For my own benefit I would like to clarify the position.

1. In scientific circles “nothing” means “something” unless it is “absolute nothing”?

2. The “something” from which virtual particles emerge is classed as “nothing”, but not “absolute nothing”?

3. If there had ever been “absolute nothing”, there would be nothing now; but not all scientists agree with this?

4. There are physicists who maintain that “something” could have come from “absolute nothing” because the causality which we observe in the Universe might not apply outside the Universe?

5. There are also physicists who maintain that “something” could have come from “absolute nothing” if we accept that God exists, and created everything”?

There never was nothing.