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AD and BC are the traditional methods of recording a particular time period from a specific point in the timeline. It was the Venerable Bede who first coined the age old method of defining the key point of the timeline, and as he was a devout Roman Catholic, used latin abbreviations, and made the key point as Jesus's birth.

There have been and still are other calendars in the world. These are still used by other creeds and races. But as the years and centuries passed it was the Christian countries which dominated the known world and so it was their method of timeline recording that took precedent.

It was recognised centuries ago that it is necessary to have a consistent method of calculating and reconciling events within the timeline of Man's history. The other races and creeds accepted the Christian version as the international form. There have been plenty of years for these people to object, or insist on other forms. Instead, they recognised the need for a consistent form of recording a set time period.

Many non-Christian people don't even know what the AD, BC, abbreviations mean, and certainly ignore any idea of religious connotations. However, they are able to work with the timeline in understanding when events happened throughout the world because of the consistent format.

Now, some historians/literate people in the western world have decided to change this. It is thought some non-Christian people would be offended, and that to have the west modify the age-old recognised form of recording a timeline event is showing a caring attitude towards other creeds/nations.

Sorry, but I cannot agree with that. There do not appear to have been any consultation with non-Christians as to what would be the best method of recording a date, or even if it is required! It seems to be due to a few people, thinking they know better than anyone else, choosing what new method should be in place. And they don't even change the actual key point on the timeline! It is still the place that Bede considered to be the year Jesus Christ was born!

If there really was a need for this point to be changed then everyone in the world should have had the opportunity to vote on the change, and possibly have some input into the debate. Instead we have a few people changing an age-old format just because they thought it might be less offensive to non-Christians. How hypocritical.

It also shows that just because someone has plenty of academic qualifications it doesn't mean they have any common or practical sense of the bigger picture.

The abbreviations they have chosen refer to a CE (common era) and BCE (before common era). As I have no understanding as to what is meant by common era it really is meaningless. If they mean it is the era which everyone called AD, then why change it? Confusion reigns in some people's minds,and it is clearly due to a few arrogant academics who must have little to do in life except change what doesn't need to be changed.

Learn more about this author, Carol Noble.
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