Hearing's attendees clamor to use only B.C. and A.D.

By Raviya H. Ismail, Herald-Leader (Lexington, Kentucky), May 31, 2006

The attendees of a public hearing today regarding a recommendation to change the designation of time were overwhelmingly against the measure.

In April, state board of education members approved a proposal to include BCE, or Before Common Era and C.E. for Common Era with the traditionally used terms B.C., or Before Christ and A.D., for Anno Domini, or in the year of our Lord.

The changes are recommendations to curriculum standards for students from preschool through 12th grade. The proposal would use both kinds of dating. For example, a date could read 500 A.D./C.E.

Emotions ran high at the hearing on the issue, which could be revisited by the board at its June 13-14 meeting. Opponents of the bill say it is an attack on their faith.

"The Christians need to stand up for what's right," said Bernie Hardin of Nelson County, "and this is totally wrong. Don't you mess with my beliefs when they've been here since Day One."

Martin Cothran, senior policy analyst with the Family Foundation of Kentucky, a non-profit organization focused on maintaining traditional values, distributed information against the measure to attendees at the meeting. He said that by changing the traditional time references, the board would be diminishing the cultural significance of Jesus.

"There is no compelling reason to blindly follow the political correctness that reigns in our colleges and universities," he said.

The department of education must now draft a statement of consideration, which addresses all of the issues raised at the hearing. The statement could be reviewed by the board in June. After this, the state legislature must vote on the issue.

The recommendations could be in effect as early as the 2006-07 school year.

Only one attendee, Daniel Chejfec of Lexington, spoke in favor of the measure. He said the traditional terms favor Christianity. "I am the enemy. I defend democracy," he said. "I believe religious supremacism leads to 9/11."

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