Iparadesi Engenazingxaki—Ngaba Liphupha Nje?
“AKUZOLE ngako!” Le ndawo yayibonakala kumahlathi ompayini ngaphesheya kweRedfish Lake kwilizwana laseIdaho, eUnited States, yayizole ngokwenene. “Ndicinga ukuba iparadesi imele ukuba nje,” watsho njalo omnye umkhenkethi.
Ilanga laligqats’ ubhobhoyi kunxweme olusemazantsi esiqithi saseCyprus esikwiMeditera. Amaza ayebetha kuhle ngaselunxwemeni. Luhleli kwivenkile yokutyela eyayiphezu kweliwa ngaphesheya kwalo mhlaba mhle, olunye undwendwe lwathi: “Olu luqobo lweparadesi!”
Uninzi lwethu luzixabisa gqitha iinkumbulo ezifana nezi. Kodwa kubemi balapha licace okwekat’ emhloph’ ehlungwini elokuba iingxaki eziqhubeka kuloo mmandla zigqumelela nobo buparadesi bayo: ukutshiswa kweentshinyela zamahlathi akwiiNtaba iiRocky, ukungcoliswa kweelwandle okuchaphazela iintlanzi ibe kuphela luchaphazela nabantu—singasathethi ke ngongquzulwano lwamazwe ngamazwe nolwasekuhlaleni olusongela ubomi.
Iparadesi—Yintoni?
Ucinga ukuba injani iparadesi? IThe New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary ithi kwingcaciso yayo yokuqala: “Ngumyezo wase-Eden ochazwe kwiGen[esis] 2, 3.” Oku kubhekisela kwingcaciso ekwincwadi yokuqala yeBhayibhile engommandla uThixo awabeka kuwo umntu wokuqala uAdam. Loo Paradesi yamandulo, yayizaliswe yimithi “enqwenelekayo ngokukhangeleka, nelungele ukudliwa.”—Genesis 2:9.
Ingcaciso yesibini yeso sichazi-magama inxulumanisa “iparadesi” “neZulu, ekuthethwa ngalo kwizifundo zakwalizwi zamaKristu namaSilamsi” kodwa yandula ke yongezelele ngelithi: “Oko sele kubumbongo.” Noko ke, kulo mkhenkethi nakolu ndwendwe, iparadesi “yayingummandla ogqwesileyo ngobuhle okanye oyolisayo,” ngcaciso leyo eyeyesithathu kwezo zikwesi sichazi-magama.
Igosa laseburhulumenteni lenkulungwane ye-16 eBritani uMhlekazi uThomas More labhala incwadi enomxholo othi Utopia apho lachaza khona ilizwe lamaphupha elinemithetho, urhulumente nemeko yentlalo esemagqabini. Ukubhenca ubuntsomi bayo namhlanje iWebster’s New Collegiate Dictionary ithi xa icacisa “i-Utopia [iLizwe Lemibono]” “yinkqubo engancedi nto yokuphucula ibutho labantu.”
Kubalandeli benkokeli yehlelo lePeople’s Temple uJim Jones, iUtopia yathetha ukufa kwabantu eGuyana. Okulusizi kukuba, ngowe-1978 le paradesi babeyijonge ngamehlw’ abomvu yaba lithunzi lokufa kwabangaphezu kwama-900 kubo—enjani intlekele ukuhambisa umzimba! Oku kuye kwaphumela ekubeni, maxa wambi abantu badibanise ingcamango yeparadesi namahlelo awenza izinto ezishiya abantu bebamb’ ongezantsi.
Kwihlabathi elibhuqwa lulwaphulo-mthetho nogonyamelo, apho izifo zenz’ intw’ enye ebantwini abakhulileyo nasebantwaneni, nalapho intiyo neeyantlukwano ezingokonqulo ziqhekeza ibutho labantu, ukubakho kweendawo ezibukekayo kusoloko kufana nje nobuhle bekhiwane. Akumangalisi ukuba abantu becinga ukuba iparadesi liphupha nje! Kodwa loo nto ayikhange ibathintele abanye abantu ekuzameni ukufumana okanye bazenzele iparadesi. Baye baphumelela ukusa kuwuphi umkhamo?