03-16-2004, 03:47 AM
On the radio today, in a programme called 'Beyond Belief', I heard a woman confidently assert that Jesus was in fact, born 'at sunset, on the 5th of May, 5 BC'. Now I thought that kind of faux-accuracy was funny, but it was a discussion about astrology, so she amused me further by going on to say his birth chart foretold great things.<br>
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Off the subject, I suppose, though I am aware that the BC/AD dating system has its faults. I think that sort of criticism misses the point though.<br>
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Whether it starts on the correct date, or is wrong by up to six or even seven years, the AD/BC dating still recognises the birth of Christianity - the single most powerful cultural force in the Western world for the last two thousand years. There are few traditions with that kind of weight and such a thing should not be discarded lightly. Or at all, if I had my way.<br>
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My worry is that the B/CE creation is in fact part of the trend to deny or apologise for western Christian culture - the sort of thing that has led to Easter posters being banned in libraries by some councils in England. I know Jewish people who find this kind of embarrassment silly and, yes, patronising. Christians do not need to find a dating system that does not offend other religions. Believe me when I say that for the most part, this kind of thing baffles those from different faith traditions. I mentioned the Soviet union's attempt to change the calendar because this B/CE business really did remind me of it. It hurts no one and if it aint broke, don't fix it.<br>
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I do have another, semantic objection, which is that the CE name is as soulless and arrogant as modernism. I thought the term 'Post-modernism' was laughably lacking in historical perspective, but what on earth could create a PCE culture? Or will this be the Common/Current era for another two thousand years?<br>
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Conn<br>
<br>
<p></p><i></i>
<br>
Off the subject, I suppose, though I am aware that the BC/AD dating system has its faults. I think that sort of criticism misses the point though.<br>
<br>
Whether it starts on the correct date, or is wrong by up to six or even seven years, the AD/BC dating still recognises the birth of Christianity - the single most powerful cultural force in the Western world for the last two thousand years. There are few traditions with that kind of weight and such a thing should not be discarded lightly. Or at all, if I had my way.<br>
<br>
My worry is that the B/CE creation is in fact part of the trend to deny or apologise for western Christian culture - the sort of thing that has led to Easter posters being banned in libraries by some councils in England. I know Jewish people who find this kind of embarrassment silly and, yes, patronising. Christians do not need to find a dating system that does not offend other religions. Believe me when I say that for the most part, this kind of thing baffles those from different faith traditions. I mentioned the Soviet union's attempt to change the calendar because this B/CE business really did remind me of it. It hurts no one and if it aint broke, don't fix it.<br>
<br>
I do have another, semantic objection, which is that the CE name is as soulless and arrogant as modernism. I thought the term 'Post-modernism' was laughably lacking in historical perspective, but what on earth could create a PCE culture? Or will this be the Common/Current era for another two thousand years?<br>
<br>
Conn<br>
<br>
<p></p><i></i>