Free Republic

The 16th of January 378 C.E. marked a turning point in ancient Maya history. On that day, foreigners arrived in the Maya city of Tikal—in what is now northern Guatemala—and Tikal's king died. Shortly thereafter, the son of the conquering king became Tikal's new ruler.Many archaeologists think these invaders came from Teotihuacan, a metropolis 1000 kilometers away, near what is now Mexico City, famed for its imposing pyramids and sweeping central avenue. But a new discovery in Tikal reveals Teotihuacan may have had an outpost in the Maya city long before possibly conquering it. That bolsters the idea that Teotihuacan’s...

In certain precincts of a world encouraged to embrace differences, Christ is out. The terms "B.C." and "A.D." increasingly are shunned by certain scholars. Educators and historians say schools have been changing the terms "Before Christ," or B.C., to "Before Common Era," or B.C.E., and "anno Domini" (Latin for "in the year of the Lord") to "Common Era." In short, they're referred to as B.C.E. and C.E. The new terms were introduced by academics in the 1990s in public elementary and high school classrooms. Candace de Russy, a national writer on education and Catholic issues and a trustee for SUNY,...

In a world encouraged to embrace differences, B.C. and A.D. are increasingly finding themselves on the wrong end of the religious sensitivity meter. Educators and historians say schools from North America to Australia have been changing the terms Before Christ to Before Common Era and anno Domini (Latin for "year of the Lord") to Common Era. In short, they're referred to as B.C.E. and C.E. The change has stoked the ire of Christian conservatives and some religious leaders who view it as an attack on a social and political order that has been in place for centuries. Ironically, for more...

The GOP sent an email today about AD (Anno Domino) verus CE. They state: Is it 2006 A.D. or 2006 C.E.? Regardless of the designation, the dates begin with the birth of Christ - Jesus of Nazareth. So if someone says it is 2006 C.E. - make sure that they understand that it really means The Christ Era, not The Common Era. But then you can say that they can use 2006 A.D., which stand for in the year of our Lord. Either way, one can introduce Christ into the conversation - which is what the political correctness of C.E....

In yet another measure to remove Christian references from society, not even the calendar year designation is safe. Whether you view it as political correctness run amok or part of the ongoing purge of all things Christian, some organizations including the Kentucky Board of Education are beginning to replace A.D. (anno Domini) with C.E. (common era). Even though the beginning of the historical dating system is the birth of Christ, I guess some feel that using C.E. will help neutralize that fact. What will people think of next??? As noted in the story Kentucky Education Officials Blasted for Modernizing Historical...