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	A Dangerous Date By Declan McCullagh January 23, 1999 Attempts to predict when the world will end or the date of Christ's return have been around as long as Christianity itself. Disciples of the Abbot Joachim of Fiore believed the divine plan would be revealed in 1260. In the 1490s, social unrest drove crowds to gather in Florence to hear visionary Girolamo Savonarola speak of the coming Antichrist. Writer Mary Cary in 1647 put the date of the Antichrist's return at 1701. New York farmer William Miller in the 1820s tagged 1843 as the most likely year for the Second Coming. The Messiah failed to show up at the appointed time, and a flurry of hasty recalculations set October 1844 as the date when believers again fruitlessly gathered on hillsides to stare up at the sky. Many of today's religious leaders are wary of attaching any significance to Y2K, the Wichita Eagle reported on January 23. Rev. Roger Roberts, minister at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Wichita, told the newspaper he's worried about irrational overreactions. "We certainly need to get our lives in order and be prepared for whatever upheavals or confusion there might be. But that doesn't mean to head for the bunkers and start stockpiling," he said. Others aren't as sure. Jerry Falwell, for instance, says Y2K could represent God's judgment on an immoral society. "I personally see the biggest role we can serve is to be prepared -- whether it is for Y2K or Christ's return," says Rev. Mark Oelze, associate pastor at Vineyard Christian Church. "I think we are headed into difficult times and the role of the church is to be prepared. And then, we can minister to those around us who aren't prepared." According to the Eagle, Oelze has recommended that church members stockpile food, water and money for at least three months.		FEATURES Book Reviews Y2K already has spawned its own genre. We tell you what books are worth buying. Chip 'n Little Cartoons Chip 'n Little goes on TV Chip 'n Little visits John Koskinen Chip 'n Little saves the world Warning: This cartoon has been called "foolish and tasteless." Y2K from A to Z Y2K Haiku Traditionalists may be shocked. Mad Cow Culture What does Y2K have in common with today's Mad Cow Culture? Answer: Everything. Declan McCullagh's Y2K articles Psychology of Y2K LATEST NEWS As of December 31, 1999 Get Your T-Shirt Quick Bill Gates Does Y2K Reader Feedback A Sarcastic Calendar Cooking After the Apocalypse A Real Y2K Disaster Hitchhiker's Guide Meets Y2K