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To: thomaswest

That's 4004 BC. Does the fact you added an "E" reveal any bias?


171 posted on 06/22/2006 7:14:28 PM PDT by Tim Long (I spit in the face of people who don't want to be cool.)
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To: Tim Long
Re 171: That's 4004 BC. Does the fact you added an "E" reveal any bias?

Thank you for the correction. You are right about Usher's date; I was wrong.

Calendric dates are rather interesting. There is an international understanding for using the Gregorian Calendar, rather than the Hebrew or Muslim lunar-based calendars, or calendars developed in Asia, based on some "moment to start". Acceptance of the Gregorian calendar did not come easily--many countries rejected it in 1732. There were riots.

The Julian calendar was equally approved "by the Church", and believers of that time struggled to reconcile the little details about how the earth actually moves around the sun. Reality vs faith was recognized by Pope Gregory, and he relied on the "elite" astronomers of his time. They did a good job. Good science triumphed over previous faith doctrine.

Today, BCE = Before the Common Era is internationally recognized for dates. It represents no insult to Jews nor to Christians or Muslims or Hindus or Confusianists. It is used in all religio-cultural traditions as a common basis.

Is there a reason why you are upset about this?

194 posted on 06/22/2006 7:53:04 PM PDT by thomaswest (Humanists are wonderfully moral people, too.)
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