Doug Bachelors Amazing Facts group offers answers to the question surrounding the "mark of the beast".
My understanding is that the Church doesn't have an official position on it although personally, i feel that the church infers a lot about the topic which has flowed on down through the ranks like a large waterfall.
I wonder if this has led to a very direct view that may have misrepresented the church's position and indeed even confused the correct interpretation of the Biblical narrative about the beast and its mark?
Despite the above concern, I offer the Amazing facts version as but one SDA group's explanation of it. This is also basically the same outline I was taught from a young age to use when interpreting the Bible narrative regarding this topic:
I think the difficulty we have in the current social and political climate is that it is an unsatisfactory approach to label specific groups in the way we have traditionally tended to do when it comes to the Mark of the Beast, however, it is not the only one. Another example is LGBT and the Bible's seemingly very direct condemnation of homosexuality. Both are dangerous pedestals to erect and may actually do more harm than good by distracting from the real message of the Gospel. Personally, i have no answer here...The illustration of Sodom and Gomorah is very vivid in my head, however, Jesus writing the sins of those who would condemn the prostitute also come to mind!