Moviegoers object to '666' on tickets for 'Passion'

AP ^ | 3-1-04

[gobucks]

Here is the secular world's, seriously now, offering to cure someone of the Fear of Satan forever!

otoh, google didn't provide a satan ticket numbering reference system I could find....do you have a source?

[Rebel_Ace]

MineralMan is correct in his analysis. I actually WRITE computerized ticketing systems for a living. I know a LOT about computers, and WAY TOO MUCH about ticketing systems in particular.

Due to the large sums of money involved with ticket revenue reporting, and the number of entities with "fingers in the pie", most recordkeeping is automatically stamped and recorded by the computer, specifically to AVOID human tampering. Event (attraction) Sequence and ticket serial numbers are auto-generated principly to make counterfeiting tickets and financial shinanigans difficult.

This sort of mystically number crap really makes folks look like idiots.

[Sloth]

it's likely this is someone's idea of how to mute the impact of the Christ's message.

OK, I'll bite. Suppose someone really did manipulate this to make the ticket serial numbers start with a 666 prefix. How on earth would this "mute the impact of the Christ's message"? When's the last time you bothered to read the fine print on your movie ticket stub? If it showed '666', what would your response be? Insist on a refund? Torch the theater? Fall to your knees and pray to Baelzebub? Or shrug and go about your business like a normal human being?

[far sider]

1010011010

Binary of the Beast

There are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those who get that joke and those who don't.

[bondjamesbond]

How hard is it to program a computer to automatically not assign any number combination where 6 appears three times in a row? I run a couple of small databases for work, and I automatically kick all triple six entries. Took two minutes.

If you are in a service industry, it is stupid not to do this. Enough people will be uncomfortable, that it is worth the time.

There are lots of numbers in the world. You can live without all the triple sixes and still have a lot left over.

[MineralMan]

"How hard is it to program a computer to automatically not assign any number combination where 6 appears three times in a row? I run a couple of small databases for work, and I automatically kick all triple six entries. Took two minutes.
"

Not hard at all, but who cares? So there's a check in your checkbook numbered 666 or 3666? So what? You're more than welcome, of course, to do that for your own business, but most folks don't give a darn. Seems pretty silly to me.

Here's my question: Does a church reject a check with the number 666 on it? I don't think so.

[bondjamesbond]

If you have a thousand customers, would you offend ten of them to avoid two minutes worth of work? Or is important to you that they grow up and not be so superstitious?

I voided check triple six in my checkbook and then 1 triple six a few years later. Why not? Doesn't cost me anything. Why offend people when it is cheap and easy not to?

[auggy]

That's what I thought.

Maybe, even bring me bad luck.

[MineralMan]

"I voided check triple six in my checkbook and then 1 triple six a few years later. Why not? Doesn't cost me anything. Why offend people when it is cheap and easy not to?"

I didn't say you shouldn't do it, if that's what you want to do. I'm just saying that assuming evil where none exists is symptomatic of something or other. If you get a check with 666 in it's number, do you deposit in your account or tear it up?

[bondjamesbond]

Frankly, I would not notice a check number. I probably have deposited such checks in the past. I'm still here!

But as far as a business owner is concerned, why would they not want to kick all triple six numbers routinely? It is not at all difficult to do. It seems silly to offend your customers uneccesarily.

Not the first time a business owner did something stupid, of course... Time to bring back one of the old tag-lines.

[bondjamesbond]

My office issues company ID to all employees. We've gone through about 15,000 IDs in the past ten years or so. We kicked all triple six combinations just as a matter of course.

Do you know what is the second most popular choice of ID number, for employees who actually bothered to ask? After birthdays, we've had about ten requests for triple six over the years. Just folks being stupid, of course. But some people clearly notice these things.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Who cares?

The bible tells us not to be superstitious, so why should any Christian worry about some silly number? Remember the story of Jacob's wife and the household idols?

[gobucks]

Well, I wasn't really baiting, believe it not. But you 'bit', so I'll respond.

If someone actually did manipulate this (and based on mr. rebel_aces comments, it now seems less, rather than more, likely, how would I react you ask?

I would merely go to the manager, with the proof, of course, of the malfeasance, and ask for a refund and go to a different theater, and never patronize that chain again.

"Or shrug and go about your business like a normal human being?"

Who is normal? Seriously ... who would you suggest is someone to emulate, such that I sound acceptably normal and you're not inspired to inquire whether or not I'm a wanna be arsonist?

I suppose this gets me back to answering your first question. If someone did it deliberately, then for some, not all, it would be disturbing such that it distracted them to various degrees.

You know, the way Janet Jackson distracted the guys who had gathered for the FCA-sponsored super bowl sunday get togethers. Of course, the impact on children ... christian children ... well, none of the folks in TV land were so nefarious to think about them, right?

I mean, last nights Academy Awards slam on Julie Andrews by Billy the clever one about her nipple broach being too tight ... I mean, it's just harmless fun, right?

The agenda of Christian haters is pretty simple - anything, anything to divert attention from the message. That's the intent behind 'muting' the impact of the message.

[gobucks]

I'm just saying that assuming evil where none exists is symptomatic of something or other.

And so we reach a bit of truth.

Evil, pure evil, manifests itself just about everywhere. Rationalism, the desire to always attribute events to chance, does not make evil just go away.

..."assuming evil where none exists" ....

It could be that none, indeed, exists there. But how is it wrong to be alert for it, given the overt bias toward this to begin with in our society? Surely you'll not deny this overtness is present? What is being on guard against this symptomatic of? A deviancy of thought? Irrationalism?

Why is it I, without proof, acknowledge I might be wrong. But you, also without proof, state categorically "where none exists"? This is a type-example of how leftists, through force multiplication of this example, have created this thinkers paradise, this cage of gluttons called the USA.

[gobucks]

so why should any Christian worry about some silly number.

You're right, they should not worry. But, on the other hand, being alert for the distractions is useful if you're training kids, or those new to Christ.

It's quite clear in Revelation - 666 is a bona fide number that signifies the mark of the beast. Its quite clear Jerusalem will be the center of the action (as if its not already that way!).

Being aware of the one who will one arrive without warning is prudent. Being alert is appropriate. Now, of course this sounds nuts. But, what, a third of our nation is nearly diabetic, and voluntarily so. That, I think, is nuts.

[Sloth]

The agenda of Christian haters is pretty simple - anything, anything to divert attention from the message.

Indeed, and that was sort of my point. By making a big deal about some dumb little number on your ticket stub, you'd be actively facilitating and cooperating with the attempt at diversion. If you ignore it, go to the movie, benefit from it spiritually and never give the ticket a second thought, then you defeat the nefarious plans of the diabolical movie-ticket-number-manipulators.

The intent of my question was, what do you think these leftist, God-hating ticket-tamperers would *want* to have happen as result of their actions? Would they prefer to be ignored, or to have someone raise a stink over it? If you think they'd want to be ignored, you've been smoking crack.

[LowOiL]

We still just pay $6.50 for a evening movie here, less for earlier ones.

[LowOiL]

as far as a business owner is concerned, why would they not want to kick all triple six numbers routinely? It is not at all difficult to do. It seems silly to offend your customers uneccesarily.

Best post on the thread. I agree 100%. BTW..I also would not like that car tags with that number either.

[Lazamataz]

I love you.

[Lazamataz]

We still just pay $6.50 for a evening movie here, less for earlier ones.

Huh. They made me pay $6.66