2006-12-23 14:11:42 · 8 answers · asked by Rascale 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
A.D. makes reference to a specific event, time after Jesus lived. This designation was created by Christians long ago when Christianity was the official state religion in Western countries. Common Era is an artifical term created by people now who want to refer to the A.D. period with a term that has no religious overtones.
The difference between A.D. and Common Era is political and academic. Both terms otherwise denote the same block of history.
2006-12-23 14:15:24 · answer #1 · answered by Underground Man 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The answers above are mostly correct! There IS another alternative, which is B.P.: "Before the Present". It basically means, however many years you have dated an object, etc., from the current day. This WILL differ from both BCE and AD...and keeps changing, obviously, so it's not as convienient, but DOES seem to work for larger blocks of time (say, over 5,000 years).
It's especially useful when dating prehistorical fossils, since it's more accurate AND gives you the sense of increasing distance from the event or time.
2006-12-23 22:46:58 · answer #2 · answered by SieglindeDieNibelunge 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Anno Domini, In the year of the Lord (Latin, ablative), refers to the time construed to have reference to the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The Common Era refers to the same time line, accepts the current calendar in effect, but in acknowledging it, calls it the Common Era, granting that most people use it. It means to divorce the acceptance of the calendar year from the belief implied in the use of Anno Domini.
2006-12-23 22:41:13 · answer #3 · answered by Xpi 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Nothing. The dating system is the same, but some people of non-Christian faiths object to having to refer to time in relation to an event from a different religion.
2006-12-23 22:15:50 · answer #4 · answered by Diocletian 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A.D. can also be Anno Dei.
2006-12-25 02:48:35 · answer #5 · answered by Jake 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Correction: Anno Domini = "in the year of (y)our lord."
2006-12-23 22:25:00 · answer #6 · answered by hznfrst 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
have same meaning just a different expression--A.D. as you say is a Christain expression for time period//C.E. is political correct expression for time period//time period is the same
2006-12-23 22:15:44 · answer #7 · answered by tjdepere2003 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
none. the name is the the only difference. they changed to be more pc and less centered on one person. jesus
2006-12-23 22:20:45 · answer #8 · answered by catchup 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋