Common Era.

A few weeks ago while watching a very enlightening TV documentary "The Jewish People - A Story of Survival" this editor noticed that the dates mentioned were accompanied by the calendar designations BCE instead of BC (Before Christ) and CE instead AD (Anno Domini) meaning "In the year of the Lord". The replacement BCE designation stands for Before the Common Era and CE the Common Era. It surprised me that a historical documentary being broadcast in the US would reject a calendar system dating back at least 1,500 years to satisfy modern-day political correctness by removing the connection with Christianity. Although this documentary related to Jewish history, (many of the Jewish faith do not use BC and AD) the very obvious substitution by the film maker seemed a poke in the eye for Christian viewers and unashamedly tried to change history itself. The anomaly demanded I take a closer look at what was happening to our traditional Western/American calendar known as the Gregorian Calendar.

The Gregorian Calendar, with a history as far back as the year 525, uses the year-numbering system introduced by the 6th-century Christian monk Dionysius Exiguus, who started the Anno Domini designation, intending the beginning of the life of Jesus to be the reference date of year one, which has now become the international standard. Before Dionysius, history was associated with a particular ruler or war rather than a date. The Common Era designation did not appear in literary work until a thousand years after Dionysius and was rarely used until the late 20th Century when it was decided by some publishers to be less offensive to non Christian readers. For more on Common Era history click here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Era

It is nothing new that 21st Century America is under a constant attack from politically correct radicals, supported by the mainstream media, and redefining our Christian and conservative values comes as no surprise either. Nothing that encourages these values seems to be off limits. All mention of Jesus is slowly being erased from everyday life in the name of multiculturalism. This example of the rejection of Christian based calendar notations may seem petty to some but it highlights a worrying trend to wipe out 2,000 years of Christian heritage one small step at a time.

It is not just an American phenomena. There was public outrage in Australia a few years ago after news reports of a plan to change classroom text books to the Common Era notation. In 2002 the BCE/CE notation was changed in British textbooks and in 2011 the BBC made the change to all its programming. British universities, museums, historians, and book retailers have also made the change apparently without public outrage. It is also a popular idea with the United Nations even though many of the world's countries that are not predominately Christian embrace the BC/AD notation for convenience and do not seem to be offended by it.

The trend is also appearing now in the United States. In 2006, the Kentucky State School Board, after public outcry, reversed its decision that would have included the designations BCE and CE as part of state law. You can be sure it will rear its ugly head again as part of a liberal agenda for the United States. As with the documentary, school textbooks may already be affected in America, and even in Bradley County. Changes like this in education textbook publishing usually takes place quietly and under the radar. Before parents realize, their children, and history will be changed forever.

Opponents of the change point to the retention of the Christian based calendar numbering system as a major flaw to the idea of the politically correct notations, but maybe the Common Era move is only a first step, with a recalculation of the numbering system to come at a later date. One thing is clear, there is a powerful and determined effort to erase our Christian heritage and change history to fit their political views.

The politically correct crowd don't seem concerned over the offence the changes will cause Christians or traditional America.

But then you would not expect them to.

That's what I think. What do you think?

You can make your feelings known immediately, by commenting on this editorial through our blog, The Grapevine.

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