Isihogo Somlilo—Ngaba Siyavutha Okanye Siyacima?

UMSHUMAYELI ongumProtestanti uJonathan Edwards wayedla ngokoyikisa abemi ababehlala kumazwe angamaThanga aseMerika ngenkulungwane yama-18 ngendlela awayesichaza ngayo isihogo. Wakha wachaza umbono apho uThixo wayejingisa aboni phezu kwamadangatye ngokungathi bazizigcawu ezenyanyekayo. Lo kaEdwards walikhalimela ibandla lakhe wathi: “Yeha moni, ujinga ngomsonto ocekethekileyo, ekuvutha amadangatye  engqumbo kaThixo kufuphi nawo, anokuwuqhawula nanini na, aze awutshise uqhawuke.”

Noko ke, kungekudala emva kokuba uEdwards enze loo ntshumayelo yakhe idumileyo, ngokungathi kunjalo, amadangatye esihogo aqalisa ukucima.a Incwadi ethi The Decline of Hell, nguD. P. Walker, iphawula ukuba “malunga namashumi amane eminyaka kwinkulungwane ye-18 imfundiso yokuthuthunjiswa ngonaphakade kwabo bagwetyiweyo yayiphikiswa esidlangalaleni.” Ebudeni benkulungwane ye-19, amadangatye esihogo aqhubeka ecima, yaye phakathi kwinkulungwane yama-20, imbono kaEdwards yokuba isihogo ‘siliziko lomlilo apho amaxhoba aso athuthunjiswa ngokukrakra ezingqondweni zawo nasemizimbeni yawo ngonaphakade’ yayeka ukuba ngundaba-mlonyeni. Umcholacholi weendaba uJeffery Sheler, uphawula oku, “Ngenxa yokuhlaselwa ziinkcuba-buchopho zanamhla nokufiphaliswa ngamadangatye aseHiroshima nokuBulawa Kwabantu Ngenkohlakalo, indlela esichazwa ngayo isihogo yayeka ukoyikisa ngendlela eyayifudula isoyikisa ngayo.”

Kwakhona abashumayeli abaninzi abawuthandi kangako umlilo nesalfure. Iintshumayelo ezinamandla ezoyikisayo zesihogo zanyamalala kumaqonga okushumayela eecawa eziphambili zeNgqobhoko. Kwinkoliso yabafundi bezakwalizwi, isihogo siye saba sisifundo esiphelelwe lixesha abangenakuzimisela bafunde ngaso. Kwiminyaka ethile eyadlulayo umbhali-mbali wecawa wayesenza uphando ngesihogo eza kufundisa ngaso eyunivesithi, wakhangela kwizalathiso zeencwadi zabaphengululi ezahlukahlukeneyo. Akazange afumane nto ithetha ngesihogo. Ngokutsho kwephephancwadi iNewsweek, lo mbhali-mbali waqukumbela ngelithi: “Isihogo sanyamalala. Yaye akukho bani wakuphawulayo oko.”

Ukubuya Kwesihogo

Ngaba sanyamalala? Asizange sinyamalale ngokupheleleyo. Okumangalisayo kukuba kwiminyaka yakutshanje imfundiso yesihogo iye yaphinda yangundaba-mlonyeni kwezinye iindawo. Uhlolisiso lwezimvo eMerika lubonisa ukuba inani labantu abathi bayakholelwa kwisihogo landa ukususela kuma-53 ekhulwini ngowe-1981 ukuya kuma-60 ekhulwini ngowe-1990. Xa usongezelela koku ukwanda kweenkonzo zonqulo emhlabeni wonke ezishumayela ngesihogo, kuyacaca ngokwenene ukuba ukubuya ngamandla kwengcamango yesihogo kwiNgqobhoko kuyinto ekho kuwo wonke umhlaba.

Kodwa ngaba oku kubuyiswa kwale ngcamango kuchaphazela amarhamente kuphela okanye ngaba kuyabachaphazela nabefundisi? Isibakala sikukuba indlela uJonathan Edwards awayesishumayela ngayo isihogo kwiminyaka engama-250 eyadlulayo ayizange iyekwe ngokupheleleyo ngabanye abefundisi beNgqobhoko abasadla ngendebe endala. Ngowe-1991, iU.S.News & World Report yaphawula oku: “Kwanaphakathi kwamanye amahlelo eenkonzo zonqulo aphambili, kukho izinto ezibonisa ukuba abafundi bezakwalizwi baqalisa ukucinga nzulu ngengcamango yesihogo kunokuba bebenjalo kumashumi eminyaka.” Ngokucacileyo, emva kweminyaka emininzi yokusityeshela, kwakhona isihogo somlilo sijongwa njengento ebalulekileyo ehlabathini lonke. Noko ke, ngaba kusathethwa ngaso njengesivutha amadangatye?

Imibuzo Ephakamayo

Umfundi wezakwalizwi uW. F. Wolbrecht akazange athandabuze: “Isihogo sisihogo, yaye nokuba umntu angathini ayisokuze ijike ingcamango yentshabalalo engunaphakade.” Abantu abaninzi abahamba iicawa abaqinisekanga. Nangona bengabuthandabuzi ubukho besihogo, banayo imibuzo ngobunjani besihogo. Omnye umfundi wezakwalizwi uyavuma: “Nam, andibuthandabuzi ubukho besihogo, ekukho ubungqina baso obucacileyo eBhayibhileni, kodwa ukuba sinjani na ngokwenene kuyingxaki.” Ewe, kubafundi bezakwalizwi kwanakubantu nje, namhlanje umbuzo ayisenguwo othi, “Ngaba sikho isihogo?” kodwa ngulo, “Siyintoni isihogo?”

Unokuphendula njani? Yintoni oyixelelweyo ngobunjani besihogo? Yaye kutheni amaKristu anyanisekileyo enengxaki ngale mfundiso?

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Cover: Dore’s illustration of Tumult and Escape for Dante’s Divine Comedy

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Dore’s illustration of Devils and Virgil for Dante’s Divine Comedy