I have a Modest Proposal. Let's date everything from the foundation of New York City as New Amsterdam, 380 years ago. Thus, this would be the year 380 or 381 YONA (Year of New Amsterdam), and pre-foundation dates could be counted as PNA (Pre=New Amsterdam). :)
On Wed, 18 May 2005, Poor, Edmund W wrote:
Are we STILL discussing this?
If mention of religion offends you, too bad. Mention of autofellatio offends me, but I'm not griping.
If you THINK that use of AD/BC implies "endorsement of the truth of Christianity", then you're in a fantasy world. It's just a habit. Many retail stores gear up for the Christmas holidays and even derive a substantial fraction of their income from the Xmas season. Does this mean they ENDORSE Christianity? (Hint: they are just being pragmatic.)
There are many calendars in use, throughout the English-speaking world. Even the ANTI-RELIGIOUS Soviet Union continued to use the same numbering system for years as the (Christian) West. Nobody EVER thought that this usage implied any endorsement (or even TOLERANCE) of religion on their part.
This whole thing smacks of an "anti-religious agenda", rather than any sincere effort towards neutrality. When we couldn't agree on British vs. American spelling, we chose this solution:
- Let each article use one consistent style throughout.
- If I as an American want to write theater and center, I should NOT do
so, if the article already uses theatre and centre.
- Above all, nobody should systematically go through articles purging of
the "hated style".
Ever hear of live and let live? Sheesh!
Uncle Ed _______________________________________________ WikiEN-l mailing list WikiEN-l@Wikipedia.org http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l