Kentucky goes P.C. on B.C., A.D.

The Kentucky State Board of Education has recommended textbooks in the state include the secular dating abbreviations of B.C.E. and C.E. alongside the traditional Christian-based B.C. and A.D.

B.C.E., or Before Common Era, and C.E., for Common Era, have become popular among academics and some historians, largely because B.C., or Before Christ, and A.D., Anno Domini, in the year of our Lord, are based on Christianity.

According to a report in the Lexington Herald-Leader, one member of the Kentucky panel, David Webb, attempted to pass an amendment that would prevent the inclusion of the new terms, but the majority of board members voted against it last week.

"Dates throughout history have been referred to as B.C. and A.D.," Webb, who abstained from the curriculum vote, told the local paper. "It's also some degree of a faith-based issue. Especially this Easter season, I thought it was inappropriate for us to reference this."

The Kentucky recommendation proposes the use in textbooks of both designations, so a reference, for example, might be notated 700 B.C./B.C.E.

"I would want my child to have familiarity with both terms," board member Hilma Prather is quoted as saying. "I could not vote for the deletion of one or the other; I would like the inclusion of both."

Anissa Willis, a Lexington, Ky., parent, told the Louisville Courier-Journal using C.E. and B.C.E. is "more in keeping with academia."

"That seems appropriate to me, and it's also much more universally recognized," said Willis, an Episcopal priest.

The recommendation now has to go through a public hearing process. It could go into effect as soon as the 2006-2007 school year.

Martin Cothran, senior policy analyst with the Family Foundation of Kentucky, opposes the recommendation.

"Not only will this lead to confusion on the part of the students, but this is a not-so-subtle way of hiding the substantial influence of religion in the history of Western civilization," Cothran told the Louisville paper. "Our schools should not be in the business of hiding things from students; they should be in the business of revealing things to them."

The American Family Association yesterday sent an e-mail alert to its supporters about the issue.

"[The action] opens the door for the ACLU to find a liberal activist judge who will forcefully remove the use of B.C. and A.D.," warned the traditional-values group. "The ACLU types will claim that the use of B.C. and A.D. are a violation of the First Amendment because it dates history based on the birth of Christ."

AFA has an online poll asking Americans if they agree with replacing the traditional dating convention.

Royal Ontario Museum abandons Christian dating system for James ossuary

As WorldNetDaily reported, last year Australia's Department of Education changed its policy to use B.C.E. and C.E., and, in 2002, the Canadian museum displaying an ancient box purported to be the ossuary of Jesus' brother James dumped the designations of B.C. and A.D. to mark the calendar, opting instead for the more "modern and palatable" terms of B.C.E. and C.E.

If you'd like to sound off on this issue, please take part in the WorldNetDaily poll.

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Previous stories:

P.C. boots B.C. from history test

'Jesus box' museum goes PC by dumping B.C.