From: Cgastbook@aol.comTo: aanews@listserv.atheists.org Subject: [Atheist] re: AANEWS for August 20, 1998 (Part One) Date: Thursday, August 20, 1998 4:08 PM from: AMERICAN ATHEISTS subject: AANEWS for August 20, 1998 A M E R I C A N A T H E I S T S ~~ A A N E W S ~~ #469 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~8/20/98 http://www.atheists.org ftp.atheists.org/pub/ http://www.americanatheist.org -------------------------------------------- A Service of AMERICAN ATHEISTS "For Reason and the First Amendment" -------------------------------------------- In This Issue... * A Special Report Y2K -- CHURCHES PREPARE, DOOMSDAY CHIC (Part One of Two) "But suppose, as some folks say, the sky should fall?" --(Terence: "Heautontimorumenos" IV.iii) The end of our century and the approach of a new millennium is a historic event, and for many diverse groups it is one which resonates with special, unique meaning. A growing segment of Christians -- especially many those who describe themselves as Fundamentalist, Evangelical or Pentecostal -- perceive this calendric shift, the onset of the year 2000, as a prophetic event to usher in the "End Times" predicted in apocalyptic texts such as Daniel and Revelation. New agers and contemporary occultists sense the new millennium as an equally compelling benchmark in human history, although the scenarios they embrace can be different from their Christian counterparts. Pop culture new age ideology blends into its version of millennialist expectations elements of UFO/alien abduction accounts, predictions of spiritual transformation where humans rise to "a higher plane," or other artifacts of contemporary occultism. There are also secular apocalyptics who fear that human society is rapidly spinning out of control, headed for ecological catastrophe, nuclear war or some other equally devastating scenario. Often, these different doomsday "camps" appropriate thematic elements and metaphors from each other in attempting to construct a millennialist narrative. In recent months, AANEWS has noted a startling concern or angst percolating through the religious Fundamentalist/Evangelical culture in this country concerning the Y2K or "year 2000" computer problem. We examine this phenomenon here, with special attention to how alarm over the Y2K "bug" has captured the imagination of this segment of our society, and how it serves as an expression of wider doubts about the direction of the culture at large. We note how the attention focused on Y2K serves as an "entry scenario" for wider and more diffuse apocalyptic beliefs, and how certain religious figures such as Pat Robertson manage to fit this into a seamless political and social agenda. Among the points raised: * Y2K is a "real" problem, not an invention of hysterical fundamentalists. It is the willingness to embrace a series of worst-case scenarios and fit them into a larger, more elaborated apocalyptic tapestry , however, connected with Y2K that renders this an interesting topic. * Worry over Y2K reflects a pattern of searching for "signs" in order to confirm the onset of prophesied events leading up to the End Times and final judgment. Indeed, it has given a new lease on life for eschatologists like Hal Lindsey and other doomsday belief peddlers. Pat Robertson's concerns over Y2K are examined, as are the warnings from more extreme religious partisans such as Christian Reconstructionist Gary North. Concern over Y2K has given these individuals a wider audience than might otherwise accept their hard- shell religious doctrines. * Nationwide, churches have developed a sudden and curious interest in the Y2K problem, and are positioning themselves to discuss how "the role of the church" is being affected. What began as a technical consideration has blossomed into a wider expression of worry focusing on a deeper question -- the precarious instability of modernity and the human condition. *Some churches and religious groups, in an updated version of the cold war "duck-and-cover" mentality of the 1950s and 1960s, are urging people to stockpile food, medical supplies and other materials for the "chaos" that the Y2K problem is predicted to ignite. Companies which sell freeze-dried foods and other emergency provisions report escalating sales, much of it attributed to sudden and growing panic over the Y2K. In certain respects, this mirrors not only the doomsday angst which historians find in time of heightened apocalyptic expectations, but the "survivalist" and "bunker" mentality encountered in militia or other preparedness sects. A word about this report is in order. In putting this story together, we encountered an enormous amount of information, everything from news reports to material on websites, in books and through other sources. Some of this already fit in with a related project, namely tracking the building "millennial consciousness" focused on the onset of the year 2000. The Y2K worry, when viewed from a certain perspective, is part of this larger phenomenon. We also consulted a number of Atheists who happened to work in the field of computer technology; and we examined reports in the technical field which discussed Y2K, though not from its cultural aspects. This is not a story about the Y2K problem per se, but rather the reaction to it by a segment of churches and faith groups; it provides insight into how these religious groups perceive the immediate future, their relationship to technology, and their expectations about the next millennium. A Problem.... But How Big? What is Y2K? Simply put, it is a difficulty with computer programs that will not permit or "read" the year 2000 or "00" as an accurate date. To most computers, dates like 1985, or 1999 are sorted only by the last two digits. The implications for our computer-driven society are indeed significant. Everything from the stock market to ATM machines to power plants, the IRS, billing companies and inventory systems in stores all require accurate date keeping. Smaller systems that might control your personal computer, microwaves, even the elevator in an apartment or office building can also be affected if they incorporate any form of date-keeping mechanism. A programming oddity or glitch could make a computer read January 1, 2000 (01/01/00) as the year 1900. Companies and governments have been furiously scrambling to address the Y2K problem. Estimates on the total cost of fixing the glitch range considerably, but one source notes that over $120 billion could be spent by the time the millennium hits. One difficulty in evaluating the seriousness of the Y2K problem is that doing so completely would itself be a considerable task. Even research companies focusing on Y2K say that only about half of the nation's 250 corporate firms have disclosed adequate information about their programs in this area. The technical aspects of the Y2K problem is one factor which seems to fuel the prevalence of "worst case" scenarios. Despite the fact that companies and government agencies seem to be devoting considerable resources to addressing this, Y2K may have been blown out of perspective. Our research encountered repeated references, for instance, to a cyber "domino effect." "One computer goes down, and because they're all tied together on the internet, everything crashes." This is certainly an oversimplification. We found that those employing it often used other metaphors in addition to falling dominos, including the failure of regional power grids and electrical "blackouts." Computers manage much of the nation's technical infrastructure, but they not "tied together" in a seamless network; often, they are separated by firewalls, even incompatible systems. For our purposes, whatever the extent of the legitimate Y2K problem, certain religious groups and apocalyptic believers perceive this "Millennium Bug" as not just a technical difficulty or engineering glitch, but as an event which is part of a larger prophetic calendar and revelation, Y2K has become an object of concern comparable to natural catastrophes, AIDS, regional wars or other events which are hammered into a timetable to describe the onset of eschatological events. Pat Robertson: Capitalizing (Shrewdly) on Doomsday Pat Robertson's giant Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) is one of the leading groups associated with the religious right now sounding an alarm over the Y2K problem among this segment of Americans. In July, CBN aired a series of special reports beginning with "Surviving the Crisis: How to Prepare for Y2K." This was supplemented with both printed and web versions of the material. Understanding Robertson's role in Y2K hysteria requires locating him on the theological belief spectrum. Why would he be so focused and concerned by what to many is a computer glitch? Robertson embraces a theological view known as premillennialism, the belief that Christ's return (or "Parousia") will usher in a 1,000 year period of godly rule on earth. There are "signs and wonders" which announce the onset of this event as detailed in the apocalyptic texts of the Bible, especially sources like Daniel and Revelation. Much of Robertson's writings and the content of his broadcasts are devoted to finding and discussing these "signs" which confirm the prophesies. Indeed, a wide range of Christian groups believes that the passages in the Bible are to be taken literally and describe real events which are to come. Some Christians reject this view, arguing that the verses are symbolic and metaphorical, or that the events described have already taken place. Unlike brasher religious figures who rose and plummeted from fame by predicting the end of the world -- the mid-19th century religious leader William Miller is often cited as a premier example -- Robertson, while constantly finding abundant confirmation of prophecy, often hedges his bets on predicting a definitive timeline. Robertson has gone on record as expressing his belief that the Antichrist, an important actor in the apocalyptic drama, is on earth. In 1980, he declared that the Antichrist was "approximately 27-years-old...(and) being groomed to be the Satanic messiah." A similar claim was made a year later by pop-eschatologist Hal Lindsey, author of bestseller doomsday books such as "Beginning of the End," who, as we shall see, has modified his original apocalypse timetable, and incorporated fears of the Y2K problem into his latest End Times scenario. And in 1982, Robertson warned that a Soviet invasion of Israel could set off world war and the onset of Tribulation, the period when those of the true church are to be persecuted by the earthly government and false church of the Antichrist and his False Prophet sidekick. Robertson often hedges his bet, though, deftly peppering his apocalyptic narratives in print and on the air with conditional warnings. "Some say..." "We can't really be sure, but..." " It could happen..." He also, unlike most of his evangelical and fundamentalist counterparts, "packages" his message with slick production values. CBN News, which presented the special Y2K report, has all of the superficial marks of a legitimate network news program, including professional anchors, reporters and video effects. Biblical prophesy and the rest of Robertson theological- political message are neatly packaged with slick graphics and a degree of informative reporting. Crisis -- real, imaginary or exaggerated -- is also an important component in Robertson's delivery. Even natural catastrophe is fitted into the televangelist's colorful and dramatic apocalyptic template. On June 8, for instance, Robertson suggested that Orlando, Florida could suffer punishment from God for displaying so much tolerance to gays. On June 24, during an airing of CBN's "700 Club," Robertson drew a link between the gay pride events in Orlando, and the fires which were breaking out across the state of Florida. And earlier this month, CBN news, in a story about the coming Olympic Games slated for Salt Lake City in 2002, warned that the area was "A Seismic Disaster in the Making." The CBN "crisis" report, for instance, included detailed explanations of the Y2K problem, along with selected quotes from other news sources including Time magazine, and even interviews with technical experts, industry figures and political leaders. It was the emphasis or "slant," however, that often distinguishes Robertson's peculiar take on any political or social development. As with reports on the Middle East, youth crime or political scandal inside the beltway, there is a constant emphasis on the "crisis" aspect of any story, and repeated oblique and direct references to worst-case scenarios, and how this all meets the prophetic requirements of Biblical text. CBN's initial installment on "Surviving the Crisis" touched on the need for "people to get ready" by purchasing portable heaters (propane and wood stoves), stockpiling large supplies of food and water, even buying portable generators. Similar recommendations are being made by others in the religious community who are sounding the Y2K alarm. Viewers and readers who might have found these recommendations to be extreme, an overreaction, were admonished that "it's better to be safe than sorry." Links from the CBN web site and other religious web sites devoted to Y2K lead to several companies specializing in survivalist paraphernalia, including wood burning stoves and bulk foods. Other parts of the CBN report skillfully mixed informed reporting and even credible information with the alarmist spin which characterizes so much of Robertson's message. The June 2 installment began with a comparison of a communications satellite recently failing and the Y2K problem, suggesting "Many believe that's just a foretaste of how the Year 2000 computer problem could affect our lives." Other metaphors included the 15-day UPS strike which "cascaded throughout the country and affected thousands of businesses." CBN viewers were warned that every conceivable part of the economy, from auto production, to traffic lights, gas pumps, factory assembly lines, phones, water and gas could all fail. "Few expect the world to stop on January 1, 2000" noted a CBN reporter, "but the many disruptions to the economy could affect us all, reducing us to thousands of Lilliputians trying to tie down this Gulliver of an economy." Other elements in the CBN report which focused on the Y2K problem incorporated dire predictions of banking system breakdowns (a scenario which fits neatly with religious right fears of currency manipulation, electronic transactions and 'the mark of the beast"), the collapse of the Internal Revenue Service ("Time Bomb for Taxpayers") and a failure of the Medicare system -- this certainly being of vital concern to the older members of Robertson's constituency. In "Countdown to Chaos: Preparing for 2000," Robertson interviews Edward Yourdon, software consultant and co-author of "Time Bomb 2000: What the Year 2000 Computer Crisis Means to You." Where some reports on the Y2K problem suggest that corporations are lagging behind in their efforts to fix their computers, Yourdon covered all bases by admitting that "most of the Fortune 1000 companies that are aware of this problem are diverting between 15 and 20 percent of their resources" to addressing the glitch. This was "taking away from other investments and new computer systems they could have been building." Robertson also segued into mentioning another player in the Y2K scene, Christian Reconstructionist Gary North. "You know, I read a flyer by a guy named Gary North, which basically said, 'I'm getting a home in the northern corner of Arkansas, because they'll be chaos in the cities and the trucks won't run, and the food won't be delivered and grocery stores will break down, etc.' And you had a a few of those warnings here in your book -- what do you think? I mean, do you really think we're going to have some serious chaos in this country when this millennium turns over?" Gary North -- A Lean & Mean Version of Doomsday Where Robertson walks a tightrope and is careful to avoid specific, definitive predictions, Gary North has emerged as one of the more rabid proponents of a doomsday scenario linked to the Y2K problem. North is a leading spokesman for Christian Reconstructionism, an extreme theological view which holds that Christians must "take dominion" over all institutions of society, from government to the family. A tract on Reconstructionism declares that it "is a call to the Church to awaken to its biblical responsibility to subdue the earth for the glory of God... Christian Reconstruction therefore looks for and works for the rebuilding of the institutions of society according to a biblical blueprint." That blue print is the Old Testament. Indeed, the Dominion theology of Reconstructionism calls for a total transformation of civil society, and the implementation of "bible law." As noted by sociologist Sarah Diamond in her book "Spiritual Warfare, the Politics of the Christian Right," a Reconstructed society would include wide use of capital punishment for a variety of offenses including homosexuality, apostasy, blasphemy, murder, adultery and even disrespect to parents. While they have theological differences with other religious right movements and groups, Reconstructionists agree with their ideological brethren that it is the task of Christians to "occupy" and transform all institutions in our present secular society. (To be continued...) RESOURCES FROM AMERICAN ATHEISTS * For information about American Atheists, send mail to info@atheists.org. Please include your name and postal mailing address. * For a free catalogue of American Atheist Press books, videos and other products, send mail to catalogue@atheists.org. Kindly include your mailing address. * The American Atheist Magazine s now on the web! check out select articles from the current and back issues. Visit us at http://www.americanatheist.org. * If you are a member of American Atheists, why not sign up for our e-mail discussion group, aachat? We already have over 100 participants who discuss topics such as Atheism, religion, First Amendment issues and lots more! Contact Margie Wait, the Moderator through mdwait@atheists.org. ** ABOUT THIS LIST... AANEWS is a free service from American Atheists, a nationwide movement founded by Madalyn Murray O'Hair for the advancement of Atheism, and the total, absolute separation of government and religion. For subscribe/unsubscribe information, send mail to aanews- request@listserv.atheists.org and put "info aanews" (minus the quotation marks, please) in the message body. You may forward, post or quote from this dispatch, provided that appropriate credit is given to AANEWS and American Atheists. Edited and written by Conrad Goeringer, The LISTMASTER (cg@atheists.org). Internet Representative for American Atheists is Margie Wait, irep@atheists.org.