Ngaba Ukunqulwa Kukathixokazi Ongumama Kusaqhubeka?

UKUNQULWA kukathixokazi ongumama kwakusaqhubeka ngemihla yamaKristu okuqala. Umpostile uPawulos wakufumana kukhona e-Efese eAsiya Mayina. Njengoko wayenjenjalo eAtene, esinye isixeko ekwakunqulwa kuso oothixokazi, nalapho wayenikele ubungqina ‘ngoThixo owenza ihlabathi,’ uMdali ophilayo, ‘ongafani negolide nesilivere nelitye, into eqingqwe ngobungcibi nangengcinga yomntu.’ Oku kwakunganyamezeleki kumaEfese, inkoliso yawo eyayinqula uthixokazi ongumama uArtemis. Abo babeziphilisa ngokwenza imifanekiso yetempile yalo thixokazi ngesilivere baphembelela uqhushululu. Kangangeeyure ezimbini, izihlwele zazikhwaza zisithi: “Mkhulu uArtemis wabase-Efese!”—IZenzo 17:24, 29; 19:26, 34.

UArtemis Wase-Efese

AmaGrike nawo ayenqula uArtemis, kodwa owawo akafani ncam noArtemis owayenqulwa e-Efese. UArtemis wamaGrike wayenguthixokazi onyulu wokuzingela nokuzala abantwana. UArtemis wase-Efese wayenguthixokazi wenzala. Ubhazabhaza wetempile yakhe e-Efese wayegqalwa njengenye yezinto ezisixhenxe ezazibukeka ngokumangalisayo ehlabathini. Umfanekiso wakhe oqingqiweyo, ekwakucingelwa ukuba wawa ezulwini, wawummela njengamandla okuzala emntwisiwe, isifuba sakhe sizaliswe zizintlu zamabele amile okwamaqanda. Indlela engaqhelekanga amile ngayo la mabele iye yabangela ukucaciswa kwawo ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo, njengokuthi amela ingqokelela yamaqanda okanye kwanamasende enkunzi yenkomo. Nokuba ingcaciso yiyiphi na, isibakala sokuba umela amandla enzala sicace gca.

Okubangel’ umdla kukuba, ngokutsho kweThe New Encyclopædia Britannica, umfanekiso oqingqiweyo wantlandlolo walo thixokazi “wawenziwe ngegolide, umsimbithi (ebony), isilivere nelitye elimnyama.” Umfanekiso oqingqiweyo odumileyo ka-Artemis wase-Efese, wenkulungwane yesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, umbonakalisa enobuso, izandla neenyawo ezimnyama.

Umfanekiso ka-Artemis wawuthwalwa kuze kutyhutyhwe nawo izitrato. Umphengululi weBhayibhile uR. B. Rackham ubhala athi: “Ngaphakathi kwitempile [ka-Artemis] kwakugcinwe . . . imifanekiso, iitempile nezixhobo zakhe ezingcwele, ezenziwe ngegolide nangesilivere, ezazisithi ngemibhiyozo emikhulu zithwalelwe esixekweni zize zibuyiswe ngomngcelele onobuqheleqhele obungathethekiyo.” Kule mibhiyozo kwakusiza amakhulu amawaka abahambi ngezonqulo besuka kulo lonke elaseAsiya Mayina. Babethenga iitempile ezincinane zalo thixokazi baze bamzukise njengomkhulu, inenekazi labo, ukumkanikazi, intombi enyulu, “lowo uphulaphula aze aphendule imithandazo.” Kwiimeko ezinjalo, kwafuneka inkalipho engathethekiyo ukuze uPawulos namaKristu okuqala bakwazi ukuphakamisa “uThixo . . . owenza ihlabathi,” kunoothixo noothixokazi abenziwe ‘ngegolide nesilivere nelitye.’

Ukusuka Kuthixokazi Ongumama Ukuya “Kumama Kathixo”

Yayingabadala bebandla lamaKristu lase-Efese abo umpostile uPawulos wabaxelela kusengaphambili ngowexuko. Walumkisa ukuba kwakuya kuvela abawexuki baze bathethe “izinto ezigwenxa.” (IZenzo 20:17, 28-30) Phakathi kweengozi ezazihleli zisisisongelo e-Efese kwakukho eyokubuyela kunqulo lukathixokazi ongumama. Ngaba oku kwenzeka ngokwenene?

KwiNew Catholic Encyclopedia sifunda oku: “Njengendawo eyayityelelwa ngabahambi ngezonqulo, iEfese yayigqalwa njengendawo awangcwatyelwa kuyo [umpostile] uYohane. . . . Esinye isithethe, esabonwa liBhunga lase-Efese (ngowama-431), sinxulumanisa iNtombi Enyulu uMariya oSikelelweyo neNgcwele uYohane. Indlu yecawa elalikuyo eli Bhunga yayibizwa ngokuba yiCawa kaMariya.” Enye incwadi yamaKatolika (Théo—Nouvelle encyclopédie catholique) ithetha “ngesithethe esincomekayo” sokuba uMariya wapheleka uYohane ukuya e-Efese, apho wachitha khona bonke ubomi bakhe. Kutheni oku kunxulumana kuthiwa kukhona phakathi kwe-Efese noMariya kubalulekile kuthi namhlanje?

Masiyekele iThe New Encyclopædia Britannica iphendule: “Ukunqulwa kukamama kaThixo kwafumana ifuthe lako xa iCawa yamaKristu yaba yicawa engokwaseburhulumenteni ngaphantsi koConstantine zaza izihlwele zabahedeni zathontelana ukuza ecaweni. . . . Ukuhlonel’ uthixo kwazo nenzondelelo yazo ngonqulo yayakhiwe ukutyhubela iinkulungwane ngonqulo ‘lukamama omkhulu’ onguthixokazi ‘nentombi enyulu enguthixo,’ nto leyo eyaqala emva phayaa ukususela kwiinkonzo ezidumileyo zakudala zaseBhabhiloni naseAsiriya.” Yiyiphi indawo elunge ngakumbi kune-Efese unqulo lukathixokazi ongumama “olwalunokungeniswa kubuKristu” kuyo?

Ngaloo ndlela, kwakuse-Efese, ngowama-431 C.E., okwathi oko kufane kubizwe ngokuba libhunga leecawa zonke kwavakalisa uMariya njengo-“Theotokos,” igama lesiGrike elithetha “umzali kaThixo,” okanye “uMama kaThixo.” INew Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Ukusetyenziswa kwesi sibizo yiCawa ngokungathandabuzekiyo kwakubalulekile ekukhuleni kwemfundiso nozinikelo kuMariya kwiinkulungwane kamva.”

Amabhodlo “eCawa yeNtombi Enyulu uMariya,” apho lalihlanganisene khona eli bhunga, asenokubonwa nanamhlanje kwindawo ethile kwiEfese yamandulo. Kunokutyelelwa necawa ekuthiwa, ngokutsho kwesithethe, yayiyindlu uMariya awayehlala nawafela kuyo. Upopu Paul VI wazityelela ezi tempile zikaMariya e-Efese ngowe-1967.

Ewe, iEfese yayisisazulu sokuguqulwa konqulo lwabahedeni lukathixokazi ongumama, olufana nolo uPawulos wadibana nalo ngenkulungwane yokuqala, ukuba lube lunqulo olunenzondelelo lokuhlonelwa kukaMariya “njengoMama kaThixo.” Ngokuyintloko kungokuhlonelwa kukaMariya okuthe ukunqulwa kukathixokazi ongumama kwaqhubeka kukho kumazwe eNgqobhoko.

Ukunqulwa Kukathixokazi Ongumama Kusekho

IEncyclopædia of Religion and Ethics icaphula umphengululi weBhayibhile uW. M. Ramsay njengoqiqa ngokuthi “kwinkulungwane yesihlanu imbeko eyayinikelwa kwiNtombi Enyulu uMariya e-Efese yayiluhlobo [oluhlaziyiweyo] lonqulo oludala lwabahedeni lwaseAsiya Mayina lothixokazi ongumama.” IThe New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology ithi: “Iingcamango zamaKatolika ‘zikamama kaThixo’ ‘nezikakumkanikazi wamazulu,’ nangona zabakho mva kuneT[estamente] E[ntsha], zineengcambu ezindala ezingokonqulo nezingokwembali eMpuma. . . . Ekuzukisweni kukaMariya kwamva kukho imizila yonqulo lukamama kathixo lobuhedeni.”

Le mizila mininzi kakhulu yaye ingokweenkcukacha ukuba ibe ingaba yazenzekela. Ukufana okukhoyo phakathi kwemifanekiso eqingqiweyo kamama nomntwana yeNtombi Engcwele uMariya nemifanekiso eqingqiweyo yoothixokazi babahedeni, abanjengoIsis, iyephawulekayo. Amakhulu emifanekiso eqingqiweyo nemifanekiso yonqulo kaMadonna Omnyama kwiicawa zamaKatolika ehlabathini lonke ikhumbuza umfanekiso oqingqiweyo ka-Artemis. Incwadi ethi Théo—Nouvelle encyclopédie catholique ithi ngezi Ntombi Zimnyama Zinyulu: “Zibonakala ngathi zaziziindlela zokudlulisela kuMariya okwakusasele kunqulo olwaluthandwa lukaDiana [Artemis] . . . okanye uCybele.” Imingcelele yoMhla Wokunyukela kweNtombi Enyulu uMariya ezulwini nayo iyafana nemingcelele yokunikela imbeko kuCybele noArtemis.

Kwa-amagama abizwa ngawo uMariya asikhumbuza oothixokazi abangoomama babahedeni. UIshtar wayebizwa ngokuthi “Ntombi Enyulu Engcwele,” “Nenekazi Elibekekileyo,” nokuthi “mama onenceba ophulaphula imithandazo.” UIsis noAstarte babebizwa ngokuthi “Kumkanikazi Wezulu.” UCybele wayenconywa ngokuthi “Mama Wabo Bonke Abangcwele.” Zonke ezi zibizo, ngaphandle kokwahluka okungephi, ziyasetyenziswa kuMariya.

IVatican II yakhuthaza ukunqulwa “kweNtombi Enyulu Engcwele.” Upopu John Paul II udume ngozinikelo lwakhe olungenakugungqiswa kuMariya. Ebudeni bokukhenketha kwakhe, akaze alibale ukutyelela iitempile zikaMariya, kuquka leyo kaMadonna Omnyama yaseCzestochowa, ePoland. Ubeke ihlabathi liphela ngaphantsi kwenkuselo kaMariya. Ngoko ke, akumangalisi ukuba ngaphantsi kombandela othi “Mother Goddess” (Thixokazi Ongumama), iThe New Encyclopædia Britannica ibhala oku: “Kwakhona eli gama liye lasetyenziswa kubantu abaninzi abanjengooVenus bexesha elibizwa ngokuba yiStone Age noMariya iNtombi Enyulu.”

Kodwa ukuhlonela kwamaRoma Katolika uMariya asikokuphela kwendlela okuye kwahlala kukho ngayo ukunqulwa kukathixokazi ongumama ukuza kuthi ga kumhla wethu. Ngendlela ebangel’ umdla, abaxhasi benkqubo yokulwela amalungelo abafazi baye babhala uncwadi oluninzi ngokunqulwa koothixokazi abangoomama. Bakholelwa ukuba abafazi baye bacinezelwa ngokungenalusini kweli hlabathi apho amadoda alawula abafazi ngolunya nokuba unqulo oluphakamisa abafazi lubonisa ukufuna koluntu ihlabathi elingenalugonyamelo kangako. Kwakhona babonakala bekholelwa ukuba namhlanje ihlabathi beliya kuba yindawo elunge ngakumbi nenoxolo ngakumbi ukuba belityekele ekunikeni abafazi amalungelo.

Noko ke, ukunqulwa kukathixokazi ongumama akuzange kuzise uxolo kwihlabathi lamandulo, yaye akusayi kuzisa uxolo namhlanje. Ngaphezu koko, abantu abangakumbi nangakumbi namhlanje, enyanisweni izigidi ezinxulumana namaNgqina kaYehova, zeyisekile kukuba eli hlabathi alisayi kusindiswa nguMariya, kungakhathaliseki ukuba zimhlonela kwaye zimthanda kangakanani na njengomfazi othembekileyo wenkulungwane yokuqala owafumana ilungelo elimangalisayo lokuzala nokukhulisa uYesu. Kwaye amaNgqina kaYehova awakholelwa ukuba uMbutho Wokulwela Amalungelo Abafazi, nangona ezinye zezinto ozilwelayo zisenokuba sengqiqweni, unokuzisa ihlabathi elinoxolo. Oko akulindela kuThixo uPawulos awathi ngaye kubantu baseAtene nabase-Efese, “uThixo . . . owenza ihlabathi neento zonke ezikulo.” (IZenzo 17:24; 19:11, 17, 20) Lo Thixo unguSomandla, ogama lakhe linguYehova, uthembise ihlabathi elitsha elizukileyo apho kuya ‘kuma ubulungisa,’ yaye ngentembelo sinokukholosa ngedinga lakhe.—2 Petros 3:13.

Mayela nembono yeBhayibhile ngendima yomfazi phambi koThixo nendoda, lo mbandela uza kuxutyushwa ngokubhekele phaya kweli phephancwadi.

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UASHTORETI—Uthixokazi wamaKanan wesini nemfazwe

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Musée du Louvre, Paris

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UARTEMIS—Uthixokazi wenzala wase-Efese

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Musei dei Conservatori, Rome

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“UMAMA KATHIXO” ohlonelwa yiNgqobhoko

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Chartres Cathedral, France