Hello.
In the Nicene Creed, we say that we believe in all things seen and unseen. What exactly does this mean? Do I have to believe in UFOs and fairies?
Thanks,
Matt
We believe in things that are real but cannot be seen.
I suppose that would include electrons and gravity as well, although I doubt the Nicene Council Fathers thought of that.
Yes, mainly of the supernatural but also natural. We cannot see Heaven or Angels but they are real. Same with the already mentioned examples of science. At the instant of conception a child begins to grow but we do not see the soul’s creation or connection but its there and its real. Although, we can SEE the sperm fertilize the egg.
It also refers to the unknown. The statement glorifies God in his supreme power and omnipotence.
You’re not quite reading it correctly. We don’t say that we “believe in all that is seen and unseen,” we say that we “believe in one God, . . . creator . . . of all that is seen and unseen.” The Creed is not saying that we believe in the things themselves, but that we believe that God created everything there is.
not it implies all things that exist in reality, not fantasy, not at all the same thing. look at the new translation of the Creed that will become part of the Mass in Advent. by the way, the creed does not say we believe in created things, it says we believe in the Creator.
As others might have noted, we say, “We believe in one God, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things seen and unseen.”
Now, the phrase “seen and unseen” is a poor translation from the Latin origin that meant “visible and invisible.”
Come this Advent, the Nicene Creed (as well as much of the U.S. English liturgy) will get a proper makeover, correcting wording (such as this) that was also poorly translated from Latin into English back in the early '70s.
Doesn’t mean that UFOs *might *exist, mind you…but probably better to keep to the idea that God has made a lot of things that we can’t see…such as the little planet where the aliens hide in wait… :takeoff:
Yep and we’ll be going back to that translation beginning the 1st Sunday of Advent.
The point has always been that God made everything both visible (like trees and the world) and invisible (like angels and atoms) and that’s what we profess in the creed.
Seen and unseen I think relies too much upon our sense of sight or perception, which many things about creation and God transcends.
Someone may have already answered this but,
It does not say that [we believe in all things seen and unseen], it says that “we believe in one God the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all that is seen and unseen”.
UFO’s?..fairies? c’mon.
Sorry to beat the dead horse, but the Nicene Creed is:
Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, factorem caeli et terrae, visibilium omnium, et invisibilium.
Which is:
***I ***believe in one God, the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.
– Nicole