Most people are unaware that one of the important historical documents of human civilization is remembered on June 19. The Nicene Creed of the Christian faith was adopted by the First Ecumenical Council on June 19, 325 AD in the Bithynian city of Nicaea, now Iznik, Turkey. Roman emperor Constantine desired to unite the Church and maintain peace in the empire after years of civil war. Beginning on May 20 (1700 year ago) the political and religious leaders met for three months. The expenses of the council, including the travel of the bishops, were paid by the imperial treasury. An attendance of 318 was recorded by Athanasius of Antioch.
The crucial religious issue concerned the teachings of Arius. Arius taught that Christ did not exist from all time and was not divine himself. He felt that the Church overemphasized the divinity of Jesus to the detriment of his humanity. Arius was excommunicated by the bishops of Egypt in 319, but he continued to gather followers. This threatened to split the Christian Church. At the Council the teachings of Arius were condemned and the Church promoted fundamental beliefs about God that would define the Christian faith to this day. This creed is accepted among all Christian churches and denominations. Any church or person opposed to the Nicene Creed is not considered Christian.
Condemn means to declare to be reprehensible, wrong, or evil usually after weighing evidence and without reservation. The English language has used condemn in this sense since the 14th century.
Condemn comes from the Latin condemnare. Damnare means to inflict loss on. Con expresses intensive force.
Criticize, reprehend, censure, reprobate, condemn, and denounce all imply openly finding fault.
Criticizing means finding fault with methods or policies or intentions. The group criticized the police for using violence when arresting the mentally challenged woman. In parliaments and legislatures, the opposition parties believe their role is to criticize the government at every turn.
Reprehend suggests both criticism and severe rebuking. The counsellor reprehended the couple for their self-centeredness after the sessions failed to achieve any progress on their relationship.
Censure implies a strong suggestion of authority and of reprimanding. The missing Senator was formally censured by his peers.
Reprobate means strong disapproval or firm refusal to sanction. The parents reprobated the son’s unconventional lifestyle while still trying to maintain love in the relationship.
Condemn suggests an unqualified and final unfavourable judgment. During the protests the students condemned the administration’s response to the situation.
Denounce adds to condemn the implication of a public declaration. The bishop wrote a pastoral letter to the region denouncing abortion.
Condemn used in legal situations means to convict guilty and pronounce sentence or doom. The Supreme Court upheld the decision to condemn the prisoner to death.
Condemn can also mean to judge unfit for use or consumption. The civic committee condemned the old apartment building and voted for its destruction.
In a rarely used meaning condemn can declare property convertible to public use under the right of eminent domain. The province condemned the houses so a new road could be built for the safety of the community.
In a May 28, 2025 article in USA Today entitled Trump offers ‘Golden Dome’ protection to Canada. But there’s a catch., Kathryn Palmer wrote, “The proposal has drawn criticism from experts over its feasibility and cost, while military rivals Russia and China have condemned the project.”
For many people, Christians, individuals, and even churches, should not condemn on their own understanding but only on the clear word of Scripture. But that concept is not easy to discern. The Nicene Creed has become a standard for orthodox Christian belief about God for 1700 years in its implication of condemnation to those who do not believe the statements of the creed.
John would like to know if anyone has a sincere interest in a relevant word that he could possibly research for an upcoming column. If so, please send your requests to [email protected]. Words will be selected according to relevance and research criteria. We cannot confirm that all words will be used.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
