I've called Pizza Hut before and they have my information before simply because of the number on their caller ID. I don't find this at all scary, in fact I am surprised someplaces don't have this information more often. It's not like it's not public knowledge. One needs only to check the white pages to find you name, number and address, unless you make it private.

We value our privacy a lot but we also like convenience and to be honest you can't have both at the same time. What if we do everything within our power to protect our privacy and when disaster strikes those who find us are unable to find out who we are due to the extreme steps we take to be private?

You can get a pre-paid cell phone and they won't know jack about you.  Like the drug dealers on "The Wire".  Quality show.

Hmmm...who knew?  I guess the drug dealers are in the Know! 

hmmmm are you trying to tell me something??

Charles, you have NO idea where we're heading do you?    Did you watch the link I provided? 

That's a bit more than you're talking about.  And since I'm probably older than you, it would creep me out more than you...it's the nature of the beast. 

I do, the thing is it doesn't scare me as much as it does you. The only fear I have is that people will do nothing about it. Just site there and allow someone to use this information to control them. But as I said you can have your cake and eat it too. We can't complain about efficiency and then be afraid of the process to make it more efficient. The only reason any of this info is scary is because of the financial factor of it, but in this day in age one has options to avoid these issues or at least make them small. But that requires people to not be lazy and actually make the effort to protect themselves.

The mark of the Beast? Perhaps but then that would lead me to believe that you don't think God has any intentions of stopping it. And if that is true then why have so much faith? Do you not believe God will save us? I know I am getting myself in a religious pickle with this but as much as I believe in God I always get confused with people who claim that God will save all yet they still fear things such as "The Mark of the Beast". But that's just me.

You don't really take that so serious do you? If something like that was to happen then we would deserve to be treated that way. That would make us the sorriest excuse for a living creature with intelligence. I think you may be jumping the gun here or at least walking the fine line between "better safe than sorry" and "paranoia".

I find this funny Charles because I've been talking about these things ever since I was 13 when there wasn't even the slightest chance of this ever being a reality back then.  No computers, no cells, no SS numbers being used like today, no credit cards even.  Most everything back then was done on cash or even a personal word.  You could even build up credit at the local market just based on your own word. 

now where are you getting that I'm fearful?  Because I write and warn others about it?  That makes me fearful? 

First off, the mark of the beast IS going to happen.  I'm absolutely sure of that.  We're really not that far off from that to see this is going to be a reality.  God IS NOT going to stop that from happening.  In fact, he's written a book telling us it's going to happen.  He's given us a head's up.  I don't think it's a coincidence that we are the most biblically illiterate generation ever.   It's all part of the end times. 

I don't fear it because I know God will protect me thru it.  I will take it one day at a time.  I may even lose my life in the process but that doesn't mean that God isn't going to be with me during this time of trouble.    He said many will be persecuted and even lose their lives during this time, but not to be troubled because he will be with us.  It will be no diff than the other martyrs who went before us and are still going ahead of us in other parts of the world.  They are a great inspiration to people like me. 

besides when I said "nature of the beast" I wasn't talking "mark of the beast."  I was simply saying us older people were warned of this coming about way before when we might have laughed at such nonesense but now are soberly thinking this is not as far off as we were led to believe way back then.   That's why I'm always saying the younger generation should talk to the older generation and see what they have to say about all this.  Ask them if they think we're heading into a good direction or if we're heading into a trap! 

The younger generation has no idea because they've grown up in this technological age and to them it's quite normal to be known and to have easy access to everyone's information.  They know nothing else.   They have no idea what a loss of control they have going on in their lives because they have been born into the cage already. 

You do realize that phone call is a dramatization, right?  What you're doing would be like me linking to a clip of The Matrix and then being like "I'm scared of how close we are to the machines enslaving humanity - I know it's made up but it's probably closer than you think".

It's called caller ID, and I don't think it's a sign the apocalypse is near.

You kinda hit at what i was trying to say. Actually I would say if we were to use a movie to describe a possible future it would be The Terminator. And I'm not talking about having a machine from the future come back to kill people. I mean us depending on technology so much that we become lazy, careless, comfortable and to sure of ourselves. Before we know it we will be like the people on the movie Wall-E, allowing machines to do everything for us, except, like The Terminator, these same machine may turn against us because of our ignorance.

Yea, I remember those days when we could get a tab at the local store, but it's obvious that this world has changed. The more our population grows the more we need better things to survive. Even religion has benefited from technology, churches with loud speakers to get the msg across better, tv stations dedicated 100% to God, websites providing more information, faster to those interested in following God, phones to allow people to stay connected and make sure who's going when to church and even computers to keep track of church activities, pastor, priest information etc.

definition of creeps (from the word creepy) - Of or producing a sensation of uneasiness or fear, as of things crawling on one's skin link

One would only warn people of something if that which you are waning them about should be feared.

Just keep in mind one thing KFC, you can not point to things as being bad and then claim not to fear or feel fear of them. If you believe God will save then why warn or feel any kind of fear? It's kinda like sticking you hand in fire, if you are 100% sure you won't get burned then you wont fear the fire. If your faith in God is that strong then I don't see the point in warning anyone of anything.We should not fear death for not matter how we die we can still be saved.

Oh, I think it is.  It's one of many signs. 

So Charles, you can go by a Hollywood movie if you'd like but I'm going by scripture which has already proven to Christians all over the world for years that  the prophecy written in it has and will come true.  The same book that speaks about the mark of the beast is the same book that foretold Christ. This same kingdom predicted the world powers to be ...Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome with the last to come that will be run by the AC.    This same book also foretold that the nation Israel would come into their own land before all this was to take place.  Many, scoffed at that for hundreds of years like that would EVER be a possiblility.  There's no way...many said in the 1800's that the Jews would have their own country.  NO WAY? 

Soooooo if these things have already come true, why would I not think that when the bible says "you cannot buy or sell without the number of the beast" during the time of trouble to come won't come true in the future?   Caller ID is just a little indication that we can't move anymore without someone knowing who we are on the other end.  Some sort of controls have to happen before we get in that situation where we can't buy or sell without the numer of the AC. 

Caller ID is just a little blip in the right direction...or should I say wrong direction?   

Yes, I'm fully aware of that.  That's not the point. 

Good things can be used for good and bad.  The technology you speak of can be good and it can also be used against us.  The information age can go either way depending on the person involved.  An evil person will use the information in an evil way just as well as an honest person will use it for the good.   The AC and those who follow him (which will be many) will use this against the rest of us. 

Warning people is a good thing.  It wakes them up.  If I see a house on fire, I'm going to warn the people who are asleep and have no idea what's about to happen to them.  I'm not worried that I might get burned because I am protected and safe. 

My only concern is not for my safety but theirs. 

ok, but I don't put the two together.  Something creepy is just creepy.  Haven't you ever thought something was creepy but not been fearful of it?