B.C.E. or B.C.

[Reynolds357]

Am I the only person that the term B.C.E. and the term C.E. bother?
I see the use of the terms Before Common Era and Common era as nothing but an attempt to remove mention of our Lord and Savior from yet another area of public life. When I was educated, the dates were B.C. and A.D. Before Christ and Anno Domini (year of our Lord). What really troubles me is that now I see Christians participating in the usage of the terms B.C.E. and C.E. Do Christians so easily forget their Savior that they participate in this humanistic abomination?
It is most essential that we educate our children on the proper use of the calendar, not the modern humanistic calendar that attempts to remove all mention of our Savior from public life.

[Literalist-Luke]

I find it very irritating as well. I look forward to the day that we're all using the letters ASC (After Second Coming).

[IPet2_9]

I'm irritated by this and "Happy Holidays" as well. I've decided I'm going to try and use "Happy holidays" for every holiday. Looks like Halloween is coming up. Happy holidays!

[JesusisGod]

I've read that the terms BCE and CE were adopted so as not to offend anyone by BC or AD, as these terms are based on the birth of Jesus.
BTW, if I don't get the chance later on,

MERRY CHRISTMAS

[renthead188]

Am I the only person that the term B.C.E. and the term C.E. bother?
I see the use of the terms Before Common Era and Common era as nothing but an attempt to remove mention of our Lord and Savior from yet another area of public life. When I was educated, the dates were B.C. and A.D. Before Christ and Anno Domini (year of our Lord). What really troubles me is that now I see Christians participating in the usage of the terms B.C.E. and C.E. Do Christians so easily forget their Savior that they participate in this humanistic abomination?
It is most essential that we educate our children on the proper use of the calendar, not the modern humanistic calendar that attempts to remove all mention of our Savior from public life.

I'm taking a "Formation of Judaic Heritage" course at a state funded university. I've actually got an exam in two hours.. My Prof. looks for anything that can be interpreted to discredit Scripture in the Old Testament. Also, the inflection in his voice rises each time he says "bc E" as if to make a point that he has no regard for Christ. God is answering prayers in this class though. He brought me a strong Christian classmate that goes to my church and is involved in ministry, as well as locked the prof.'s office so that we couldn't have class when I prayed that he would not be able to lecture that day. Sure enough I walk in and the Prof. cancels class because he can't teach without his materials. Maybe one day my Prof. will be saying C.L.J. (Come Lord Jesus!)

[CoffeeCat]

I'm used to both (B.C/A.D as well as B.C.E/C.E) and the "newer" terms don't bother me. To me, they're another way of saying the same thing, in less specific terms. After all, when MUST "before common era" end and "common era" begin? Christ. He's still the one we're dividing our time around, even if people don't say it out loud.

Here's a cute story: my little cousin was writing a History report, and she wrote "BCE" after a year. To check that she knew what it meant, her teacher asked "What DOES BCE stand for?" and my cousin responded with "Before Christ's Era!" :D with this big grin on her face..... haha. Too cute.

[Reynolds357]

I'm used to both (B.C/A.D as well as B.C.E/C.E) and the "newer" terms don't bother me. To me, they're another way of saying the same thing, in less specific terms. After all, when MUST "before common era" end and "common era" begin? Christ. He's still the one we're dividing our time around, even if people don't say it out loud.



Just as "happy holidays" is an attempt to take Christ out of Christmas, "C.E." and "B.C.E." are attempts to remove Christ from our Calendar.

[Clay Blucher]

I'm used to both (B.C/A.D as well as B.C.E/C.E) and the "newer" terms don't bother me. To me, they're another way of saying the same thing, in less specific terms. After all, when MUST "before common era" end and "common era" begin? Christ. He's still the one we're dividing our time around, even if people don't say it out loud.

Here's a cute story: my little cousin was writing a History report, and she wrote "BCE" after a year. To check that she knew what it meant, her teacher asked "What DOES BCE stand for?" and my cousin responded with "Before Christ's Era!" :D with this big grin on her face..... haha. Too cute.

It is amazing that this attempt to make the terms more secular were more lazy than anything else. As you said, the two lines of thought (BC/BCE and AD/CE) both revolve around the supposed birth of Christ. Is this common to, say, Islam who begin their calendar with Muhammand? How about Judaism which begins back with Moses? How about Eastern philosophies? It is not common to any group of people except Christians. Secularists should have looked to some point during the Enlightenment to really make the statement they were going for. I find it ironic nonetheless that they stick with the Gregorian calendar without being able to admit that Christ really at the center of history.

This is of course ignoring the plain fact that Jesus was born 4-6 BC, and that all calendars we use are screwed up over this simple fact. It's not really fair to use BC since Christ was in existence before the BC-AD switchover. Unless we want to imply that Christ only became Lord sometime around the age of 6. Which of course is extremely wrong.

[Jane Lane]

It upsets me more to see fellow Christians getting so worked up over something so minor.

Many (most) people are unsaved. It's truly a terrible thing, but we have been blessed/cursed with free will, as the Lord saw fit. We should not try to enforce our beliefs on others, even if we are right.

And because not everyone thinks that Christ is as important as he is, we don't have a need or reason to use his name in public classrooms.

It's really the best way to go about things. How would you feel if we used Muhammad's name? We have no right to claim our beliefs should be catered to more than someone else's.

And obviously they're not going to change the calendar to further differentiate ourselves from religion in class, that's irrational in every sense.

[Lorren]

I like that... Before Christ's Era/Christ's Era :-)

I prefer BC/AD. I don't want dd to be ignorant in the new terms, I'll teach both to her. But I'll probably use BC/AD most of the time.

[AngelAuthor]

It upsets me more to see fellow Christians getting so worked up over something so minor. We have no right to claim our beliefs should be catered to more than someone else's.
Are you saved, by chance?

Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven?

If so, what is this talk of essentially wanting to give equal time to heretical, religious faiths? That's the humanist way of doing things, not the Christian method. We have every right to want the name of Christ proclaimed above all other names because it IS the name above all names. Anything less is putting the reality of the Spiritual world in second place behind this temporary, physical world in order to make people more comfortable and not challenge their beliefs...

Rather them uncomfortable now than uncomfortable in hell?

[Reynolds357]

It upsets me more to see fellow Christians getting so worked up over something so minor.

Many (most) people are unsaved. It's truly a terrible thing, but we have been blessed/cursed with free will, as the Lord saw fit. We should not try to enforce our beliefs on others, even if we are right.

And because not everyone thinks that Christ is as important as he is, we don't have a need or reason to use his name in public classrooms.

It's really the best way to go about things. How would you feel if we used Muhammad's name? We have no right to claim our beliefs should be catered to more than someone else's.

And obviously they're not going to change the calendar to further differentiate ourselves from religion in class, that's irrational in every sense.

This nation was founded as a Christian nation. We were not founded as a Muslim nation. Go back and read our founding documents.

[Reynolds357]

I like that... Before Christ's Era/Christ's Era :-)

I prefer BC/AD. I don't want dd to be ignorant in the new terms, I'll teach both to her. But I'll probably use BC/AD most of the time.

The "c" in modern text books means "common" not "christian."

[mouse]

Reynolds, I assure you you're not the only person bothered by BCE/CE (there's also BP- before present). As an ancient history student at uni, I deal with these dates almost daily. I can see why it's been put forward; because not everyone is Christian. Fine, but the problem is BCE/CE are still dated from the same time as BC/AD- i.e. the birth of Christ. So at the end of the day, it doesn't achieve much!

[AngelAuthor]

I'm a student at ASU and my professors when dealing with history always use BCE. I don't care what they think... When I speak or turn my papers it's always "B.C."

[IPet2_9]

The "c" in modern text books means "common" not "christian."

Not if we say it is. If we say it's Christ's era, then as far as we're concerned, that's what it is.

[Reynolds357]

Not if we say it is. If we say it's Christ's era, then as far as we're concerned, that's what it is.

What you just said does not make one bit of sense. The text books say "common." No matter what you say, the word "common" still appears in the text books that our children are taught from.

[Reynolds357]

Reynolds, I assure you you're not the only person bothered by BCE/CE (there's also BP- before present). As an ancient history student at uni, I deal with these dates almost daily. I can see why it's been put forward; because not everyone is Christian. Fine, but the problem is BCE/CE are still dated from the same time as BC/AD- i.e. the birth of Christ. So at the end of the day, it doesn't achieve much!

It does achieve much more than you think. When B.C. and A.D. were used, the C. demanded explanation. However, BCE and CE do not demand explanation. It is simply not being taught what divided our dating system. It is simply being taught that at this point in time we began the common era. There is no explanation being given of what caused the division in our dating system. I talked with several high school kids the other day and asked them what divided B.C.E. and C.E. None of them knew it was "CHRIST." When the term B.C. is used, it demands explanation. Christ can not be left out. You can not teach "Before Christ" without at least teaching some explanation of who Chirst is.

[mouse]

Oh I'm aware of the superficial reason for changing it to BCE. My saying it 'doesn't achieve much' was subtle jab at the futility of using BCE.

[Jeremiah333]

I find it very irritating as well. I look forward to the day that we're all using the letters ASC (After Second Coming).

A big Amen to that!!

[DaniHansen]

The irony behind all this is that the numbers are still the same. It's still 2008, any way you slice it. And Columbus sailed the ocean blue in ... you know. :)

(1492 for those of you who fell asleep in history class again).

So the Common Era, to this day, hinges on the (supposed) year of the birth of Jesus Christ.


Stupid people want to remove Jesus and can't even think anything through. Typical.

:lol:

It'll be intesting to know if the calendar is eventually going to be changed, and what they're going to hinge it all on, after all it's set and done.

Although I hope ASC will be reality by then. :)

[turtledove]

This new terminology..B.C.E. (before common era) and C.E. (common era) is confusing and waters down the meaning of history to me. Our calendars were set up to reflect the significance of the birth of Christ..since time was arranged to reflect history before and after the birth of Jesus. The new terminology has lost that focus and reflects something which moves away from the importance of Christianity in history..But, what is even meant by the new terms? What is this commonality now expressed? This vague focus does not glorify Christ. Being an old history teacher and a Christian.I hope it goes back to B.C.(before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini=the year of the Lord) because Christ IS the focal point of history.

He is the Alpha and the Omega..

Rev 22:13> "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."