The Michigan Department of Agriculture has asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit we reported on in September challenging rules requiring the tracking of livestock on grounds that the numbered tags represent the “mark of the beast” mentioned in the book of Revelation:
 

Motions filed by the U.S. and Michigan Departments of Agriculture seeking to dismiss the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund suit to stop the implementation of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), incorrectly claim that NAIS is a voluntary program.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of several Michigan farmers, most of whom are Amish. The law being challenged requires electronic tags on all livestock in order to track the source of disease when such outbreaks occur.