Inzululwazi NeBhayibhile—Ngaba Ngokwenene Ziyaphikisana?
UNOBANGELA wengxabano kaGalileo neCawa yamaKatolika wabakho ngaphambi kokuba uCopernicus noGalileo bazalwe. Imbono yokuba umhlaba usesazulwini kwindalo iphela yayikholelwa ngamaGrike amandulo yaye oko kwasasazwa sisithandi sobulumko uAristotle (384-322 B.C.E.) nesazi nomvumisi weenkwenkwezi uPtolemy (wenkulungwane yesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo).a
Ingcamango ka-Aristotle ngendalo iphela yayiphenjelelwa yingcali yezibalo nesithandi sobulumko esingumGrike uPythagoras (kwinkulungwane yesithandathu ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo). Esebenzisa imbono kaPythagoras yokuba isangqa nento engqukuva zizinto ezigqibeleleyo, uAristotle wayekholelwa ukuba amazulu yayizizangqa eziliqela phakathi kwezinye izangqa, njengeengcamba zetswele. Ucamba ngalunye lwalwenziwe ngekristale, yaye umhlaba usembindini. Iinkwenkwezi zazihamba kwizangqa, zifumana indlela ezifanele zihambe ngayo kwisangqa esisekugqibeleni, apho avela khona amandla kaThixo. Kwakhona uAristotle wayesithi ilanga nezinye izinto ezisesibhakabhakeni zazigqibelele, zingenasiphako kwaye azinakuguquka.
Le ngcamango ka-Aristotle yayivela kwintanda-bulumko kungekhona inzululwazi. Wayevakalelwa kukuba akukho ngqiqweni ukuthi umhlaba uyajikeleza. Kwakhona wayengavumelani nengcamango yokuba kukho isithuba nje esingenanto, ekholelwa kukuba umhlaba ojikelezayo unokukhuhleka entweni uze ubambeke ume ngxi xa kungekho mandla athile awuqhubayo. Kuba ingcamango ka-Aristotle yayibonakala isengqiqweni ngelo xesha, abantu bavumelana naye phantse iminyaka engama-2 000. Kwanangenkulungwane ye-16, isithandi sobulumko esingumFrentshi uJean Bodin sathetha ngale mbono ithandwayo sisithi: “Akakho umntu onengqiqo okanye onolwazi ngemvelo, onokucinga ngomhlaba, onzima nosindayo . . . , njengohambahamba nje . . . kwisangqa sawo neselanga; kuba xa umhlaba unokushukuma nje kancinane, singabona izixeko neenqaba, iidolophu neentaba zisiwa.”
Ingcamango Ka-Aristotle Yamkelwa Yicawa
Ngenkulungwane ye-13 kwaphakama enye ingxabano phakathi kukaGalileo necawa, yaye loo ngxabano yayiquka umphathi wamaKatolika uThomas Aquinas (1225-74). UAquinas wayemhlonela kakhulu uAristotle, owayembiza ngokuba Sisithandi Sobulumko Esiphambili. UAquinas wazama iminyaka emihlanu ukudibanisa ingcamango ka-Aristotle nemfundiso yecawa. UWade Rowland, kwincwadi yakhe ethi Galileo’s Mistake, uthi ngexesha likaGalileo “iimfundiso zika-Aristotle zazingumxube kuba zaziquka iingcamango zika-Aristotle kunye nemfundiso yeCawa yaseRoma.” Kwakhona khumbula ukuba ngezo mini kwakungekho zazinzulu ezizimele geqe. Ubukhulu becala imfundiso yayixhomekeke ezandleni zecawa. Yayidla ngokuba yicawa eyayimisela umthetho kunqulo nakwinzululwazi.
Oku kwakhokelela ekubeni kubekho impikiswano phakathi kwecawa noGalileo. Nangaphambi kokuba abandakanyeke kwinzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi, uGalileo wayebhale inqaku ngokujikeleza komhlaba. Laligxeka izinto ezininzi ezazithethwa nguAristotle. Noko ke, yayiyinkxaso kaGalileo engagungqiyo yengcamango yokuba ilanga lisisazulu sendalo iphela nokuthi oko kuvisisana neZibhalo, okwakhokelela ukuba aye kwiNkundla YokuNcina Amakholwa ngowe-1633.
Xa wayezithethelela, uGalileo wabonakalisa ukholo olomeleleyo lokuba iBhayibhile liLizwi eliphefumlelweyo likaThixo. Kwakhona wathi iZibhalo zazibhalelwe abantu nje abaqhelekileyo yaye iindinyana zeBhayibhile ezichaza ukuba ilanga liyashukuma azifanele zigqalwe njengezinto ezenzeka ngokoqobo. Izinto awayezithetha zazililize. Ekubeni uGalileo wayengathandi ukuba iZibhalo zichazwe ngokwentanda-bulumko yesiGrike, wabekwa ityala! Ngowe-1992, iCawa yamaKatolika yada yayivuma ngokusemthethweni impazamo eyayenzayo ngokugweba uGalileo.
Oko Sinokukufunda
Yintoni esinokuyifunda kwezi ziganeko? Okokuqala, uGalileo wayengayithandabuzi iBhayibhile. Kunoko, wayethandabuza iimfundiso zecawa. Omnye umbhali ngonqulo wathi: “Kubonakala ukuba, into esinokuyifunda kuGalileo asikukuba iCawa yayibambelele ngokuqinileyo kwiinyaniso zeBhayibhile, kodwa ayizange ibambelele ngokuqinileyo ngokwaneleyo.” Ngokuvumela intanda-bulumko yamaGrike ukuba iphembelele iimfundiso zayo, icawa yayilandela izithethe kunokuba ilandele iimfundiso zeBhayibhile.
Konke oku kusikhumbuza ngesilumkiso esiseBhayibhileni esithi: “Lumkani, ningathabatheki ziintanda-bulumko nayinkohliso elambathayo esekelwe kwizithethe zabantu, nakwizinto eziziziqalelo zehlabathi, kungekhona kuKristu.”—Kolose 2:8.
Nanamhlanje, abantu abaninzi kwiNgqobhoko basaqhubeka belandela iimfundiso neentanda-bulumko ezingavisisaniyo neBhayibhile. Omnye umzekelo yimfundiso kaDarwin yendaleko abaye bayamkela kunengxelo yendalo ekwincwadi yeGenesis. Ngokwenjenje, iicawa ziye zenza uDarwin wanguAristotle wale mihla, kwaye indaleko yayiyimfundiso esisiseko.b
Inzululwazi Yokwenene Iyavumelana NeBhayibhile
Oku kuchazwe ngasentla akufanele kusenze siphelelwe ngumdla kwinzululwazi. Ngokuqinisekileyo, iBhayibhile ngokwayo isikhuthaza ukuba sifunde ngendalo kaThixo size siqonde iimpawu zikaThixo ezibalaseleyo koko sikubonayo. (Isaya 40:26; Roma 1:20) Kakade ke, iBhayibhile ayithi ifundisa inzululwazi. Kunoko, ityhila imilinganiselo kaThixo, iinkalo ezithile zobuntu bakhe indalo engenakusifundisa zona, nenjongo yakhe ngabantu. (INdumiso 19:7-11; 2 Timoti 3:16) Sekunjalo, xa iBhayibhile ithetha ngendalo, sukube ichanile. UGalileo wathi: “IZibhalo Ezingcwele nendalo zivela kwiLizwi likaThixo . . . Iinyaniso ezimbini azisoze ziphikisane.” Cinga ngale mizekelo ilandelayo.
Nangaphandle kweenkwenkwezi nezijikelezi-langa ezihambayo, yonke into ekwindalo iphela ilawulwa yimithetho, njengomthetho womxhuzulane. Imfundiso yokuqala engaveli eBhayibhileni ethetha ngemithetho yendalo yayifundiswa nguPythagoras, owayekholelwa kukuba indalo iphela inokuchazwa ngokwezibalo. Ekugqibeleni, kwiminyaka engama-2000 kamva, uGalileo, uKepler noNewton beza nobungqina bokuba indalo ilawulwa yimithetho.
Isibhalo sokuqala eBhayibhileni esithetha ngemithetho yendalo sifumaneka kwincwadi kaYobhi. Malunga nowe-1600 B.C.E., uThixo wabuza uYobhi esithi: “Ngaba uyayazi imimiselo [okanye imithetho] yamazulu?” (Yobhi 38:33) Incwadi kaYeremiya eyabhalwa ngenkulungwane yesixhenxe ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, ithetha ngoYehova njengoMdali ‘wemimiselo yenyanga neenkwenkwezi’ ‘nemimiselo yezulu nomhlaba.’ (Yeremiya 31:35; 33:25) Ethetha ngezi ndinyana, umhlalutyi weBhayibhile uGeorge Rawlinson wathi: “Ababhali beBhayibhile bayavumelana nenzululwazi yale mihla yokuba kukho imithetho kwindalo.”
Ukuba sikholelwa kwinto eyathethwa nguPythagoras, uYobhi yena wayichaza kumawaka eminyaka ngaphambili. Khumbula ukuba injongo yeBhayibhile asikokutyhila iinyaniso zendalo kodwa kukusiqinisekisa ukuba uYehova unguMdali wazo zonke izinto—lowo unokudala imithetho yendalo.—Yobhi 38:4, 12; 42:1, 2.
Omnye umzekelo esinokucinga ngawo ngumjikelo wamanzi omhlaba. Xa siwuchaza lula nje, amanzi aselwandle aba ngumphunga, ayile amafu, ajike abe yimvula ewela emhlabeni aze ekugqibeleni abuyele elwandle. Ezona ncwadi zindala ezingezizo ezeBhayibhile ezithetha ngalo mjikelo zazikho ukususela ngenkulungwane yesine ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Noko ke, oko kuthethwa yiBhayibhile kwabhalwa iminyaka engamakhulu ngaphambi koko. Ngokomzekelo, kwinkulungwane ye-11 B.C.E. uKumkani uSolomon wakwaSirayeli wabhala: “Yonke imisinga yasebusika iya elwandle, ukanti ulwandle aluzali. Kwindawo eya kuyo imisinga yasebusika, ibuyela kwakuyo.”—INtshumayeli 1:7.
Ngokufanayo, malunga nowama-800 B.C.E. umprofeti uAmos, umalusi nomfama othobekileyo, wathi uYehova ‘nguLowo ubiza amanzi olwandle, ukuze awathululele phezu komhlaba.’ (Amosi 5:8) Ngaphandle kokusebenzisa amagama antsonkothileyo nanzima, uSolomon noAmos bawuchaza ngendlela echanileyo umjikelo wamanzi, ngamnye wabo ewuchaza ngendlela eyahlukileyo kunomnye.
Kwakhona iBhayibhile ithetha ngoThixo isithi “ihlabathi ulixhoma kokungento.” (Yobhi 26:7) Xa sicinga ngolwazi olwalukho ngowe-1600 B.C.E., malunga nexesha awathethwa ngalo la mazwi, bekuya kumangalisa ukuva ngomntu omnye ukuba into ethile eqinileyo inokuzimela yodwa esibhakabhakeni ngaphandle kwento eyixhasileyo. Njengoko sele kuchaziwe, uAristotle wayikhaba ngawo omane loo ngcamango, yaye wayephila kwiminyaka engama-1 200 kamva!
Ngaba akukumangalisi ukuba iBhayibhile ichane ngolo hlobo—xa ucinga ngezinto ezazingachananga, kodwa ekwakusithiwa zisengqiweni ngelo xesha? Emva kokucinga ngendlela echane ngayo iBhayibhile, oku kusinika ubungqina bokuba iBhayibhile iphefumlelwe nguThixo. Ngoko ke, siya kuba silumkile xa singazivumeli ukuba siphenjelelwe ngokulula ziimfundiso okanye ziingcamango eziphikisanayo neLizwi likaThixo. Kuba oku siye sakubona kwixesha elidluleyo, iintanda-bulumko zabantu, nkqu nezeengcungcu ezimilomo mide zeli hlabathi, ziphelelwa lixesha, kodwa “ilizwi likaYehova lihlala likho ngonaphakade.”—1 Petros 1:25.
[Imibhalo esemazantsi]
a Kwinkulungwane yesithathu ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, umGrike ogama linguAristarchus waseSamos weza nengcamango yokuba ilanga lisesazulwini sendalo yonke, kodwa le ngcamango yakhatywa ngawo omane kuba kuthandwa le ka-Aristotle.
b Ukuze ufumane inkcazelo ebhekele phayaa ngalo mbandela, bona isahluko 15, esithi “Why Do Many Accept Evolution?” kwincwadi ethi Life—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation? epapashwe ngamaNgqina kaYehova.
[Ibhokisi/Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 6]
Imbono YamaProtestanti
Iinkokeli zoHlaziyo LwamaProtestanti zaziyigatya ingcamango yokuba ilanga lisesazulwini sendalo iphela. Ezi nkokeli zaziquka uMartin Luther (1483-1546), uPhilipp Melanchthon (1497-1560) noJohn Calvin (1509-64). Lo kaLuther wathi ngoCopernicus: “Esi sidenge sifuna ukuguqula yonke inzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi.”
Aba Bahlaziyi babeyithethelela imbono yabo ngokuziguqulela ngokoqobo izibhalo ezithile, njengengxelo ekuYoshuwa isahluko 10, ethi ilanga nenyanga ‘zema ngxi.’c Kwakutheni ukuze aba Bahlaziyi bacinge ngale ndlela? Incwadi ethi Galileo’s Mistake ithi ngoxa uHlaziyo LwamaProtestanti lwayipheqa idyokhwe yeCawa yamaRoma Katolika, aluzange lukwazi “ukuziphelisa ngokupheleleyo iingcamango” zika-Aristotle nezikaThomas Aquinas, “ezazisamkelwa ngamaKatolika namaProtestanti.”
[Umbhalo osemazantsi]
c Ngokwenzululwazi, sisebenzisa amabinzana angachananga xa sithetha “ngokuphuma kwelanga” “nokutshona kwelanga.” Kodwa ngokuqhelekileyo xa sithetha, la magama ayamkeleka yaye achanile, xa sicinga ngendlela izinto esizibona ngayo emhlabeni. Ngokufanayo, uYoshuwa wayengathethi ngenzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi; wayechaza nje indlela izinto azibona ngayo.
[Imifanekiso]
ULuther
UCalvin
[Inkcazelo]
From the book Servetus and Calvin, 1877
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 4]
UAristotle
[Inkcazelo]
From the book A General History for Colleges and High Schools, 1900
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 5]
UThomas Aquinas
[Inkcazelo]
From the book Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, 1855
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 6]
UIsaac Newton
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]
IBhayibhile yathetha ngomjikelo wamanzi kwiminyaka engaphezu kwama-3 000 eyadlulayo