Here is a change of pace culture clash story.
A group of seven Amish farmers in Michigan are refusing to tag their livestock with radio frequency ID devices claiming that the Federal tagging program:
“constitutes some form of a ‘mark of the Beast’ and/or represents an infringement of their ‘dominion over cattle and all living things’ in violation of their fundamental religious beliefs.”
The Amish claim that the program is against their religious beliefs –that it is part of an ongoing attempt to number every living thing, a practice mentioned in the Book of Revelation that is linked to the Devil.
The Amish farmers have filed a lawsuit against the Federal government in order to opt out of the program. According to Federal officials, they should be suing the State of Michigan. The Fed. program is optional–it is the State that is requiring all farmers to comply.
The US department of agriculture (USDA) says that its cattle tagging plan is a voluntary national tracking system created to help contain outbreaks of mad cow, or foot and mouth disease.
It should be interesting to see how a court will balance the interests of safe public food sources with religious freedom.