Amish See Step Toward 'Mark Of The Beast' In Livestock ID Numbers

About 200 Amish dairy producers met with State Sen. Dan Kapanke and former State Sen. Brian Rude last week to express their concern over a state law that they say is forcing them to choose between religion and dairy farming. The law, known as the "premise ID" law, passed the state legislature three years ago and requires all farms with animals to register with the state and a get a farm ID number. There was an "animal ID" component to the law that would have required registering individual animals, but that has been put on hold. While meeting in an auction barn on Irish Ridge near Cashton, a number of Amish producers cited specific Bible passages (Revelations chapter 13, verse 7 and chapter 19, verse 20) that refer to buying and selling of animals that are numbered and consider it the "mark of the beast."