Dating systems: BC and AD, or BCE and CE?

[Draconis]

Making dating religious-neutral serves the purpose of avoiding the situation of archeolical dating beconing ( pardon a biblical reference) a Tower of Babel. Of course there are some who will ASSUME that everyone will use Christian dating. But what if in a paroxysm of national pride, China starts dating everything in terms of the Chinese Calendar? What if Israeli archeologists decide to stop accomodating the agreed upon system and start using the Jewish calendar with its Leap Months etc. Or Muslims only publish dates according to their frame of reference? The purpose of a commonly agreed on and understood frame of reference is so we all know what we're talking about. I grew up with BC/AD but so what? I understand both systems, I really see no need to start a religious war over what they call years before and after the start point. If anything, having a system with a start point common to ALL humanity and time before it and time after it, probabl;y makes more sense but at tis point will be no less confusing, more so than some system that works forward only from year 1 like the first human or whatever ... whenever that was... What should be our real focus are facts surrounding that which we are dating. It is supreme cultural/religious arrogance to impose the beliefs of one on all others, suggesting that thats the " Right" way and therefore the only important way. Common Era only means a commonly agreed on start point to measure from. How it relates to feet/inches and Godless centimeters/meters is anyone's guess. Only, speaking as an American who grew up with feet/inches and has lived in a country that uses both systems, but officially metric, that you get used to it. Also, America is the only country in the world, to the best of my knowledge, that doesn't use metric officially. In all honesty, is it not more a question of national pride being the most powerful nation on earth, at least for now, to keep its national system? Amuricans jes aint gonna kow tow to no Urapeans. Come on.... this is such a silly topic in so many ways. Focus on the archeology not who's god can beat who's god. Lastly, consider that every civilization has had its own system of dating. When their culture declined and was superceded by another and that new cultures systems, who's to say that in 100 years everyone might be dating according to the Chinese Calendar, or some as yet unforseen dating system. Better we sort that out now with universally agreed upon terminology so we're all on the same page. BC/AD BCE CE? Who cares? What REALLY matters is the question we all have in common, whatever our beliefs: What REALLY happened back then? Arguements like this like similar arguments in past centuries, like " How many persons in God? 1? 3? Only serve to divide us, when we are all one community with a common love of history, just as we are all one species, one humanity. Personal beliefs are that, personal, and ALL beliefs should be respected and KEPT PERSONAL, not imposed on others.