[xeonmc]

I often also wonders if ideological zealots ever thinks of this passage while pushing their agenda for control:

    ...and it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast could even speak and cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
    Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead,
    so that no one can buy or sell who does not have the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.

[madaxe_again]

I don’t think 1st century Rome had much in the way of digital surveillance.

Or even surveillance, for that matter.

Plenty of hubris, mind.

[dreambuffer]

Rome had the "frumentarii", which was essentially a proto intelligence agency to do spywork for emperors.

[HiPhish]

The implementation might change, but the pattern of absolute control is old as time.

[xeonmc]

"Implementation details are left as exercise for the reader.

When in doubt refer to the public API as specified in Revelations 13:15-17"

[arethuza]

Won't they have monitored their slaves quite closely?

[TimTheTinker]

Those who would think of such a passage (or any biblical passage) and those who push for a total-control agenda are disjoint sets.

Communism and fascism were both fueled by atheism (either explicit or functional), not a Judeo-Christian worldview.

"Ohne Gott und Sonnenschein bringen wir die Ernte ein." (Without God and without sun, we will get the harvest done.) - the slogan of East Germany in 1975 when people were hungry and it kept raining during harvest.

[autoexec]

Christian fascism exists. In the US it's how fascism came to the country. Christofascism doesn't seem to have any problem with the absence of atheism.

[TimTheTinker]

that's not Christian though (in the sense that their beliefs are not scriptural and not subjected to scriptural review)... it's something else, and it's really ugly.

[trumpdong]

No true Scotsman

[TimTheTinker]

not exactly - I'm referring to scripture as the arbiter

[pseudalopex]

13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

[sophrosyne42]

The existence and polularity of Christian socialist movements in Europe contradicts this thesis strongly.

[pezezin]

We also had Christian fascist governments, like my home country Spain. One of the official doctrines of Franco's government was deemed "National Catholicism" :/