Ukuqiqa Okusezindabeni

Uphawu Oluphosakeleyo

“Luthini uphawu lwakho?” Loo mbuzo ubaluleke gqitha kwizigidi ngezigidi zabantu abakholelwa kwizicangca “ezineempawu zeenkwenkwezi” ezenziwe ngabavumisi ngeenkwenkwezi. Bakholelwa ukuba ukuma kweenkwenkwezi, kwezijikelezi-langa, kwelanga nenyanga ngokungqamene neengqokelela zeenkwenkwezi ezibumba iimpawu ezilishumi elinesibini ngexesha lokuzalwa kubuchaphazela ngokungqalileyo ubomi bomntu. Phofu ke, ngokutsho kweIndependent yemihla ngemihla yaseLondon, abavumisi ngeenkwenkwezi banika abantu uphawu oluphosakeleyo. Izicangca “ezineempawu zeenkwenkwezi” ezisetyenziselwa ukuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi zisekelwe “kwimithetho” engokuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi eyamiselwa kwiminyaka enokuba ngama-2 000 eyadlulayo.

I-Independent ithi: “Umvumisi ngeenkwenkwezi uya kuxelela abazali bomntwana osandul’ ukuzalwa namhlanje ukuba inkwenkwezi yakhe nguCancer.” Noko ke, ingxelo ithi: “Ukuba endaweni yoko babekhangele ukuma kwelanga esibhakabhakeni, babengafumanisa ukuba eneneni ilanga likuGemini.” Kubangelwa yintoni oku? Izazi ngeenkwenkwezi zithi kubangelwa yinkqubo apho iasi yomhlaba, ngokungathi kunjalo, igungqa ngendlela efanayo netopi xa iSiya iphelelwa. Oku “kugungqa,” kugqiba umjikelo opheleleyo qho kwiminyaka engama-25 800, nto leyo ethetha ukuba ukulingana kwemini nobusuku kuhambela phambili ngamabangana ebakala angama-50 nyaka ngamnye, okanye ngeminyaka engama-72 utyeka kuphela ibakala elinye kwangama-360 enza umjikelo uphela. Ngaloo ndlela, kwiminyaka engama-2 000 edluleyo, ukubonakala kwendlela ilanga elimi ngayo esibhakabhakeni kuye kwasalela emva ngophawu olunye olupheleleyo lwezi mpawu zilishumi elinesibini. Ngenxa yoko, “ukuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi okumayela nokuzalwa sukube kungavisisani nendlela ezibonakala ngayo ezi mpawu esibhakabhakeni ngexesha ubani azalwa ngalo,” utsho njalo uRichard F. Smith kwincwadi yakhe ethi Prelude to Science. Uchaza esithi, “Inkoliso yabantu banamhla ekuthiwa yazalwa xa lalikuScorpio eneneni yazalwa xa lalikuLibra, abaninzi abazalwa xa ilanga lalikuLeo eneneni bazalwa xa lalikucancer, nekuthiwa bazalwa xa lalikucancer bazalwa xa lalikuGemini, njalo njalo.”

Ukungathembeki kwezicangca zeenkwenkwezi nokuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi kubethelela nje kuphela ubulumko bOkukhangela kuMdali kungekhona kwizinto azidalileyo ukuze kufunyanwe ukhokelo. (Roma 1:24, 25) Noko ke, isizathu eside saba sesona sibalaseleyo sokukuphepha ukuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi sikukuba oko kunokukhokelela ekunquleni ‘ilanga, nenyanga nomkhosi wonke wasezulwini, into [uThixo] angawisanga mthetho ngayo.’—Duteronomi 17:2-5.

Xa Kungekho Manzi—Akunakubakho Zinto Ziphilayo

Esi sisigqibo awafikelela kuso uNjingalwazi Norman H. Horowitz, oyinzululwazi eyayibandakanyeke ekuthunyelweni kwesiphekepheke uMariner noViking kwisijikelezi-langa esinguMars ngowe-1965-76.

Kwincwadi yakhe ethi To Utopia and Back: The Search for Life in the Solar System, uNjingalwazi Horowitz wathi izinto ezafunyaniswayo ekuthunyelweni kwezi ziphekepheke zakucombulula ngokucacileyo ukuthandatyuzwa kwento yokuba zikho na iZinto eziphilayo kuMars okanye kuso nasiphi na esinye isijikelezi-langa esikwiphahlothi lelanga. Uthi, “kuMars ayikho la nxalenye iyeyona inkulu kummandla wesijikelezi-langa sethu, iilwandlekazi ezinamanzi ethe thaa kuwo imitha yelanga.” Uphando lwaqinisekisa ukuba akukho manzi kwesi sijikelezi-langa singuMars.

Emva kwamalingelo enziwa ngenyameko awabonisa ukuba akunakwenzeka ukuba kubekho izinto eziphilayo kuMars, lo kaHorowitz wavuma esithi: “Ukungafunyanwa kwezinto eziphilayo kuMars kwadanisa, kodwa kwakukwanento okuyityhilayo. Ekubeni kwiphahlothi lelanga, uMars wabonakala eyindawo ekunokuhlala kuyo izinto eziphilayo, ngoku kungaphantse kuqinisekwe ukuba umhlaba ukuphela kwesijikelezi-langa esinezinto eziphilayo kummandla wethu wekroza.”

Hayi indlela ekufaneleke ngayo ukuba, xa wayebhala ngomhlaba, umprofeti wamandulo uIsaya abe wathi uMenzi wawo ‘wawubumba ukuba umiwe” (Isaya 45:18) Amanzi akhankanywe kwasekuqaleni kwingxelo yeBhayibhile engendalo. Ngokucacileyo, ukwenziwa kwamanzi ngaphambi kokudalwa kwayo nantoni na ephilayo yasemhlabeni kwakufuneka. Njengokuba abo babekwiphulo lokuya kuMars baye bangqina: Ngaphandle kommandla onomoya, apho kungekho manzi, akunakubakho zinto ziphilayo.—Genesis 1:1-10.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]

Ummandla ongenazinto ziphilayo kuMars, owabonwa ngesiphekepheke esingu-“Viking II”

[Inkcazelo]

NASA photo