Anonymous (via GotQuestions)
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Vattachal-Vadakketil Thomas John alias V T John
We can say very well BCE is Before Christian Era and CE is Christian Era. When they say BCE is Before Common Era and CE is Common Era they have to explain exact connotation and denotation of the word ''common'' in the name of the Era
Jack Gutknecht
BCE is a way, I believe, of including other religions in the determination of time. Before Common Era. But I like what Ray Comfort says.
Jack Gutknecht
Ray Comfort does indeed use the BC/AD dating system as evidence, framing it as proof that all of history pivots around the entrance of Jesus into humanity.
In his book, Why Would Anyone Follow Jesus?, Comfort explains his approach when someone questions the historical existence of Jesus. He asks them what year it is, and then follows up with, "Since when?" The answer is "since Christ." He argues that the birth of Jesus is the dividing point of history, and no other historical figure—not Napoleon, Shakespeare, or Caesar—was given the honor of splitting time in two .
He repeats this theme in his Living Waters writings, stating that Jesus was so great that "He split time in two," and points out that even the dating system itself testifies to this unique impact .
I.e. Comfort isn't just stating a historical fact about the calendar; he uses it as an evangelistic and apologetic tool. His point is that secular history itself, through its standard dating convention, inadvertently forces people to acknowledge that Jesus is the central reference point for all of human history.