If you want to skip the rant, start at the list.
There's nothing scientific about dating at all. Science refers to proposing a theory to explain natural phenomenon, testing the theory, attempting to prove yourself wrong, and if you fail at proving yourself wrong often enough, then accepting the theory as fact. Science has nothing whatsoever to do with a dating system, which is completely convention.
With conventions, it doesn't matter what you choose, so long as everyone does the same thing. There is no difference between Americans driving on the right side of the road, and the English driving on the left. However, mix the two together and you get disastrous results. The same is true for dating. Everyone must use the same system, or there is confusion. Hence why the Russians switched over when the Bolsheviks came to power. Where that system comes from doesn't really matter.
I was having a conversation with a classmate recently about a similar topic. He lamented: "It's a shame we don't know when the first farm was built. Then we could base our calendars off of the agricultural revolution, instead of some stupid religious figure's birth date." I countered, "How can you be so inclined towards one particular species? We should start it at the day when the first cell was created. Actually, that would be showing preference to life as a whole, wouldn't it? We should start our calendar on the year when the Sun's first fusion reactions began, the beginning of our solar system. Scratch that, I'm focusing on one particular star in one particular galaxy in the vast universe. Start the calendar at the Big Bang, problem solved." Of course, I was being sarcastic, but he understood my point.
That rant said, I like BC over BCE for a few reasons.
1. It's less letters (I know, I'm lazy)
2. I'm not a fan of PC (though I'll choose PC over MAC any day
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3. It would take quite a bit of work to change everything over.
4. Why not?
5. I'm not sure how many people actually know what AD means, or how many non-English users would recognize BC as "Before Christ." We say the letters, not the words. Is it that insulting to say two letters?
However, I am a fan of writing AD after the date rather than before. It's more consistent that way (though again, I suppose it really doesn't matter).
Seeing as how some people are mildly offended by the actual meanings of BC and AD, however, I propose a change in their meanings. BC should officially stand for Before Constantine, as the emperor was one of the most influential in Roman history, and all BC dates were certainly before his time. AD should stand for... well, I'm out of ideas, so I'll let you folks make that one up.
Of course, no matter what I think, say, or propose, the change to BCE and CE is going to happen, just because it's PC.
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Topic: BC vs BCE (Read 8933 times)