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03-26-2005, 04:57 PM
ALBANY, N.Y. Is B-C history?
A growing number of schools across the country are changing B-C -- which stands for Before Christ -- to B-C-E, or Before the Common Era. A-D -- for anno Domini, Latin for year of the Lord -- is becoming C-E for Common Era.
Many historians and college instructors started using the new forms in the 1980s and now it's found in some school texts.
U-C-L-A professor Gary Nash -- director of the National Center for History in Schools -- says the usage of B-C-E and C-E is fairly common now. He says using the new terms makes sense in the global age.
But some critics say it's all P-C -- for political correctness.
Gilbert Sewall, director of the American Textbook Council, says he finds the trend "distressing," but points out that most major textbook companies have adopted the new terms.
A growing number of schools across the country are changing B-C -- which stands for Before Christ -- to B-C-E, or Before the Common Era. A-D -- for anno Domini, Latin for year of the Lord -- is becoming C-E for Common Era.
Many historians and college instructors started using the new forms in the 1980s and now it's found in some school texts.
U-C-L-A professor Gary Nash -- director of the National Center for History in Schools -- says the usage of B-C-E and C-E is fairly common now. He says using the new terms makes sense in the global age.
But some critics say it's all P-C -- for political correctness.
Gilbert Sewall, director of the American Textbook Council, says he finds the trend "distressing," but points out that most major textbook companies have adopted the new terms.