The Number Of The Beast Ain’t Nothing But A Number

The Advance reports that — unlike some mothers-to-be — those on Staten Island are wildly unimpressed with the hype surrounding giving birth on yesterday’s ominous date:

Staten Island moms seemed to buck a one-day trend yesterday that had some superstitious mothers-to-be around the country taking steps to ensure that their babies were not born on the most unholy of dates: 6-6-6.

According to Island obstetricians, most moms here yesterday cared little about the negative association that went with the date and opted to have their children born on June 6, 2006, or 6-6-6, despite the devilish connotation of the number.

“It’s not empty,” said Arleen Ryback, spokeswoman for Staten Island University Hospital, noting that the hospital labor and delivery unit had listed a total of 11 births yesterday so far and had another two women in labor soon after nightfall.

“It’s a pretty normal day,” she said.

“No one called up to cancel,” said Danielle Piazza, a receptionist for Dr. Andrew De Fazio, an OB-GYN with a private practice in Oakwood.

She said so far six mothers had given birth, no one called to cancel, and few mothers even made the connection with the notorious date.

For most Christians, the number 666 is synonymous with the return of the Antichrist — the incarnate Satan that will bring seven years of Tribulation on the Earth before the return of Jesus Christ.

. . .

Ms. Ryback suggested that people on Staten Island are more interested in having families than buying into yesterday’s bizarre propaganda.

“I think women are having babies later and they are so excited to have children and become pregnant that they just want to give birth, especially if they’ve waited so long to do this,” she said.