Ukwenza Uphando Ngokumiselwa Kwemeko Yomntu Kusengaphambili

KUTHENI abantu bekholelwa kangaka kwilishwa? Ukutyhubela iminyaka, abantu baye bazama ukutyhila iintsonkotha zobomi baze bafumane injongo yokwenzeka kweziganeko ezithile. Umbhali-mbali uHelmer Ringgren uthi: “Yiloo nto eyavelisa amabinzana athi ‘thixo’, ‘ukumiselwa kwemeko kusengaphambili’ nelithi ‘amabona-ndenzile,’ kuxhomekeka ekubeni ezi ziganeko zenziwe ngamandla omntu kusini na, okanye lulungelelwano nje oluzenzekelayo, okanye akukho lungelelwano nje kwaphela.” Imbali izaliswe ziinkolelo, amabali neentsomi eziphathelele ilishwa nokumiselwa kwemeko kusengaphambili.

Ingcaphephe yembali yeAsiriya neBhabhiloni yamandulo uJean Bottéro uthi: “Phantse zonke iinkalo zobomi bethu ziphenjelelwa yimpucuko yelaseMesopotamiya,” esongezelela uthi “iindlela zangaphambili abantu ababewajonga ngazo amandla angaphezu kwawemvelo nonqulo olwalukho ngaphambili,” zazifumaneka kwiMesopotamiya okanye iBhabhiloni yamandulo. Zasekwa kwalapha iinkolelo eziphathelele ilishwa.

Imvelaphi Yamandulo Yelishwa

Phakathi kwamabhodlo aseMesopotamiya, kungokunje ebizwa ngokuba yi-Iraq, abembi bezinto zakudala bafumana ezona ncwadi zindala kwimbali yabantu. Amawakawaka amacwecwe abhalwe ngoonobumba abatsobhileyo asenza sicacelwe ngendlela ekwakuphilwa ngayo mandulo phayaa eSumer naseAkkad nakwisixeko esidumileyo saseBhabhiloni. Umembi wezinto zakudala uSamuel N. Kramer uthi amaSumeri “ayekhathazwa kukubandezeleka kwabantu, ingakumbi ngoonobangela bako.” Ukufuna kwawo iimpendulo kwawabangela avela nale nkolelo yelishwa.

Kwincwadi yakhe ethi Babylon, umembi wezinto zakudala uJoan Oates uthi “mntu ngamnye eBhabhiloni wayenothixo okanye uthixokazi wakhe.” Abantu baseBhabhiloni babekholelwa ekubeni oothixo “babemisela iimeko zabantu bonke kusengaphambili, ezomntu ngamnye nezabo xa bebonke.” UKramer uthi, amaSumeri ayekholelwa ukuba “oothixo abalawula indalo yonke babequlunqa baze benze ububi, ubuxoki nogonyamelo bube yinxalenye yempucuko.” Ukukholelwa kwilishwa kwakuxhaphakile ibe kwakuyeyona nto ibalulekileyo.

AmaBhabhiloni ayecinga ukuba kufuneka uvumise ukuze wazi izinto ezicetywe ngoothixo—“ndlela leyo ebubuchule bokunxibelelana noothixo.” Ukuvumisa kwakubandakanya umzamo wokuxela ikamva kusengaphambili ngokondela, ngokufunda nangokuchaza izinto neziganeko. Ngokuqhelekileyo kwakudla ngokuhlolisiswa amaphupha, ubomi bezilwanyana, neenyama zazo zangaphakathi. (Thelekisa uHezekile 21:21; Daniyeli 2:1-4.) Iziganeko ezingalindelekanga nezingaqhelekanga ekwakusithiwa zityhila ikamva zazibhalwa kumacwecwe odongwe.

Omnye umphengululi ongumFrentshi wamandulo, uÉdouard Dhorme, uthi, “xa sibuyela umva kwimbali yeMesopotamiya yamandulo, sifumanisa ukuba kwakukho abavumisi kwanokuvumisa.” Ukuvumisa kwakuyeyona nto ibalulekileyo ebomini. Enyanisweni, uNjingalwazi Bottéro uthi, “yonke into yayiphononongwa ibe yayisetyenziselwa ukuvumisa . . . Kwakucingwa ukuba ngandlela ithile emva kohlolisiso olucokisekileyo ikamva linokufunyanwa kwindalo ebonakalayo.” Ngaloo ndlela abantu baseMesopotamiya babezimisele ekuvumiseni ngeenkwenkwezi njengendlela yokuchaza ikamva.—Thelekisa uIsaya 47:13.

Ukongezelela, abantu baseBhabhiloni babesebenzisa amadayisi namaqashiso xa bevumisa. Kwincwadi yakhe ethi Randomness, uDeborah Bennett uthi ezi zinto zazisetyenziselwa “ukunqanda ukuba kungabikho mntu ulawula omnye ibe zaziza kuvula ijelo elicacileyo ukuze oothixo bakwazi ukudlulisela ukuthanda kwabo.” Noko ke, izigqibo zoothixo kwakucingwa ukuba zinokuguquka nanini na. Ukuze usinde ekwehlelweni yinto embi kufuneka ukhunge koothixo.

Ilishwa KwiYiputa Yamandulo

Kwinkulungwane ye-15 ngaphambi kweXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo, kwakukho unxibelelwano phakathi kweBhabhiloni neYiputa. Unqulo olunento yokwenza nelishwa lwaluphakathi konaniselwano ngezithethe. Kwakutheni ukuze amaYiputa akwamkele ukukholelwa kwilishwa? UJohn R. Baines, ongunjingalwazi kwizifundo ezinento yokwenza neYiputa yamandulo kwiYunivesithi yaseOxford, uthi, “ubukhulu becala unqulo [lwamaYiputa] lwaluquka izinto ezingalindelekanga nelishwa.”

Phakathi koothixo abaninzi bamaYiputa, uIsis wayechazwa “njengenkosazana yobomi, umlawuli welishwa nokumiselwa kweemeko kusengaphambili.” AmaYiputa ayevumisa esebenzisa neenkwenkwezi. (Thelekisa uIsaya 19:3.) Omnye umbhali-mbali uthi: “Ubuchule bawo xa ebeka umbandela koothixo babungenakulinganiswa nanto.” Noko ke, iYiputa yayingekokuphela kwelizwe elafumana le ngcamango eBhabhiloni.

IGrisi NeRoma

UJean Bottéro uthi, ngokuphathelele imibandela yonqulo, “iGrisi yamandulo yangenelwa kukhanyo olweza neBhabhiloni.” UNjingalwazi Peter Green uchaza isizathu sokuba abantu baseGrisi bakholelwe ekumiselweni kweemeko kusengaphambili: “Ekubeni ihlabathi lalingazinzanga, nabantu bengafuni kubopheleleka ngezigqibo abazithabathayo, kuba becinga ukuba bangoonomgogwana nje, abasiwa ngapha nangapha yinkolelo entsonkothileyo nengaguqukiyo yeLishwa, ngoko bayigqala imimiselo yobuthixo [ilishwa elilawulwa ngoothixo] njengenye yeendlela zokuchazwa kwekamva lomntu ngamnye kusengaphambili. Oko kumiselwe liLishwa kwakunokuqikelelwa, ukuba nje kwakusenziwa ngobuchule nengqiqo. Loo nto isenokuba iyalumeza kumntu oyiphulaphuleyo; kodwa kuba eyixelelwe kusengaphambili, uyakwazi ukuzilungiselela.”

Ngaphezu kokuqinisekisa abantu ngekamva, ukukholelwa kwilishwa kuye kwafeza nezinye iinjongo ezingalunganga. Ingcamango yelishwa iye yathimba iingqondo zabantu ibe ngenxa yaloo nto umbhali-mbali uF. H. Sandbach uthi, “inkolelo yokuba ihlabathi lalixhomekeke ngokupheleleyo kuLwalathiso Lobuthixo yayithandwa ludidi olulawulayo.”

Kutheni kunjalo? UNjingalwazi Green uthi le nkolelo “yayiyindlela yokuzithethelela—ngemilinganiselo yokuziphatha, ngonqulo, neelwimi—yenkqubo yezobupolitika: yayiyindlela enamandla nechuliweyo yokulawula abantu eyakha yasetyenziswa ngamaGrike. Isibakala sokuba izinto zisenzeka ngamabona-ndenzile sasithetha ukuba zazimiselwe ukuba zenzeke ngolo hlobo kusengaphambili; ibe ekubeni abantu belawulwa ngumthetho wendalo, yonke into emiselwe kusengaphambili ayinakuze isilele.” Enyanisweni, “yayisele iyinto ekusithelwa ngayo ukuze kuphathwe kakubi abantu.”

Isibakala sokuba ilishwa lijongwa njengento eqhelekileyo sibonakala kuncwadi lwamaGrike. Phakathi kweencwadi zamandulo ezinemibongo, iintsomi nemidlalo—ilishwa laliyeyona nto iphambili apho. Kwiintsomi zamaGrike, ukumiselwa kwekamva lomntu kusengaphambili kwakumelwa ngoothixokazi abathathu ekwakusithiwa ziiMoirai. UClotho wayephotha umsonto wobomi, uLachesis yena wayegqiba ngokuba umntu uza kuphila ixesha elingakanani aze uAtropos abunqamle ubomi xa liphelile ixesha obebubekelwe lona. NamaRoma ayenoothixo abathathu awayebabiza ngokuba ziiParcae.

AmaRoma namaGrike ayezimisele ukwazi ukuba ikamva lawo laliya kuba njani. Ngenxa yoko, afumana ukusebenzisa iinkwenkwezi nokuvumisa eBhabhiloni aza ongezelela amasolotya kuko. AmaRoma ayesithi iziganeko azisebenzisela ukuthelekelela ikamva ziiportenta okanye imiqondiso. Imiyalezo eyayifumaneka kule miqondiso yayibizwa ngokuba ziiomina. Ngenkulungwane yesithathu ngaphambi kweXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo, ukuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi kwakuxhaphakile eGrisi ibe ngowama-62 ngaphambi kweXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo, amaGrike aqalisa ukuchaza ikamva ngokujonga iinkwenkwezi. Kangangendlela amaGrike awayekuthanda ngayo ukuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi, uNjingalwazi Gilbert Murray, uthi ukuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi “kwawangena amaGrike ngathi sisifo esitsha sisasulela abantu besiqithi esikwanti.”

Efuna ukwazi ngekamva, amaGrike namaRoma ayesebenzisa amakhubalo noosiyazi. Ayecinga ukuba le yindlela oothixo ababenxibelelana ngayo nabantu. (Thelekisa IZenzo 16:16-19.) Zawenza ntoni ke ezi nkolelo? Isithandi sobulumko uBertrand Russell wathi: “Abantu boyika abathemba nto; eyona nto babeyiphilela kukubalekana nelishwa kunokuba benze nantoni na entle.” Kwakuphikiswana ngezinto ezilolo hlobo kwiNgqobhoko.

“AmaKristu” Axubusha Ngelishwa

AmaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala ayephila phakathi kwabantu ababephenjelelwe ngamandla ziingcamango zamaGrike namaRoma eziphathelele ukumiselwa kwezinto kusengaphambili nelishwa. Ngokomzekelo, abo kuthiwa ngabaSeki beCawa, ubukhulu becala babesebenzisa iincwadi zezithandi zobulumko zamaGrike uAristotle noPlato. Elinye iqhina ababezama ukulicombulula lelokuba, Udibana njani uThixo owazi yonke into, onamandla, ‘okuxelayo kwasekuqaleni okungasemva,’ noThixo oluthando? (Isaya 46:10; 1 Yohane 4:8) Baqiqa ngelithi, ukuba uThixo wayesazi kwasekuqaleni isiphelo, ngokuqinisekileyo wayazi kusengaphambili into yokuba umntu wayeza kuwela esonweni aze afumane imiphumo eyintlekele.

UOrigen, owayephakathi kwababhali abanesiphiwo abangamaKristu bangaphambili, wathi enye into emele ikhunjulwe kukuba umntu unelungelo lokuzikhethela. Wabhala: “Eneneni, kukho izicatshulwa ezininzi eZibhalweni ezibonisa ngokucacileyo ukuba umntu unelungelo lokuzikhethela.”

UOrigen wathi ukuthi izinto esizenzayo ziphenjelelwa ngamandla athile “akuyonyaniso ibe kukungaqiqi, umntu othetha loo nto akafuni kusamkela isibakala sokuba umntu unelungelo lokuzikhethela.” UOrigen wathi ngoxa uThixo enokuzazi kusengaphambili iziganeko ngokulandelelana kwazo, loo nto ayithethi ukuba zibangelwa nguye okanye kukho injongo yokwenzeka kwazo. Noko ke, asingabo bonke abavumelana naye.

Omnye uMseki weCawa onempembelelo uAugustine (354-430 C.E.), wayenza yanzima le nto ngokuphikisa isibakala sokuba ilungelo lokuzikhethela linegalelo ekwehleni kweziganeko. UAugustine wayifaka le nto kwiNgqobhoko njengento yobuthixo. Iincwadi zakhe, ingakumbi ethi De libero arbitrio, zaziyeyona nto kwakusoloko kuthethwa ngayo kumaXesha Aphakathi. Kuzokuyekwa ukuthethwa ngazo ngexesha loHlaziyo, xa iNgqobhoko yayingaboni ngaso-nye kumbandela wokumiselwa kwekamva kusengaphambili.a

Le Nkolelo Isehlabathini Lonke

Iingcamango eziphathelele ilishwa, azipheleli nje eNtshona. Xa echaza ukukholelwa kwawo kwikamva, amaSilamsi amaninzi athi “mektoub”—okuthetha ukuba kubhaliwe kwathiwa—xa ejamelene nentlekele. Nangona iicawa ezininzi zaseMpuma zibethelela ukuba umntu unegalelo kwikamva lakhe kodwa zikho iindawo ezifaka ukumiselwa kusengaphambili kwiimfundiso zazo.

Ngokomzekelo ikarma yamaHindu namaBhuda, yinto engaphephekiyo ebangelwa zizenzo zomntu kubomi bangaphambili. ETshayina kwafunyaniswa iincwadi zakudala eziseluqweqweni lofudo nezazisetyenziswa xa kuvunyiswa. Ilishwa lalikwakho phakathi kweenkolelo zabantu bomthonyama bamazwe aseMerika. Ngokomzekelo, ama-Aztec avelisa iikhalenda zokuvumisa ekwakujongwa kuzo ikamva lomntu ngamnye. Eny’ indawo exhaphake kuyo inkolelo yokumiselwa kusengaphambili yiAfrika.

Ukwamkelwa ngokubanzi kwale ngcamango yelishwa kubonisa ukuba umntu unemfuno esisiseko yokukholelwa kumandla angasentla kwakhe. UJohn B. Noss, uthi kwincwadi yakhe ethi Man’s Religions: “Zonke iinkonzo zithi umntu akakwazi, ibe akanakukwazi ukuzimela, enoba ziyibonisa ngayiphi indlela loo nto. Unxulumene yaye uxhomekeke kumandla eNdalo okanye akwiButho labantu angenguye. Enoba uyiqonda kakuhle okanye iyamsithela loo nto, uyazi ukuba akanakuwafumana kuye amandla ibe akanakuzahlula kwabanye abantu.”

Ngaphezu kokuba sifuna ukukholelwa kuThixo, sikwakufuna ngamandla ukuqonda izinto ezisingqongileyo. Noko ke, kukho umahluko phakathi kokuhlonela uMdali onamandla onke nokukholelwa ukuba umisela ikamva lethu ngokungenakuguqulwa. Thina sinayiphi indima kwindlela eliya kuba yiyo ikamva lethu? UThixo yena unayiphi indima?

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

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Ikhalenda yaseBhabhiloni yokuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi, ngowe-1000 B.C.E.

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Musée du Louvre, Paris

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AmaGrike namaRoma ayekholelwa ukuba ikamva lomntu lalimiselwa ngoothixokazi abathathu

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Musée du Louvre, Paris

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UIsis waseYiputa, “umlawuli welishwa nokumiselwa kusengaphambili”

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Musée du Louvre, Paris

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Imibhalo yokuqala yamaTshayina eyafunyanwa kwiqokobhe lofudo yayenzelwe ukuvumisa

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Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica, Taipei

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Ibhokisi yasePersi enemiqondiso yeenkwenkwezi

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Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum