Stop using B.C.E. and C.E. you cretins!

[say1988]

Nobody freaking cares except the rabid anti-religion types, so leave it

 

[El_Machinae]

The AD/BC system propagates ignorance regarding Jesus and counting, because it implies that Jesus was born AD 0

 

[Formaldehyde]

It is even worse than that because there is no AD 0, unless that is what you were referring to regarding counting.

Year zero does not exist in the Anno Domini system usually used to number years in the Gregorian calendar and in its predecessor, the Julian calendar. In this system, the year 1 BC is followed by AD 1. However, there is a year zero in astronomical year numbering (where it coincides with the Julian year 1 BC) and in ISO 8601:2004 (where it coincides with the Gregorian year 1 BC) as well as in all Buddhist and Hindu calendars.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I know I sound like a Latin teacher advertising his subject now, but Latin is everywhere. All major European languages are influenced by it, and so it helped me a great deal in my later efforts to learn other Romanic languages (not that I want to claim I'm actually able to speak those). Also both English and German, languages I could speak before I picked up Latin, use Latin loanwords to great extent and it's really useful to know the meaning of an unfamiliar word just by identifying its Latin roots.

I also think that the analytical nature of Latin translation (which works quite differently than working with living languages) helps you train your analytical skills overall.

Also, and this is more a personal preference, I found it more interesting to read Caesar, Cicero, Livy and Pliny instead of, I don't know, some contemporary or 19th century French author. Later classes (12th and 13th grade) in French, judging by what my friends were doing, were mainly concerned with boring literary analysis which already annoyed me enough in German classes and made me drop English; in Latin, we discussed history and philosophy instead.

I envy you, having the opportunity to learn Latin in school. I'm stuck trying to do it on my own, since it's not available at the local college, and when I was in high school, the only foreign languages available were French and German.

And what would French get me? Nothing really unique. I had no inclination to live in France, the only relevant country where it is spoken (no offense Africa). Even Spanish is more useful than that.

This part of your post would greatly upset our fellow CFC member Oda Nobunaga and a couple of others. French is used in Quebec and a couple of other provinces in Canada, as well as being on EVERY label on EVERYTHING sold across the country! It's useful to be able to read French if the stock people happen to have put cans and boxes on the store shelves with the French side out. It's rather embarrassing to have to explain to one's father that he was holding a can of pineapple, rather than a can of bananas.

And when instructions for some tech gizmo are badly translated into English, I find it easier to just read the French instructions.

If the terms BC/AD have theological, ecclesiastical significance, then how do the terms "Thursday", "Friday", or "Saturday" influence you? Big 'B' Blasphemy or just little 'b' blasphemy?

You mean Fursday, Fried Egg, and Caturday? What's "blasphemous" about those?

Using the "Oldest known human remains" would still be a religious calender. Somewhere between 10 and 45 percent of Americans are YECs and would be offended

How could an anthropologically-correct calendar be religious?

The thing is, if you are going to keep the exact same dates that were used for BC/AD yet take the Christian references out, that's kind of a slap in the face to the Christian religion.

Is Fahrenheit rolling in his grave because we now use Celsius?

Nobody freaking cares except the rabid anti-religion types, so leave it

This is a really spiteful, nasty thing to say. I'm in favor of taking religion out of many things, but that doesn't mean I'm a "rabid anti-religion type" - it just means I think religion belongs in the home/church, instead of in government, or inflicted on the entire public.


Actually, this year is A.S. XLVI. I can't be the only CFC member who knows what this refers to, I hope...

 

[bhsup]

You mean Fursday, Fried Egg, and Caturday? What's "blasphemous" about those?

How could you forget Sundog?!

 

[GhostWriter16]

@Valka- Its the same line of thinking that tries to take "Under God" out of the pledge of allegiance. Its just so blatantly a "Who cares" thing.

I get not wanting the government to rule based on religion, I agree with you, but let's talk about the important stuff, rather than the pointless stuff that really does not affect your life.

 

[Formaldehyde]

You mean those who added it decades later?

But the entire notion of a pledge of allegiance in a free and open society is beyond ludicrous, with or without the salute that is suspiciously similar to a third Reich salutation.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

How could you forget Sundog?!

I didn't forget Sundog! It's just that El Machinae didn't mention it.

@Valka- Its the same line of thinking that tries to take "Under God" out of the pledge of allegiance. Its just so blatantly a "Who cares" thing.

I get not wanting the government to rule based on religion, I agree with you, but let's talk about the important stuff, rather than the pointless stuff that really does not affect your life.

I agree that the "Under God" part of the American pledge of allegiance has no affect on my life (except that I happen to think it was horribly short-sighted to have stuck it in there in the first place). But are you actually addressing any part of my post? Or is this a veiled attempt to tell me to shut up?

 

[hobbsyoyo]

It's rather embarrassing to have to explain to one's father that he was holding a can of pineapple, rather than a can of bananas.

You buy bananas in a can???

Canada must be an awful place.

 

[bhsup]

Cans of bananas, bags of milk..... THey're just crazy up there!

 

[GhostWriter16]

You mean those who added it decades later?

But the entire notion of a pledge of allegiance in a free and open society is beyond ludicrous, with or without the salute that is suspiciously similar to a third Reich salutation.

In all seriousness, the merits of a pledge of allegiance at all would make an interesting thread. My response would probably be more complex than you'd expect.

I agree that the "Under God" part of the American pledge of allegiance has no affect on my life (except that I happen to think it was horribly short-sighted to have stuck it in there in the first place). But are you actually addressing any part of my post? Or is this a veiled attempt to tell me to shut up?

I wasn't trying to shut you up, sorry, I didn't mean it like that.

In the US, some of the more radical liberals have made issues out of nothing. Of course, radical conservatives do it as well. The "OMG they have "under God" in the pledge of allegiance people annoy me, and the "OMG they are taking the ten commandments off our our courtroom walls, the end is coming soon" people equally annoy me.

It may be different in Canada, but in the US I feel like people are shouting about non issues. Its just, should I say, annoying.

I feel the same way about the years thing. If we are going to use a system that is based on the date of Jesus' birth, even if an unintentional error was made, to take the Christian elements out of that dating seems to me like a form of censorship. Its almost insulting that people would use our system of dating and then remove the reference to where it came from. OK, not really insulting, its not a big deal, but its just annoying. Now, other than perhaps my pro-life views, I am not really trying to keep my religion in the government. For the social conservatives who are really trying to do so, these types of discussions make it worse.

I guess I'm basically saying what the OP is saying, don't tick off the traditionalists except on issues where you actually have reasons to do so. Let them have the less important issues so that when it comes to talking about something that's actually important, they won't be able to complain that we're trying to destroy their religion or something.

I guess I just see it as a non-issue not worth complaining about.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

We had bags of milk in school in North Carolina. But you couldn't buy them at the store.

I strongly object to cans of bananas though.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

You buy bananas in a can???

Canada must be an awful place.

Cans of bananas, bags of milk..... THey're just crazy up there!

Smartypants.

Personally, I buy milk in either cartons, jugs, or bottles. And no, we do NOT have canned bananas. But the French word for pineapple looks a lot like the English word for bananas, so my non-French-literate father got confused.

(btw, we can buy dried banana chips in plastic containers - they're rather tasty)

 

[say1988]

Its the same line of thinking that tries to take "Under God" out of the pledge of allegiance. Its just so blatantly a "Who cares" thing.

Evidently you care. If use of AD/BC matters so little, why does using CE/BCE matter?

 

[hobbsyoyo]

@Valka D'Ur
But would you buy milk in a bag? Because that's just blasphemy.

@say1988
Why? It gives him an excuse to tell us how much we need god in everyday life --> therefore CE/BCE are bad

 

[Oruc]

Nope!

 

[_random_]

Smartypants.

Personally, I buy milk in either cartons, jugs, or bottles. And no, we do NOT have canned bananas. But the French word for pineapple looks a lot like the English word for bananas, so my non-French-literate father got confused.

Don't your fruit cans have pictures on them? I know your cigarettes have pictures of diseased people and what not.

 

[say1988]

Don't your fruit cans have pictures on them? I know your cigarettes have pictures of diseased people and what not.

The labels depend on the brand. Most canned fruit around here tends to have pictures of the fruit, but not all.
For example, No Name is famous for having yellow labels with plain black lettering and no pictures.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

It's just a salute man, based on the roman salute surely

Raising your arm got to be the most successful invention of the Roman Empire

 

[Dachs]

once again a marginally interesting thread has been hijacked by a certain poster into something that is ludicrously off-topic