regarding sharing of driver license data, known as the `Driver License Agreement', in order to provide electronic access by a State to information contained in the motor vehicle databases of all other States. (Real ID Act, HR 418)

Secretary Chertoff argues, above left, that privacy is actually protected by Real ID! Because "stolen and phony driver's licenses" "affect" "personal privacy", as if Real ID is supposed to REDUCE identity theft? Then why does the Real ID bill make states spend so much on security, (below left), to counteract the huge incentive to steal Real ID data, that 6 states are already rebelling against the act, citing the cost? In Iowa, it means people of Des Moines lose their driver's license station and have to drive 10 miles north. The huge question: after making access to a U.S. database 1,000 times more valuable to an identity thief, and then handing the keys to a million people and trusting every one of them to be honest, should we sleep better at night?

Therefore, under our proposal, states actually are going to have clear standards to meet, to protect the privacy of the information they collect from licensed applicants. We require, for example, that each state can conduct name based and fingerprint based criminal history record checks and financial responsibility checks on those DMV employees who can affect the identity information that appears on the license, who have access to the production process or who manufacture the licenses or the cards. This is, again, it’s kind of basic, common sense. Who, which one of us is going to feel comfortable if the local folks down at the DMV office have criminal records or are in a situation where they’ve committed fraud in the past?  Are we going to really want to give them our personal identification and just cross our fingers and hope for the best?  No, we want to make sure that every state has the kind of measures that many states already have to assure the privacy and security of the information each of us is giving to our Department of Motor Vehicles. (Chertoff, at 3/1/7 Press conference) IDENT Automated Biometric Identification System. The IDENT system is a biometric (two index-finger fingerprints and front facial photograph) identity management system utilized by US-VISIT and ENFORCE to support biometric identity authentication and biometric lookout list identification of eligible aliens. (Definitions: Smart Border Alliance RFID Feasibility Study Final Report Attachment B: Glossary of Terms)

(To reduce the danger of identity theft, states must:) (7) Ensure the physical security of locations where drivers' licenses and identification cards are produced and the security of document materials and papers from which drivers' licenses and identification cards are produced. (8) Subject all persons authorized to manufacture or produce drivers' licenses and identification cards to appropriate security clearance requirements. (9) Establish fraudulent document recognition training programs for appropriate employees engaged in the issuance of drivers' licenses and identification cards. (Sec. 202(d), S1348) Biometrics Smorgasbord! Biometrics Are automated methods of recognizing a person based on a physiological or behavioral characteristic that are unique to an individual. Physical biometrics includes fingerprints, hand geometry, facial patterns, and iris and retinal scans. Behavioral biometrics includes voice patterns, written signatures, and keyboard typing techniques. Definitions: (Smart Border Alliance RFID Feasibility Study Final Report ATTACHMENT B: GLOSSARY OF TERMS)

How soon will this Mark of the Beast system be linked to a worldwide database without which no man may buy or sell?

By May 11, 2008, it will already be linked to a national database, (except for a few states which request extensions of time), without which no man may drive, fly, ride a train or bus, or open a bank account; and few employers will hire you without seeing your drivers' license.

And within another year immigration reform is expected by many to pass which will combine that database with that of the Social Security administration, the FBI fingerprint database, with some information sharing with the IRS, and "pilot projects" in the use of that database for international passports, with "information sharing" with the databases of other countries to catch bad guys, and authorization to expand these "pilot projects" all the way into an international database of every man, woman, and child, even with updated technologies such as implantible chips, ALL WITHOUT FURTHER AUTHORIZATION OF CONGRESS. (See "The Big Brother Bills")

IS the iris scan and the right hand thumbprint the complete fulfillment of Revelation 13 and 14 -the scene John foresaw? Is popular Christian literature incorrect in assuming this will only be fulfilled by the implantible chip? No! It can't be, because that would be too costly! That would require us to sacrifice everything, very soon, to stay out of Hell! It would cause us Christians, us Moral Conservatives who made all this happen to keep out "illegals", to flee to Mexico! That would be unacceptable! Therefore, it is not true!

God awaits our decision. To care, or not to care. That is the question.

This is not an academic question along with how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. May 2008 is careening our way. Shall we get in line for the scans and prints, confident that God will still smile upon us since we are not taking the implantible chip? Will you bet your eternal life that the international biometric facial recognition and fingerprint trackers are not the subject of Revelation 13?

Surely you can see that if they are not 100% of what Revelation characterizes as the greatest sin of all human history, they are at least 99%. Which raises the next question: are you willing to bet your soul on the theory that even though accepting the Mark of the Beast will automatically send you to Hell, no exceptions, (Revelation 14:9-14), there will still be a cozy, safe corner of Heaven for you if you accept only 99% of the Mark?

I find this too close for comfort. How about you? Are you still comfortable?

Or does this motivate you to go kick some Demon Congress butt?

God has not left us without hope! As of August 1, 2007, 17 states have already enacted resolutions condemning the Real ID and urging Congress to repeal it! 6 states have gone to the extent of enacting laws against anyone in their state obeying the Real ID act! In 10 more states, anti-Real ID legislation has already passed one chamber! In 10 more states such legislation has at least been introduced! That leaves only 13 of our 50 states that have taken no action against Real ID! Along with Washington DC. For updates, see http://www.realnightmare.org/news/105/

Their voices have been heard in the U.S. Senate, loudly enough that they voted, 52 to 45, to strip the Real ID Act out of the Immigration Compromise bill, knowing that would kill the immigration bill.

(See "Hope: the Senate isn't Ready to Roll Over for the Antichrist, Just Yet!")

Other Fantastic Articles, Books, Movies, Music:

"Mark of the Beast" welcomed by Immigraphobic "Moral Conservatives".