I'm not aware that anybody made extortionate Viking-style demand on English-speaking archaeologists to start using BCE/CE.

It seems to have been their own reasoned choice.

Furthermore, it didn't spread - AFAIK - because of any anti-Christian pressures. It spread beyond archaeology because the idea appealed to more and more people.

That sort of thing isn't legislated. It just happens. Remember when all of the UK was routinely referred to as "England"? Same principle.