Why do I see arfcommers us B.C.E. instead of B.C.? - Page 2

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Why do I see arfcommers us B.C.E. instead of B.C.? (Page 2 of 3)

Posted: 8/11/2011 10:26:30 AM EDT

[#1]

I don't recall seeing it used much, but I could care less.

BCE is pretty damn close to BC; it conveys the same meaning so who gives a fuck?

The whole "winter celebration" kind of bothers me sometimes though, and I'm not even a Christian

Speed

Posted: 8/11/2011 10:26:45 AM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:

Quoted:

What is "PC" is expecting someone who used BCE and CE in their daily work or in stuff they read, to have to translate to "American" just to be accepted as cool enough for GD. That is the very definition of "PC."

Who are these people that use BCE and CE in their daily work?

Because in all my BA and MA history work we never, ever, used it. I have heard the term used seriously once, in 7th grade, at a Jewish center by a staff member talking about history and mostly explaining what the hell BCE/CE was. Then never again outside of "who the hell uses this?" discussions.

And it can be crazy leftist historians either because I had a prof who was a straight up communist and he never used it. I figure it must be people in the smaller crazier liberal arts majors but I don't think they're really considered people anyway.

I don't know - nothing I deal in goes back far enough for it to matter. It is recognized as a standard used in some fields by the Chicago manual of style, though - and I have read things that used it. Have you seriously not come across it in Masters level history work?

Posted: 8/11/2011 10:28:11 AM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I remember in college durin the PC 90's I saw this in a text book. It stands for Before Common Era rather than Before Christ. Even if you are not Christian why on earth would you satisfy the PC gods of the 90's by using this term?

They're part of a distinct group of arfcommers who are restricted to being "unique" in order to establish self worth.

Like many liberals, they failed to learn to distinguish themselves by deed. It's obvious and pitiful.

...or it could just be something used by people who don't see why the entire timeline of human civilization should be based on the life of one dude.

Except those people are still using a system based on that. They just changed the terms. It's still based on the same thing. It's like saying "Frak you!" to somebody and when they complain about you cursing you argue that you didn't because you didn't say "fuck" even though everybody knows that's what you meant.

The only way you're not going to have our entire timeline based on the life of one dude is if we pick an entirely new numbering system. Other countries have, in fact, done this. Usually based on their own cultural references.

Posted: 8/11/2011 10:32:34 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:

Quoted:

What is "PC" is expecting someone who used BCE and CE in their daily work or in stuff they read, to have to translate to "American" just to be accepted as cool enough for GD. That is the very definition of "PC."

Who are these people that use BCE and CE in their daily work?

Because in all my BA and MA history work we never, ever, used it. I have heard the term used seriously once, in 7th grade, at a Jewish center by a staff member talking about history and mostly explaining what the hell BCE/CE was. Then never again outside of "who the hell uses this?" discussions.

And it can be crazy leftist historians either because I had a prof who was a straight up communist and he never used it. I figure it must be people in the smaller crazier liberal arts majors but I don't think they're really considered people anyway.

I don't know - nothing I deal in goes back far enough for it to matter. It is recognized as a standard used in some fields by the Chicago manual of style, though - and I have read things that used it. Have you seriously not come across it in Masters level history work?

Nope. Although 90% of the stuff I've ever done at MA level was obviously AD so I didn't put it down anyway. In BA work it was all BC/AD and nobody seemed to care. And I honestly never bothered to look it up in the Turabian style guide.

Posted: 8/11/2011 10:34:01 AM EDT

[#5]

The BCE/CE thing is pretty childish.

If you wanted to be childish right back, you'd explain CE stands for Christian Era.

Posted: 8/11/2011 10:36:41 AM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:

Quoted:

What is "PC" is expecting someone who used BCE and CE in their daily work or in stuff they read, to have to translate to "American" just to be accepted as cool enough for GD. That is the very definition of "PC."

Who are these people that use BCE and CE in their daily work?

Because in all my BA and MA history work we never, ever, used it. I have heard the term used seriously once, in 7th grade, at a Jewish center by a staff member talking about history and mostly explaining what the hell BCE/CE was. Then never again outside of "who the hell uses this?" discussions.

And it can be crazy leftist historians either because I had a prof who was a straight up communist and he never used it. I figure it must be people in the smaller crazier liberal arts majors but I don't think they're really considered people anyway.

I don't know - nothing I deal in goes back far enough for it to matter. It is recognized as a standard used in some fields by the Chicago manual of style, though - and I have read things that used it. Have you seriously not come across it in Masters level history work?

Nope. Although 90% of the stuff I've ever done at MA level was obviously AD so I didn't put it down anyway. In BA work it was all BC/AD and nobody seemed to care. And I honestly never bothered to look it up in the Turabian style guide.

When did you do your school work? It's been pretty standard for about 10-15 years..... pretty coincident with the explosion of the internet and the globalization of infromation and general world-wide acceptance of the western calendar.

Some folks here are just WAY thin-skinned.

Posted: 8/11/2011 10:37:33 AM EDT

[#7]

Geologists use "mya" = "million years ago" since using BC or AD or BCE is too insignificant an amount of time in terms of earth years.

ETA: I've also seen "BP" which = "before present".

Posted: 8/11/2011 10:40:21 AM EDT

[#8]

FWIW, first Archeology journal for which I could find a free article online - the American Journal of Archeology - uses CE.

http://www.ajaonline.org/sites/default/files/AJA1144_Hingley.pdf

Posted: 8/11/2011 10:40:26 AM EDT

[#9]

When can we start using Stardates? Jim Kirk was so ahead of his time.

Posted: 8/11/2011 10:43:32 AM EDT

[#10]

Now that I know it annoys people, I might just start using it.

Posted: 8/11/2011 10:47:03 AM EDT

[#11]

I've got a small library of ancient history. BCE is common enough that calling it PC is wrong. It's very commonly used.

Posted: 8/11/2011 10:48:51 AM EDT

[#12]

I render dates only in number of seconds since the big bang.

Posted: 8/11/2011 10:52:16 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:

I don't recall seeing it used much, but I could care less.

BCE is pretty damn close to BC; it conveys the same meaning so who gives a fuck?

The whole "winter celebration" kind of bothers me sometimes though, and I'm not even a Christian

Speed

I've seen more P.C. bullshit catering to Christian sensibilities than the opposite.

Posted: 8/11/2011 10:53:18 AM EDT

[#14]

mental masturbation

nothing more

Posted: 8/11/2011 10:53:33 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:

I render dates only in number of seconds since the big bang.

So, what time is it now?

Posted: 8/11/2011 10:56:05 AM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Who gives a flying shit?

The unemployment rate is over 9% and the stock market is going up and down like a crackwhore sucking a dick for a cheeseburger.

I'm not unemployed and I don't really care what the stock market is doing at this specific point in time.

So I've got less important things to worry about.

Posted: 8/11/2011 10:56:19 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I remember in college durin the PC 90's I saw this in a text book. It stands for Before Common Era rather than Before Christ. Even if you are not Christian why on earth would you satisfy the PC gods of the 90's by using this term?

I don't use BCE because I don't recognize the authority of whomever thought they could impose it on the rest of the world.

In other words, I don't condone their exercise of authority.

Amen Brother...

JW 2011 AD––Anno Domini-In the Year of Our Lord...

Posted: 8/11/2011 10:58:30 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I remember in college durin the PC 90's I saw this in a text book. It stands for Before Common Era rather than Before Christ. Even if you are not Christian why on earth would you satisfy the PC gods of the 90's by using this term?

They're part of a distinct group of arfcommers who are restricted to being "unique" in order to establish self worth.

Like many liberals, they failed to learn to distinguish themselves by deed. It's obvious and pitiful.

...or it could just be something used by people who don't see why the entire timeline of human civilization should be based on the life of one dude.

Except that you are still using a reference based on that?

BCE originally stood for "Before Christian Era", and was a recognition of the fact that, based on historical references, Christ wasn't actually born at 0 AD - more like 3 years later (before?). So instead of playing semantic games with "Is that before Christ was really born", historians said "Fuck it - let's just call it "Before Christians" and call it a day. No problem, no disrespect - just accommodating some old calendar errors.

NOW enter the idiots. Because, even though the Christian Era is an historical, verifiable, world changing period of time, it's not acceptable to use "that" word. So they started using "common". Which makes ZERO fucking sense. Common to what? Common is an adjective that, by definition, applied to more than 2 things. WTF is a "common era"? Answer - so people could use standard notation and redefine it like they chose.

Posted: 8/11/2011 11:00:01 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
How about B.M. or Before Me?

Since we have a new Savior it will become BO.

Posted: 8/11/2011 11:01:54 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I remember in college durin the PC 90's I saw this in a text book. It stands for Before Common Era rather than Before Christ. Even if you are not Christian why on earth would you satisfy the PC gods of the 90's by using this term?

They're part of a distinct group of arfcommers who are restricted to being "unique" in order to establish self worth.

Like many liberals, they failed to learn to distinguish themselves by deed. It's obvious and pitiful.

...or it could just be something used by people who don't see why the entire timeline of human civilization should be based on the life of one dude.

Except that you are still using a reference based on that?

BCE originally stood for "Before Christian Era", and was a recognition of the fact that, based on historical references, Christ wasn't actually born at 0 AD - more like 3 years later (before?). So instead of playing semantic games with "Is that before Christ was really born", historians said "Fuck it - let's just call it "Before Christians" and call it a day. No problem, no disrespect - just accommodating some old calendar errors.

NOW enter the idiots. Because, even though the Christian Era is an historical, verifiable, world changing period of time, it's not acceptable to use "that" word. So they started using "common". Which makes ZERO fucking sense. Common to what? Common is an adjective that, by definition, applied to more than 2 things. WTF is a "common era"? Answer - so people could use standard notation and redefine it like they chose.

Except I posted a text from the 18th century that shows the term "common era" has been in use for hundreds of years, and nobody is trying to deny that the common era isn't one based on the Roman and medieval calendar, which has become a global "common" system.

Posted: 8/11/2011 11:11:37 AM EDT

[#21]

BCE vs BC. Meh, use whatever makes you happy.

Here's my question: why do we use an abbreviation of an English phrase - "BC" for "Before Christ", but an abbreviation based on a Latin phrase - "AD" for "Anno Domini", to refer to the periods before and after the birth of Jesus?

Jane

Posted: 8/11/2011 11:13:17 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:

BCE vs BC. Meh, use whatever makes you happy.

Here's my question: why do we use an abbreviation of an English phrase - "BC" for "Before Christ", but an abbreviation based on a Latin phrase - "AD" for "Anno Domini", to refer to the periods before and after the birth of Jesus?

Jane

Because the Latin phrase for "Before The Lord" would be "Ante Domini" and you could see where the confusion would start.

Posted: 8/11/2011 11:16:36 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
BCE vs BC. Meh, use whatever makes you happy.

Here's my question: why do we use an abbreviation of an English phrase - "BC" for "Before Christ", but an abbreviation based on a Latin phrase - "AD" for "Anno Domini", to refer to the periods before and after the birth of Jesus?

Jane

I am pretty sure AD was in use long before BC. The latin speaking elite in the dark ages weren't doing much historical research necessitating dating things that far back. That sloppiness, though, underscores the logic in new terminology that is more inclusive.

Posted: 8/11/2011 11:20:21 AM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:

...never seen this "BCE" stuff.

Yeah, I learned something today. Thanks ARFCOM.

Jeremy

Posted: 8/11/2011 11:20:37 AM EDT

[#25]

bce and ce are very common in anthropological journals. I've had many classes when a mixture of BC/BCE and MYA (millions of years ago) were used.

no need to get your panties up in a twist about it, not everybody hails a carpenter from the early ages as the messiah he's been deified to be by the church.

Posted: 8/11/2011 11:28:15 AM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:

When can we start using Stardates? Jim Kirk was so ahead of his time.

Stardate Calculator
65112.4
Jeremy

Personal Log - Supplemental - I have posted the Stardate calculator for all to see, In hopes that it will further educate people on the correct use of time.

Posted: 8/11/2011 11:29:58 AM EDT

[#27]

I am not Christian..and I don't really care if any uses AD.

AD is becoming like Christmas in western society...it has about NOTHING to do with the faith it was based on anyone. AD is just a term used to mark after a Spiritual teacher who had a large impact on western society was possibly born. Much like Christmas does not mean anything remotely about faith to many millions anymore..it is more of a tradition than anything else.

why waste time over it..

Posted: 8/11/2011 11:30:56 AM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
Same idiots that take a "Winter Holiday" on December 25th.

Notice how they don't actually give a shit enough about their beliefs to walk the walk?

Since Christmas was stolen from us to begin with, and Christ wasn't born a few days after the Solstice anyway, it's possible to celebrate a rather joyous holiday at the same time as everyone else without forsaking our beliefs.

BCE, BC, AL, just as long as everyone agrees on the dates, who cares what they call it? Well, ok - Obviously some people care very much. I'd rather complain about 0bamalamadingdong

Posted: 8/11/2011 11:31:04 AM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:
FWIW, first Archeology journal for which I could find a free article online - the American Journal of Archeology - uses CE.

http://www.ajaonline.org/sites/default/files/AJA1144_Hingley.pdf

Journals are a very small fraction of archaeological technical writing. To use one as an American example, the go-to is American Antiquity. It is sort of the journal by which others are judged and the most prestigious, and they specify A.D or B.C. for corrected dates, which is exactly what will be on the radiocarbon results forms you get, the most commonly used being Beta Analytic. Straight from the horses mouth so to speak.

As far as I've seen in recent non-journal work, the American Antiquity style is the most common. Last time I recall seeing B.C.E. or C.E. was when I was in college back in the early 90s, mostly in anthropological or history books that were not primary literature.

http://www.saa.org/StyleGuideText/tabid/985/Default.aspx

Posted: 8/11/2011 11:35:09 AM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:

Quoted:

The only time I have ever seen it used was my super Lib mega gay TA in my Origins of Buddhism class my freshman year in college.

He got called out on using it, glad I wasn't the only one with this face

in the class.

He stopped after the second or third day and went back to BC due to heckling. Ha!

BCE is like the metric system of dating things. It is an international standard for people not wrapped up in proving how hardcore conservative they are on message boards. It is hardly "PC" since, as noted, it is STILL based on the calendar established in the Christian world. What it does do, though, is correct for the error that every major Christian church of which I am aware has recognized - that the year one was NOT the year Christ was born, after all.

It remains the calendar developed by the Romans, and which is the international standard today.

What is "PC" is expecting someone who used BCE and CE in their daily work or in stuff they read, to have to translate to "American" just to be accepted as cool enough for GD. That is the very definition of "PC."

Fucking facts... GD don't need fucking facts, it need ancient church dogma! FTMFW!!!

Posted: 8/11/2011 12:03:50 PM EDT

[#31]

I didn't start seeing it a lot until I went to college and it was always explained as CE standing for common era. I don't exactly care for that. I still use AD and BC which seems to be accepted enough where most people won't mark you down for using them. I also don't subscribe to the gender neutral crap that popped up in the 1970s or so and seems to be prevalent in academia today. I use the older method with the masculine terms being used for the most part except where the feminine variant is specified. Doesn't seem to be a problem for most professors although a couple of big time Lefties really got upset over it considering it to be "sexist." Whatever.

Posted: 8/11/2011 12:21:59 PM EDT

[#32]

Quoted:
I remember in college durin the PC 90's I saw this in a text book. It stands for Before Common Era rather than Before Christ. Even if you are not Christian why on earth would you satisfy the PC gods of the 90's by using this term?

Atheists created the B.C.E. terminology as a way of erasing history they were not comfortable with.

Posted: 8/11/2011 12:25:15 PM EDT

[#33]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I remember in college durin the PC 90's I saw this in a text book. It stands for Before Common Era rather than Before Christ. Even if you are not Christian why on earth would you satisfy the PC gods of the 90's by using this term?

Atheists created the B.C.E. terminology as a way of erasing history they were not comfortable with.

Seriously, where you guys get this stuff?

Posted: 8/11/2011 12:31:39 PM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:

Quoted:

I remember in college durin the PC 90's I saw this in a text book. It stands for Before Common Era rather than Before Christ. Even if you are not Christian why on earth would you satisfy the PC gods of the 90's by using this term?

Atheists created the B.C.E. terminology as a way of erasing history they were not comfortable with.

Seriously, where you guys get this stuff?

It's a known fact that atheists have tried to pollute our bodily fluids through chlorination of water.
Speed

Posted: 8/11/2011 12:33:08 PM EDT

[#35]

Quoted:

I do it because of the Sandy Mangina Syndrome it causes.

Oh, so you trollin'. Juuust so we're clear.

Posted: 8/11/2011 12:36:28 PM EDT

[#36]

Quoted:

Now that I know it annoys people, I might just start using it.

<hand wringing>But, but, but that would be trolling!</hand wringing>

Posted: 8/11/2011 12:40:22 PM EDT

[#37]

Quoted:

I use am and pm, for ante metamorphoses and post metamorphoses, based on the writing of the poem by Ovid. To convert, simply add zero years to the bc or ad date.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Or is that subract zero years..... It can't be divide by 0...

I have never seen this BCE you speak of anyways.

Posted: 8/11/2011 12:41:20 PM EDT

[#38]

Don't let the trolls troll you.

Posted: 8/11/2011 12:41:57 PM EDT

[#39]

Just read the posts on this thread.

BCE/CE was introduced by people who

A. Don't like having to see any reminder of Christian influence in our culture.

B. People who want to eradicate any trace or reminder of Religion in daily life.

The only guy I.R.L who I knew used that was a stubborn Jewish guy.

So its basically people like Atheists, multi-cultural fags, liberals, communists, non-christians, hippy university professors etc.

AND I say that as an Agnostic!

As much as i distrust religious people I hate multi-cultural fags even more.

Posted: 8/11/2011 12:43:06 PM EDT

[#40]

I'll use whichever one is easier to type.

BC wins.

ZOT!

Posted: 8/11/2011 12:44:17 PM EDT

[#41]

Quoted:
Just read the posts on this thread.

BCE/CE was introduced by people who

A. Don't like having to see any reminder of Christian influence in our culture.

B. People who want to eradicate any trace or reminder of Religion in daily life.

The only guy I.R.L who I knew used that was a stubborn Jewish guy.

So its basically people like Atheists, multi-cultural fags, liberals, communists, non-christians, hippy university professors etc.

AND I say that as an Agnostic!

As much as i distrust religious people I hate multi-cultural fags even more.

So, the only guy you know who uses it, was stubbornly Jewish... and this is how you know it is used by people who don't like religion?

Amazing.

Posted: 8/11/2011 12:49:45 PM EDT

[#42]

Quoted:
Just read the posts on this thread.

BCE/CE was introduced by people who

A. Don't like having to see any reminder of Christian influence in our culture.

B. People who want to eradicate any trace or reminder of Religion in daily life.

The only guy I.R.L who I knew used that was a stubborn Jewish guy.

So its basically people like Atheists, multi-cultural fags, liberals, communists, non-christians, hippy university professors etc.

AND I say that as an Agnostic!

As much as i distrust religious people I hate multi-cultural fags even more.

I take it you skipped one of Bohr's earlier posts, which showed a book from 1708 using "Common Era"?

Posted: 8/11/2011 12:53:28 PM EDT

[#43]

Quoted:

Quoted:
The only time I have ever seen it used was my super Lib mega gay TA in my Origins of Buddhism class my freshman year in college.

He got called out on using it, glad I wasn't the only one with this face

in the class.

He stopped after the second or third day and went back to BC due to heckling. Ha!

BCE is like the metric system of dating things. It is an international standard for people not wrapped up in proving how hardcore conservative they are on message boards. It is hardly "PC" since, as noted, it is STILL based on the calendar established in the Christian world. What it does do, though, is correct for the error that every major Christian church of which I am aware has recognized - that the year one was NOT the year Christ was born, after all.

It remains the calendar developed by the Romans, and which is the international standard today.

What is "PC" is expecting someone who used BCE and CE in their daily work or in stuff they read, to have to translate to "American" just to be accepted as cool enough for GD. That is the very definition of "PC."

fact smackdown––thank you!

i use BCE in academic writing, but BC in everyday language.

Yeah...not sure what happened there... I hope I wasn't lumped in with the chest-thumpers or whatever...my post was to illustrate my confusion since I had never heard of it before then.

Posted: 8/11/2011 12:56:50 PM EDT

[#44]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I remember in college durin the PC 90's I saw this in a text book. It stands for Before Common Era rather than Before Christ. Even if you are not Christian why on earth would you satisfy the PC gods of the 90's by using this term?

They're part of a distinct group of arfcommers who are restricted to being "unique" in order to establish self worth.

Like many liberals, they failed to learn to distinguish themselves by deed. It's obvious and pitiful.

...or it could just be something used by people who don't see why the entire timeline of human civilization should be based on the life of one dude.

Except that you are still using a reference based on that?

BCE originally stood for "Before Christian Era", and was a recognition of the fact that, based on historical references, Christ wasn't actually born at 0 AD - more like 3 years later (before?). So instead of playing semantic games with "Is that before Christ was really born", historians said "Fuck it - let's just call it "Before Christians" and call it a day. No problem, no disrespect - just accommodating some old calendar errors.

NOW enter the idiots. Because, even though the Christian Era is an historical, verifiable, world changing period of time, it's not acceptable to use "that" word. So they started using "common". Which makes ZERO fucking sense. Common to what? Common is an adjective that, by definition, applied to more than 2 things. WTF is a "common era"? Answer - so people could use standard notation and redefine it like they chose.

You do realize that a significant (majority) portion of the world's population is NOT Christian, right?

Posted: 8/11/2011 12:57:49 PM EDT

[#45]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Now that I know it annoys people, I might just start using it.

<hand wringing>But, but, but that would be trolling!</hand wringing>

Congratulations!
Admission is the first step in recovery.

You may find that you benefit from a 12 step program. I wish you luck.

Posted: 8/11/2011 12:59:19 PM EDT

[#46]

I use B.S.S.

Before Site Staff

Posted: 8/11/2011 1:00:43 PM EDT

[#47]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I remember in college durin the PC 90's I saw this in a text book. It stands for Before Common Era rather than Before Christ. Even if you are not Christian why on earth would you satisfy the PC gods of the 90's by using this term?

Atheists created the B.C.E. terminology as a way of erasing history they were not comfortable with.

Seriously, where you guys get this stuff?

"Persecution Complex"

Christians don't get fed to the lions anymore, so they use what they have available to them...

Posted: 8/11/2011 1:02:46 PM EDT

[#48]

Quoted:

Quoted:
The only time I have ever seen it used was my super Lib mega gay TA in my Origins of Buddhism class my freshman year in college.

He got called out on using it, glad I wasn't the only one with this face

in the class.

He stopped after the second or third day and went back to BC due to heckling. Ha!

BCE is like the metric system of dating things. It is an international standard for people not wrapped up in proving how hardcore conservative they are on message boards. It is hardly "PC" since, as noted, it is STILL based on the calendar established in the Christian world. What it does do, though, is correct for the error that every major Christian church of which I am aware has recognized - that the year one was NOT the year Christ was born, after all.

It remains the calendar developed by the Romans, and which is the international standard today.

What is "PC" is expecting someone who used BCE and CE in their daily work or in stuff they read, to have to translate to "American" just to be accepted as cool enough for GD. That is the very definition of "PC."

fact smackdown––thank you!

i use BCE in academic writing, but BC in everyday language.

Yeah...not sure what happened there... I hope I wasn't lumped in with the chest-thumpers or whatever...my post was to illustrate my confusion since I had never heard of it before then.

Well, you did seem awfully excited and proud that a torch and pitchfork mob managed to intimidate a professor.