Texas State Board of Education plans to scrap BC, AD calendar dating system

TEXAS – A proposed new social studies curriculum in Texas removes the commonly used BC and AD calendar dating system.

The terms meaning “Before Christ” and “Year of Our Lord”, would be written in place of more religiously neutral language.

BC would be replaced by BCE (Before Common Era) and AD would be replaced by CE (Common Era).

Andrew Pearce, a certified social studies teacher, drew attention to the change at the Texas State Board of Education meeting on Monday.

“Biblical authority for BC and AD was created over 500 years after the events described. So it has nothing to do with removing Christ from the calendar, and everything to do with accuracy,” said Rebecca Bell-Metereau, member of the board of directors.

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Barry Strauss, an author and historian at Cornell University, says the widely used dating system was originally invested by a monk in the Middle Ages.

“Year 1 was thought to be the year Jesus was born, now we know he was probably born in 4 BC,” Strauss said.

The Texas Education Agency says the discussion is still early in the process and the issue will likely be debated at length this fall.