BC/BCE Page 3

Quote: Briosaid @ 5th March 2018, 10:27 PM

There's nothing to stop anybody having a quiet Sunday if they want.

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Exa-bloody-exactly (as Alan Partridge might exclaim)

In the words of a well known Pink Floyd song albeit slightly ill fitting to the beat we don't need to be told when to chill out. Maybe it's a Sunday or maybe it's Wednesday because I've booked it off well in advance as annual leave to just veg out and that's what makes a mockery of the Sunday Trading laws in this world we live in called.......erm.....earth.

Religion,God,Christ,etc.... all an invention.Just so a few can control every body else.

Quote: Chappers @ 5th March 2018, 11:40 PM

You're all heathens north of the border.

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Heathen, and proud of it!

Quote: Bill Poster @ 6th March 2018, 12:19 AM

Religion,God,Christ,etc.... all an invention.Just so a few can control every body else.

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I look on it all as a nice wee comforting fairy tale. I do kind of envy the believers because it must give a great feeling of security.

Quote: Davida @ 5th March 2018, 11:55 PM

Does rewriting of history in a modern non-offensive way tend to hugely offend you? If so, why? Most politically correct 're-writings' are to get rid of slurs and racist stereotypes directed toward marginalised groups. Are you in one of those marginalised groups that have been the victim of slurs? Would you rather people just disregard political correctness and say whatever they please, no matter who it offends or hurts? You seem concerned that 'someone' is hugely offended by political correctness, and I can't help but think that 'someone' is mostly white males. If you're concerned about yourself being offended why would you not then extend that concern to other groups of people who are offended on the other end of the PC debate? Or are you above those groups?

And how is it indoctrination? Indoctrinating people to slightly modify their word-usage, one word at a time? Like someday if the PC brigade has their way we'll speak only in neutral language and all humanity will be lost? I think we gain humanity when we show respect and concern for people we have previously hurt with our words.

In the case of BC/BCE, it just seems like a matter of anachronism. The etymology of the word outlived its reasonability in modern scientifically-advanced and secular societies, and so we updated the term slightly to compensate. Anachronisms can hold us back, stunt progress, and keep people ignorant. I don't know about you, but that's not my hope for society. As far as religious communities being offended, it makes sense. I'll give you that. I guess they have a stake in it because if their version of the term is used more, then more people will maintain some sort of Christian ideals? A lot of Christianity is about 'spreading the word' and if the word is updated to no longer accord with the Bible's teaching they might become upset that the new word is being spread instead of their own. It seems like a petty complaint to me.

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Ah, the great con of PC: that before it, and without it, no one thought of or was/is aware of the feelings of others.

Avoiding calling a black person a nigger or a gay man a fag is a whole world away from the childish and arbitrary changing of BC to BCE and AD to CE. A completely pointless, tokenistic exercise as they are still relative to the exact same zero point!

I call Easter Ostrich.

Whitsun is Whist Drive and Christmas is Excema.

BCE is not too bad.

The British Comedy Guide isn't called British Comedy.

We are arguing about the difference between a G and an E.

Quote: Aaron @ 6th March 2018, 12:36 AM

Ah, the great con of PC: that before it, and without it, no one thought of or was/is aware of the feelings of others.

Avoiding calling a black person a nigger or a gay man a fag is a whole world away from the childish and arbitrary changing of BC to BCE and AD to CE. A completely pointless, tokenistic exercise as they are still relative to the exact same zero point!

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A world away, indeed. But all under the umbrella of 'political correctness', no? 'Pointless', 'tokenistic' you say, then why do you care one way or another? It's a nothing point. It's one set of people calling something something different to what you're used to calling it. Why should it effect you in the least? I'm with Zooo and Briosade in genuinely not caring. Language changes. There's no stopping that. Are some changes more pointless than others? Most definitely. But why does this particular instance ruffle your feathers?

Quote: Davida @ 5th March 2018, 11:55 PM

Does rewriting of history in a modern non-offensive way tend to hugely offend you? If so, why?
.

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It certainly does if it changes our established history, yes, which obviously a rewriting does. BC and AD in common usage are as old as the English language although AD is Latin. But that's the charm of English, we have Church Latin inserts and anglicised Latin words, many French derivations and Teutonic and Norse. Many of our words and terms have existed for many centuries like the ones in question, so to change them in a 20 period because some prickly types object to their outdatedness is really pretty offensive. Why don't you learn to respect tradition and customs instead of wanting to ditch it all for the sake of minorities? Let's not forget that meaning, the vast minority.

Quote: Davida @ 5th March 2018, 11:55 PM

And how is it indoctrination?

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Because you're forcing your secularism on many people who don't want it. Just like the church-all religions did to spread their religious beliefs over centuries.

Quote: Aaron @ 6th March 2018, 12:36 AM

Ah, the great con of PC: that before it, and without it, no one thought of or was/is aware of the feelings of others.

Avoiding calling a black person a nigger or a gay man a fag is a whole world away from the childish and arbitrary changing of BC to BCE and AD to CE. A completely pointless, tokenistic exercise as they are still relative to the exact same zero point!

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Well said Aaron, and speaking of zero - how do you explain why it its year 0? Deny that that person ever existed who "caused" the renumbering of the years?
Let's not have a year zero then and start year dot at say 50,000 years ago, so this year would be 52018.
Pointless, as is changing BC to BCE.

Quote: Davida @ 6th March 2018, 1:51 AM

A world away, indeed. But all under the umbrella of 'political correctness', no? 'Pointless', 'tokenistic' you say, then why do you care one way or another? It's a nothing point. It's one set of people calling something something different to what you're used to calling it. Why should it effect you in the least? I'm with Zooo and Briosade in genuinely not caring. Language changes. There's no stopping that. Are some changes more pointless than others? Most definitely. But why does this particular instance ruffle your feathers?

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Because it is not a natural evolution of language but an enforced dictat from the thought police.

I feel it would be more appropriate to throw away this stupid system for measuring time in "years" of 365/366 days. From now on, they should be called "mujubuns" and each mujubun should be 25 "zimfoxes", with the first mujubun dating from the eruption of Vesuvius (when Titus was emperor), prior to which they should be called "jabsnaps".

Hence, we are presently in the mujubun 1940. World War II actually took place from 1860 to 1866, and Oscar Wilde was born in 1775.

Anyone who disagrees with my progressive and volcanically correct proposal is a bigoted, racist, homophobic luddite, Let's just stop whining and stop the discrimination and intolerance. that are so grossly apparent in the current calendar system.

Kenneth for leader! Our new glorious overlord is known!

See! He walks on water!!

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 6th March 2018, 3:12 AM

Because you're forcing your secularism on many people who don't want it. Just like the church-all religions did to spread their religious beliefs over centuries.

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So when atheists 'force their secularism' on religious people that's not right. But when religious people 'force their non-secularism' on atheists or members of other faiths that's all well and good?

Quote: Aaron @ 6th March 2018, 11:14 AM

Because it is not a natural evolution of language but an enforced dictat from the thought police.

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Oh right, I forgot that those pesky scientists and rogue atheists are all members of the thought police. How silly of me. I should be more paranoid.

Bloody atheists. Zealots to give the mediaeval Catholic church a run for its money.