B737-700 PLT HAS CONCERNS REGARDING PROPER MAINT FORMS.

Narrative

MAINT INFORMED US THAT INCOMING WRITE-UP REQUIRED AN ENGINEERING AUTH AND WE HAD A 30 MIN ADVISE. 30 MINS LATER; MAINT ADVISED US THAT ENGINEERING AUTH HAD BEEN RECEIVED AND WE COULD BOARD. MAINT BROUGHT LOGBOOK AND ENGINEERING AUTH TO COCKPIT. LOGBOOK WRITE-UPS WERE SIGNED OFF BUT I POINTED OUT THAT THE ENGINEERING AUTH WAS DATED DEC/XA/06. THE MAINT PERSON INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS 'JUST A TYPO' AND WE WERE CLRED TO GO. I EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT WITHOUT A VALID ENGINEERING AUTH THE ACFT WAS NOT AIRWORTHY. I WAS TOLD THAT NORMALLY THE PLTS DO NOT SEE THE ENGINEERING AUTHS ANYWAY AND WE WERE 'GOOD TO GO.' NOW AS A PLT; I HAVE NO IDEA IF THE ENGINEERING AUTH HAS A TYPO OR IS ACTUALLY NOT VALID UNTIL SOME FUTURE DATE BECAUSE OF AN ENGINEERING CHANGE; FAA RULE; ETC. I AM JUST EXPECTED TO UTILIZE THE BEST 'ATTN TO DETAIL' THAT I CAN IN ORDER TO KEEP SOMETHING FROM SLIPPING THROUGH THE CRACKS AND BECOMING A CAUSAL FACTOR IN A MISHAP. I CALLED THE UNION AND THEY CONFIRMED MY SUSPICION THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT AIRWORTHY WITHOUT A VALID ENGINEERING AUTH IF MAINT REQUIRED AN ENGINEERING AUTH TO SIGN OFF THE LOGBOOK. I TOLD THE CAPT AND THE MAINT PERSON THAT I WOULD NOT FLY THE ACFT UNTIL A VALID ENGINEERING AUTH WAS ISSUED. I CALLED DISPATCH AND INFORMED THEM OF SAME AND GOT OFF THE ACFT UNTIL THE VALID ENGINEERING AUTH ARRIVED. MY CONCERN IS NOT ONLY THAT THIS 'PLT PUSHING' IS OCCURRING BUT THAT NEW PLTS ON PROBATION WILL BE PRESSURED INTO ACCEPTING INVALID PAPERWORK BECAUSE OF THE THREAT OF LOSING THEIR JOBS. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY.