“Kodwa Uyahamba!”

ISAZINZULU nomyili ongumTaliyane wenkulungwane ye-16 uGalileo Galilei sathi: “IBhayibhile ifundisa indlela yokuya ezulwini, kodwa ayiyifundisi indlela amazulu asebenza ngayo.” Iinkolelo ezifana naleyo zabangela iingxwabangxwaba phakathi kwakhe neCawa yamaRoma Katolika, eyamtyityimbisela umnwe ngokumthuthumbisa nokumphosa entolongweni. Kwiminyaka enokuba ngama-350 kamva, icawa yakuhlola kwakhona ukumphatha kwayo uGalileo. Okwenzekayo ngomhla kaGalileo kuye kwabizwa ngokuba “kukuphikisana phakathi kwenzululwazi ezuzwe ngamava okoqobo nemfundiso emfamekileyo.”

Namhlanje, abafuni benyaniso banokufunda kumava kaGalileo. Kodwa kwakutheni ukuze kubekho ukuphikisana okulolo hlobo? Ukuhlola iingcamango zenzululwazi ezazamkelekile ngexesha lakhe kuya kusinika impendulo.

Phakathi kwinkulungwane ye-16, kwakucingelwa ukuba umhlaba usisazulu sendalo iphela. Kwakucingelwa ukuba izijikelezi-langa zihamba kwimijikelo ekwizazinge ezigqibeleleyo. Nangona zazingangqinwanga ngokwenzululwazi, ezi ngcamango zamkelwa lunqulo njengenyaniso emiselweyo. Eneneni, inzululwazi ‘neengcamango zayo ezintsonkothileyo’ zazingumtya nethunga nonqulo.

UGalileo wazalelwa kwihlabathi elinjalo yintsapho ehloniphekileyo ePisa ngowe-1564. Uyise wayefuna ukuba afundele ezonyango, kodwa le nkwenkwe ethanda ukwazi yadlwengulwa umxhelo zizifundo zemathematika. Kamva, njengonjingalwazi wenzululwazi, wavelisa imigaqo ethile yokuhamba kwezijikelezi-langa ngezantya eziqingqiweyo. Xa wachazelwayo ngezibonakude zamandulo ezenziwa ngamaDatshi, wayiphucula kakhulu indlela ezenziwa ngayo waza wazakhela esakhe isixhobo esizigqwesayo ezo. Wasijolisa emazulwini waza oko wakufumanisayo wakupapasha kwincwadi yakhe yokuqala, iSidereus Nuncius (Isigidimi Sasemajukujukwini), esazisa isizukulwana sakhe ngeenyanga ezine zikaJupiter. Ngowe-1611 wabizelwa eRoma, apho wadlulisela khona oko wakufumanisayo kwiCollegio Romano (iKholeji yamaRoma) yamaJesuit. Bamwonga ngenkomfa abathi kuyo bakwamkela oko wayekufumanisile.

Iimfundiso Ziyaphikiswa YiCawa

Ngendlela esongelayo, ngaphambi kokuba uGalileo emke eRoma, umJesuit onempembelelo enamandla, uKhadinali Bellarmine, wathi makuphandwe kwiimfundiso zikaGalileo. UGalileo wayekholelwa ukuba indalo ilawulwa yimithetho abantu abanokuyifunda ngophando. ICawa yamaKatolika yayikhaba ngaw’ omane le ngcamango.

Kwanezinye izazi ngeenkwenkwezi zaluchasa uluvo lukaGalileo. Zazikholelwa ukuba kwakungenakwenzeka ngesibonakude ukuba sibonise into yokwenene ibe zathi oko wayekuvelisile kwakuyinkohliso. Omnye umfundisi wade wathi iinkwenkwezi athi wazibona zazakhelwe kwisilanga (lens)! Xa uGalileo wafumanisa ukuba inyanga ineentaba, eqinisekisa ukuba izinto zasezulwini zazingezozazinge zigqibeleleyo, umfundisi uClavius waphikisa ngelokuba inyanga yayigqunywe ngekristale, khon’ ukuze, nangona ubani esenokuzibona iintaba ezikuyo, yayisekwayibhola egqibeleleyo! UGalileo waphendula esithi: “Le yingcamango nje ekhiwe emoyeni, ayinabunyaniso.”

Umdla owaqhubela uGalileo ukuba afunde “iNcwadi Yendalo,” njengoko wasibiza njalo isifundo ngendalo, wamkhokelela ekubeni aye kufuna incwadi yesazi ngeenkwenkwezi sasePoland uNicolaus Copernicus. Ngowe-1543, uCopernicus wayepapashe incwadi eyayisithi umhlaba wawujikeleza ilanga. UGalileo wakuqinisekisa oku. Noko ke, oku kwamenza uGalileo akavumelana nenkqubo eyayisamkelwa yinzululwazi, ziipolitiki nalunqulo lomhla wakhe.

Ngoxa iCawa yamaKatolika yayisebenzisa ulwazi lukaCopernicus lokujonga iinkwenkwezi ekumiseleni imihla, efana ne-Easter, iingcamango zikaCopernicus zazingazange zamkelwe ngokusemthethweni. Iinkokeli zecawa zayixhasa ingcamango ka-Aristotle yokuba umhlaba wawusisazulu sendalo iphela. Noko ke, iingcamango ezintsha zikaGalileo zalucel’ umngeni udumo namandla azo.

Nangona izazinzulu ezizimeleyo kulo lonke elaseYurophu zazisebenzela ukuqinisekisa inkqubo kaCopernicus, zazanelisiwe kukuyixoxa zizodwa. Ngenxa yoko iCawa yamaKatolika ayizange izikhathaze. UGalileo akazange abhale ngesiLatini kodwa wabhala ngesiTaliyane sabantu abaqhelekileyo ibe ngaloo ndlela wazenza zaziwa ngokubanzi izinto awazifumanisayo. Abefundisi bavakalelwa kukuba wayengaceli mngeni bona kuphela kodwa wayecel’ umngeni iLizwi likaThixo.

Asiyoncwadi Yenzululwazi

Kambe ke, ukufumanisa iinyaniso ngendalo iphela enyanisweni akuliceli mngeni iLizwi likaThixo. Abafundi belo Lizwi bayaqonda ukuba iBhayibhile asiyoncwadi yenzululwazi, nangona ichanile xa ichaphazela imibandela yenzululwazi. Yayibhalelwe ukwakha ubumoya babantu abakholwayo, ingekuko ukubafundisa ngolwazi olunzulu ngemichiza okanye izinto ezithile zenzululwazi yokwemvelo. (2 Timoti 3:16, 17) UGalileo wakuvuma oko. Wathi kukho iindidi ezimbini zentetho: amabinzana achanileyo enzululwazi namazwi emihla ngemihla ababhali abaphefumlelweyo. Wabhala oku: “Kuyafuneka ukuba iZibhalo . . . zicaciswe ukuze abantu abaqhelekileyo baziqonde, ukuze kuthethwe izinto ezininzi ezibonakala zahlukile (ngokuphathelele intsingiselo yamagama) kwinyaniso yokwenene.”

Ikho imizekelo yoku kwiindinyana ezahlukahlukeneyo zeBhayibhile. Enye yazo nguYobhi 38:6, apho iBhayibhile ithetha ngomhlaba ‘njengoneentsika nelitye lembombo.’ Bambi baye bakusebenzisa phosakeleyo oku njengobungqina bokuba umhlaba awushukumi. Amabinzana anjalo awabhalelwanga ukucacisa ulwazi olunzulu ngomhlaba, kodwa, kunoko, njengombongo athelekisa ukudalwa komhlaba nokwakhiwa kwendlu, noYehova njengoMakhi Oyincutshe.

Kunjengokuba umbhali ngobomi babantu uL. Geymonat ebonisa kwincwadi yakhe ethi Galileo Galilei: “Abafundi ngezakwalizwi abaneengqondo ezingaphangalelanga ababefuna ukuyiphelelisela inzululwazi kwisiseko sokuqiqa okuseBhayibhileni abayi kwenza nto kodwa kuphela baya kubangela ukuthandatyuzwa kweBhayibhile ngokwayo.” Ngenxa yokuzingca abantu abangoontamo-lukhuni benza kanye oko. Kwathunyelwa ileta kwiOfisi Engcwele ihlab’ ikhwelo lokuba kuphandwe imisebenzi kaGalileo.

NgoFebruwari 19, 1616, kwabekwa phambi kwabafundi ngezakwalizwi abangamaKatolika iingcamango ezimbini ukuba baziqwalasele: (1) “ilanga lisesazulwini sendalo iphela” yaye (2) “umhlaba awukho esazulwini sendalo iphela.” NgoFebruwari 24 bathi ezi ziingcamango zobudenge nezibonisa ukuqhekeka. UGalileo wayalelwa ukuba angabambeleli okanye afundise ngeengcamango ezinjalo.

UGalileo wavalw’ umlomo. YayingeyoCawa yamaKatolika kuphela eyayinxamnye naye kodwa nabahlobo bakhe babengenamandla okumnceda. Wazinikela ngokupheleleyo ekuphandeni. Ukuba upopu wayengazange atshintshwe ngowe-1623, kwakusenokwenzeka ukuba singaphinde sive nto ngaye kwakhona. Noko ke, upopu omtsha, u-Urban VIII, wayeyinkcuba-buchopho nomxhasi kaGalileo. UGalileo weva ukuba upopu wayengayi kuyichasa incwadi entsha. Wada wafumana nethuba lokuthetha nopopu. Emva koku okwakubonakalisa ngokuphandle ukuba upopu wayekulungele ukwamkela iingcamango ezintsha, uGalileo waqalisa ukubhala incwadi.

Nangona incwadi kaGalileo ethi Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems yapapashwa okokuqala phantsi kwephepha-mvume lamaKatolika ngowe-1632, ulangazelelo lukapopu lwaphela ngokukhawuleza. Xa wayeneminyaka engama-70 ubudala, uGalileo wayalelwa ukuba avele phambi kweNkundla yamaRoma yokuNcina Ukholo okwesihlandlo sesibini. Ityala awayerhanelwa ngalo lokubangela uqhekeko lafuna ukuba kuqale kucaciswe ukugunyazisa kwecawa ukupapashwa kwencwadi yakhe, ibe kwemiwa ngento yokuba ngobuqhetseba uGalileo wazifihla iincwadi zokuqala ezazigunyaziswa ukuvalwa kweemfundiso zikaCopernicus. Ekubeni iDialogue yayithelekisa inkqubo yommandla wendalo, kuquka leyo kaCopernicus, kwathiwa yayinxamnye nokuvalw’ umlomo.

UGalileo wasabela ngokuthi incwadi yakhe yayimgxeka uCopernicus. Oko yayikukuzithethelela okubuthathaka, kuba encwadini yakhe kwakunikelwe ubungqina obeyisayo obuxhasa uCopernicus. Ngaphezu koko, kuloo ncwadi amazwi kapopu ayethethwa sisityhakala somntu, uSimplicio, nto leyo eyamcaphukisayo uPopu Urban VIII.

UGalileo Wafunyaniswa Enetyala Lokubangela Uqhekeko

UGalileo wafunyaniswa enetyala. Egula kakade yaye esongelwa ngokuthuthunjiswa ukuba akarhoxi, warhoxa. Eguqe ngamadolo wafunga esithi: “Ndiyafunga . . . iimpazamo endizithethileyo nezibangela uqhekeko . . . andiyi kuphinda ndizithethe kwakhona . . . izinto ezinjalo njengoko zinokundibangela ndirhanelwe ngolu hlobo.” Okubangel’ umdla kukuba, amarhe athi ekuphakameni kwakhe, wabetha umhlaba waza washwantshwatha esithi, “Eppur si muove! [Kodwa uyahamba!]”

Isigwebo sakhe saba kukuphoswa entolongweni nokutshutshiselwa isono sakhe de kube sekufeni kwakhe, okwenzeka kwiminyaka esithoba kamva. Ileta awayibhalayo ngowe-1634 yathi: “Asiyiyo nayiphi na ingcamango yam eyaqalisa ingxwabangxwaba, kodwa yayikukungathandwa kwam ngamaJesuit.”

Ngowe-1822 iincwadi zakhe zakhululwa. Kodwa kwada kwaba ngowe-1979 awathi uPopu John Paul II walihlola kwakhona ibango waza wavuma ukuba uGalileo waye “watsaliswa nzima . . . ngabantu neentlangano zeCawa.” Kwiphephandaba laseVatican, iL’Osservatore Romano, uMario D’Addio, ilungu eliphambili leqela elikhethekileyo elamiselwa nguPopu John Paul II khon’ ukuze liqwalasele kwakhona isigwebo sikaGalileo sowe-1633, wathi: “Into efane ibizwe ngokuthi kukubangela uqhekeko kukaGalileo kubonakala ukuba ayinaso nasiphi na isiseko, nokuba kungemfundiso okanye kuphantsi komthetho wecawa.” Ngokutsho kukaD’Addio, iNkundla yamaRoma yokuNcina Amakholwa iye yagabadela kwigunya layo—iingcamango zikaGalileo azizange zaphule nawuphi na umgaqo okhoyo wecawa. Iphephandaba leVatican lavuma ukuba ukufunyaniswa kukaGalileo enetyala ngenxa yokubangela uqhekeko kwakungenasiseko.

Yintoni esiyifundayo kumava kaGalileo? UmKristu ufanele aqonde ukuba iBhayibhile asiyoncwadi yenzululwazi. Xa kubonakala kukho ukungavumelani phakathi kweBhayibhile nenzululwazi, akafanele abe ezama ukuvisisanisa konke “ukungalungelelani.” Ngapha koko, ukholo lwamaKristu lusekelwe ‘kudaba olungoKristu,’ kungekhona kwigunya elingokwenzululwazi. (Roma 10:17) Ngokubhekele phaya, inzululwazi iyaqhubeka iguquka. Ingcamango ebonakala iphikisana neBhayibhile naleyo ithandwayo namhlanje ngomso isenokubonwa iyimpazamo ize ingafunwa.

Kanti, xa zisalatha kwimeko kaGalileo ukuze zibonise indlela unqulo oluyicinezela ngayo inzululwazi, izazinzulu ziya kwenza kakuhle ukukhumbula ukuba okwafunyaniswa nguGalileo kwakungamkelwa luphando olwalwenziwe ngomhla wakhe. Ngokuchasene neengcamango zelo xesha, iBhayibhile yayivisisana naloo nyaniso. ILizwi likaThixo lalingafanele lihlaziywe. Yaba kukutolikwa phosakeleyo kweBhayibhile yiCawa yamaKatolika okwabangela ingxaki.

Bonke abantu bafanele bashukunyiswe yimvisiswano entle kakhulu nomthetho wemvelo ukuba babe noxabiso olungakumbi ngoMdali, uYehova uThixo. UGalileo wabuza oku: “Ngaba Imisebenzi ayibalulekanga kuneLizwi?” Umpostile uyaphendula: “Iindawo [zikaThixo] ebezingenakubonwa zibonwa kakuhle, ziqondeke, ngezinto ezenziweyo.”—Roma 1:20.