Anti-Christian calendar theory

When discussing the dates of historical events, many writers and scholars now use the term Common Era (abbreviated C.E.) as a substitute for Anno Domini, and the corresponding system of Before the Common Era (B.C.E.) for Before Christ. This terminology is preferred by academics because it does not force the reader or writer to accept Christian theological claims. This is significant because it recognizes that many people in modern society are not of the Christian faith.

This terminology is seen by some Christians as a recent anti-Christian ploy. Some believe that is an attempt by some to "evade the truth" about Jesus as the Christ (messiah and incarnate God).

However, the term "Common Era" is not a recent coinage, but has been in use since the late 19th century. Indeed, in its article on "Chronology," the 1908 Catholic Encyclopedia uses the sentence: "Foremost among these [dating erae] is that which is now adopted by all civilized peoples and known as the Christian, Vulgar, or Common Era, in the twentieth century of which we are now living." This does not answer the Christian charge against the motivation for the renaming.

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