What common folk think the Mark of the Beast is.

To receive the mark is to be the most high, PERIOD !
Without breaking down any of the words through etymology, the ignorant man goes along with the childish story as usual, when it comes to religion, why? The stories in religion are not literal but today despite the so-called modern man's intelligence he actually has no idea that the ancients were way more intelligent than man is today, because the way scripture is written, it cannot be read by any common man because of his current lower conscious state.
The top-tier Freemasons (beyond 33)can interpret most scripture but they do not want the average man to know. The true meanings must be kept secret from the people if they are to maintain mind control over them. An awakened society is a liability to its management.
Slaves that are mentioned in the Bible are those who have not consciously evolved, the longer they are kept that way the easier it is to fool them and control their minds. # Astrotheology.