Apocalyptic Talk Stokes Microchip Implant Debate

Forbidding companies from forcing employees to have microchips implanted in their bodies isn't just about protecting personal freedom; it might ward off the biblical "mark of the beast," according to a lawmaker who's pushing for such a ban in Virginia.

The state House overwhelmingly approved Del. Mark Cole's bill Wednesday. Several other states already have similar laws or are considering them.

Cole said the right to privacy was the main reason he sponsored the bill. "I just think you should have the right to control your own body," Cole told The Washington Post. Some liberal bloggers were struck by such a pro-choice sentiment coming from a Virginia Republican. But what really got attention around the blogosphere was the other concern he expressed.

"My understanding -- I'm not a theologian -- but there's a prophecy in the Bible that says you'll have to receive a mark, or you can neither buy nor sell things in end times," Cole explained to the Post. "Some people think these computer chips might be that mark."