But Andrea Hernandez, 15, stopped wearing the badge on religious grounds, saying it was the "mark of the beast".

BBC: Pupil Hernandez, who refused to wear RFID, loses appeal

As the companies have created distinct code prefixes to accompany the kosher phone plans, the phone numbers have quickly become a badge of religious observance.

BBC: Is that cellphone kosher?

Likewise, a Catholic bishop might consider it a badge of honor to get an idea about religious education from the North American Jewish Day School Conference, or an insight into the broader culture from a novel written by an atheist.

FORBES: What A CEO Can Teach A Pope