"RFID Alert"

What do Mickey Mouse and the Son of Perdition (aka the Antichrist) have in common?

You guessed it--RFID technology! That's right. Big Brother has invaded Disney World, "The Most Magical Place on Earth".

Sigh. It was only a matter of time.

This week, in an effort to "push the boundaries of creativity and innovation," Disney announced their intention of "taking the Disney guest experience to the next level." Yes indeedy, friends and neighbors, the day of the E-ticket is looo-oo--ng gone. (If you don't know what an E-ticket is, ask Grandma).

Disney's billion dollar NextGen project features "Magic Bands", a wristband containing radio frequency identification. Designed to make life in the Magic Kingdom even more magical, Disney hopes the change will be a welcome one.

NBC reports "the wristbands will enable theme park officials to collect information such as purchasing and riding patterns as well as location data. Linked to customer's names and credit card information, the bands will function as room keys and park entry passes." Patrons will have the option of loading as much personal information into the chip as they like, depending on how "customized" they want their park experience to be. And get this--you can even send gifts ahead to be presented to your child by their favorite Disney character. Imagine the squeals of delight! The New York Times celebrated the idea of Disney characters "roaming the park, able to greet visiting children by name, and even being able to wish them a happy birthday." Sound fantastic?

Not everyone is thrilled, of course. Some commentors on the Stitch Kingdom Disney fan site said they felt "a bit creeped out" and "not terribly comfortable with the idea." Others believe it's "a blatant attempt to acclimatize kids to being tracked."

We believe it's an idea whose time has come; and, oh yeah...just one more example, one more tiny baby step in the direction the Bible indicates technology will eventually take us.

"Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, "When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, 'Here comes a shower.' And you are right. When the south wind blows, you say,  'Today will be a scorcher.' And it is. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but you can't interpret these present times" (Luke 12:54-56).

A wise man once said: "The new birth, or regeneration, is the act by which God imparts spiritual life to one who trusts Christ. Without this spiritual birth, a person cannot perceive spiritual things, nor can he enter the Kingdom of God."--H. Wayne House, Th.D., J.D.

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