This Sunday’s readings speak of Israel’s rejection of the servants and the very son of the vineyard owner, God. Some British Christians are accusing the influential British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) of turning its back on Britain’s Christian roots by jettisoning the terms B.C. and A.D. in television and radio broadcasts in favor of B.C.E. (Before the Common Era) and C.E. (Common Era).

A retired Anglican bishop told journalists: “This amounts to the dumbing down of the Christian basis of our culture, language, and history.”

The BBC said in an official statement that since it is “committed to impartiality, it is appropriate that we use terms that do not offend or alienate non-Christians.” It described the terms B.C.E. and C.E. as “a religiously neutral alternative to B.C./A.D.,” although critics quickly pointed out that the new terms, like the old, were anchored around the birth of Jesus Christ.

The new policy drew immediate accusations that the network was guilty of political correctness run amok. The BBC’s phone lines were jammed with irate listeners and readers.

The network also drew fire from Britain’s Plain English Campaign, whose spokeswoman, Marie Clair, said “it sounds like change just for the sake of change. . . . It is difficult to see what the point of the changes are [sic] if people do not understand the new terms.”

Source: An article by Al Webb for Religion News Service