BCE/CE continues to be used because it is more accurate than BC/AD. Dionysius had no understanding of the concept of zero and neither did Bede. The calendar they dated events from, therefore, is inaccurate. The year 1 AD would follow 1 BC without a starting point for the new chronology of events.

Is AD and CE the same thing?

CE (Common Era) is the secular equivalent of AD (anno Domini), which means “in the year of the Lord” in Latin.

Is CE or AD correct?

CE stands for Common Era or, rarely Christian Era. The word common simply means that it is based on the most frequently used calendar system, the Gregorian Calendar. In usage, AD precedes the date, while CE follows the date, whereas both BC and BCE follow the date—so, AD 1492 but 1492 CE, and 1500 BC or 1500 BCE.

Do we live in AD?

The Western calendar tells us we live in 2019, which is sometimes written AD2018. AD refers to anno Domini, a Latin phrase that means “the year of the Lord. The years before the birth of Christ are numbered backward from his birth. Non-Christians often use the term CE in place of AD.