"Apocalyptic fears have been traditionally associated with religion, but as the year 2000 approaches, secular apocalyptic ideas are cropping up," says University of Oregon English professor and folklorist Daniel Wojcik. The author of "The End of the World As We Know It: Faith, Fatalism and Apocalypse in America," Wojcik says the fear that an apocalyptic event will mark the start of the new century has added a heightened sense of excitement to the planning of millennial celebrations. "Festivals and fears are taking on a heightened meaning," Wojcik says. His research shows that beliefs about worldly destruction and transformation are a deeply rooted part of the cultural and religious heritage of the United States, and the approach of the millennium has heightened the belief that the end is near. Many people are ambivalent about technology, according to Wojcik. He says that ambivalence is feeding the current Y2K frenzy. "Secularists fear that the predicted break-down of computers because of Y2K will signal an end to our technological world. These fears are converging with current concerns and popular-culture influences," Wojcik says, "and those ideas are spreading even more rapidly today through e-mail and chat groups on the Internet." SOURCE: Daniel Wojcik, UO associate professor of English and folklore, (541) 346-3946; e-mail, dwojcik@oregon.uoregon.edu.

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