Posted on 03/02/2005 1:42:03 PM PST by PatriotEdition
THE son of God has been written out of parts of NSW school English texts.
"Before Christ" (BC) has been removed from literacy test history books and replaced with "Before Common Era" (BCE) in what the NSW Opposition described as political correctness gone mad.
About 150,000 students who sat through the English Language and Literacy Assessment (ELLA) test on Tuesday were confronted with the new term in an extract entitled "The Surveyor's Problem".
It described an event which took place in 590 BCE in Northern Egypt where a Government surveyor had been ordered by the Pharaoh to find out why the Nile River kept flooding.
A footnote to the extract explained BCE means "Before Common Era" (also known as BC).
The term BC has long been used in normal language as an historical and scientific chronology guide.
The BCE footnote is used in international scientific, academic and museum contexts.
Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt has ordered the department to restore the original text.
However, Opposition education spokeswoman Jillian Skinner said it was just another example of the Carr Government's political correctness.
"It appears that 'Before Christ' has been written out of our history books by the Department of Education in the Carr Government," Mrs Skinner said.
"This is political correctness gone mad. You ask the average mum and dad out there how they refer to time and calendars, they will use Before Christ [BC]," she said.
"This is a case of history being re-written and abandonment of the use of a calendar which has been around for centuries on the basis that the term might offend someone."
Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt agreed the extract originally used 'BC' but it had been changed to 'BCE.'
"My own view is that the text should not have been changed," Ms Tebbutt told Parliament. "It should have been left as 'BC' with a footnote explaining that 'BCE' is an alternative.
This is old news. I saw texts start to do this 10 years or so ago.
BCE was in common usage when I was in high school. I graduated in '82.
I'm taking a course online, and noticed the teacher used BCE instead of BC. Every assignment I have to do, I try my best to insert BC or a religious reference into it. So far so good. My grades start to drop, she is in for a world of hurt, because I know I'm good.
So it's even older than I thought!
I like to think of it as "Before CHRISTIAN Era"
Regis replied, "Well, it means Before Common Era, which is the same thing as Before Christ." The contestant replied, "Oh", and then answered the question correctly.
Next time there was a date mentioned in a question (a few episodes later), they used B.C.
Frankly, I want to know what the year 5 has in "common" with "1005" or "2005", and I would suggest that it had a lot more in "common" with 5 B.C.
TS
I noticed BCE somewhere online the other day and wondered what the deal was.
Does it matter whether it's called Common Era or Christian Era or Anno Domini? Jesus Christ is still the reason for the Western date.
The Jewish culture keeps tab by counting from Adam's birth, according to the chronology accepted by most of their scholars. The Muslims count from the birth of Muhammad, etc.
That "Common Era" stuff is moronic. Every sane person knows what the historical dateline is focused around. It's an attempt to erode Christianity, in however absurd a way.
Is not the conversion of BC to BCE 1 to 1? Does not 100 BC exactly equal 100 BCE? Is it true that there is neither a 0 BC or a 0 BCE?
As an added comment, it is correct to say 1973 BC but it is incorrect to say 1973 AD. BC stands for “Before Christ” or “Before Christian Era” if BCE is used. We use AD as a placeholder for where the calendar stops counting down the years and begins to count up the years. AD stands for, or means. "Anno Domini" which is Latin for "in the year of Our Lord", referring to Our Lord Jesus Christ. That is, "AD 1996" literally means "in the 1996'th year since the birth of the Christ”. So it would be incorrect to say 1996 “in the year of our Lord”.
It would be correct to say 1996 CE or 1996’th year since the Christian Era.
It's not just texts anymore. Everyone from the History channel to the Discovery channel is doing it.
Teacher: "Oh, little Johnny, you shouldn't use 'BC' anymore because it has the word 'Christ' in it."
Johnny: "Okay, what should I use instead."
Teacher: "Try using 'BCE,' which means 'Before Common Era.'"
Johnny: "Okay. But teacher, when did the common era begin?"
Teacher: "Well, right around the time Jesus Christ was born, Johnny."
I noticed a picture showing the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition in the AJC with the BCE "map" and children looking at it. I wonder if this is what is being taught in public schools now.to ask
What, exactly, it "common" about a system that is only recognized by the Western (e.g. Christian) world? Common is a complete misnomer. This era is not "common" to Jews, Muslims or Chinese and, I suspect, a whole host of other cultures.
This is typical PC speak that has no purpose other than the elimination of Christ in our lexicon and our thought.
It was in academic usage in some schools in 82. When I was growing up it was a Jewish usage.
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