The established calendar dating system, which uses the 'AD' notation, is based on the calculations of [[Dionysius Exiguus]] for the birthyear of [[Jesus]] relative to the foundation of Rome.<ref>[http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/calendars.html Index to Calendars, NASA site]</ref> At the time, dates used the 'AD' system instituted by pagan and murderer Emperor Diocletian, which used his own date of birth as year 0. Because Dionysius Exiguus in the year 525 wanted to end the memorialization of an evil man who persecuted Christians, he invented a new numbering system based on his calculations of the birth year of Jesus Christ.
While the use of the phrase "Common Era" has existed for hundreds of years, only recently have [[political correctness|politically correct]] [[liberals]] attempted to replace all instances of 'AD' with 'CE.' The original use of 'CE' was to avoid the common practice of countries basing their dates on when their rulers reached power <ref>ex. 15 years in the rulership of King Steven the Third</ref> or were born, i.e. the "regal era" from the birthdate of Jesus Christ, which belonged to all men "the common era." While use of "Common Era" attempts to erase recognition for the Christian basis of the calendar, there are no similar attempts to erase non-Christian religious names from the calendar, such as the days of the week named after Norse gods. Numerous texts, particularly schoolbooks, have replaced "B.C./A.D." with "Common Era" symbols over the past decade due to increasing diversity among students and recongition that not everyone is Christian.
== References ==