Correct. There was an Emperor Decius in year 250 who was requiring people to get a permit in order to buy and sell. Jimmy Akin goes on to say, “The condition for the permit was that you had to set out incense pans in public spaces and you had to be willing to, with your hand, take some incense, throw it into the incense pan and burn incense or sacrifice” to false Roman gods for the Emperor’s well-being. It was a loyalty test and there were Christians who were persecuted for refusing to comply.
Could a future “beast” require us to have a permit to buy and sell. I believe we already have this in America. Government fines little girls for having a lemonade stand on the sidewalk without a permit.
And with technology, surely we will be forced to use whatever systems future beasts put into place, though they will make it appear voluntary.
We’ve seen what happens to individuals who want to use other currency (that does not have the Emperors’ face on it) to buy & sell. Ross Ulbricht received two life sentences for creating a truly free-market e-commerce website. Thankfully President Trump pardoned Ross on day-two of his second term. Because Trump kept his word to Libertarians, Ross is now free and home with his Family.
That’s funny : )
It truly is! I often Pray for the conversion of everyone at Masses where many of these individuals normally might not regularly attend Church, but for whatever reason, they felt called to humbly enter the doors on that particular occasion. Move in them O Holy Ghost. Lead them to a closer relationship with You. (I only recently began using the title Holy Ghost interchangeably with Spirit, after my Trad-Cat friends and Mormon friends use it. Here is a thread about that : )