Imiphumela Yenkolelo-mbono Yokuziphendukela Kwemvelo

EKUQALENI kwekhulu le-19, inkolo nesayensi kwakunobuhlobo obunokuthula. Eminyakeni emibili nje ngaphambi kokunyatheliswa kwe-Origin of Species, isazi sesayensi yezinto eziphilayo futhi esinguprofesa eHarvard uLouis Agassiz sabhala ukuthi izinto eziphilayo zibonisa “ukuhlela, ukuhlakanipha, ubukhulu” nokuthi injongo eyinhloko yesifundo sezemvelo yayiwukuhlaziya “imicabango yoMdali Wendawo Yonke.”

Umbono ka-Agassiz wawuvamile. Abantu abaningi babebheka isayensi nenkolo njengokuvumelanayo. Ngokuvamile lokho okwakutholwa isayensi kwakubhekwa njengobufakazi bokuba khona koMdali Omuhle. Kodwa kwakwakheka umhosha ongabonakali phakathi kwenkolo nesayensi.

Ukungabaza Kuyanda

I-Principles of Geology kaCharles Lyell, umqulu wayo wokuqala owavela ngo-1830, yakungabaza ukulandisa kweBhayibheli ngokudala. ULyell wathi kwakungenakwenzeka ukuba ukudala kuthathe izinsuku eziyisithupha ezingokoqobo. Isazi sesayensi yemvelo uFred Hoyle sabhala: “Izincwadi zikaLyell zaba nengxenye enkulu ekuqinisekiseni uwonk’ uwonke ukuthi kwakungenzeka iBhayibheli libe nephutha, okungenani ezicini ezithile, okuwumcabango owubuwula.”a

Ngaleyo ndlela kwabekwa isisekelo sokungabaza. Ezingqondweni zabaningi, kwakungasenakwenzeka ukuba iBhayibheli nesayensi kuvunyelaniswe. Njengoba babenelungelo lokukhetha, abaningi bakhetha isayensi. “Izincwadi zikaLyell zazibangele ukuba izahluko zokuqala zeTestamente Elidala zingabazeke,” kubhala uFred Hoyle, “futhi incwadi kaDarwin yazithathela isikhundla.”

I-Origin of Species yafika ngesikhathi kulabo ababengafuni ukwamukela iBhayibheli njengeZwi likaNkulunkulu. Kakade kwase kuchume uthando phakathi komuntu nesayensi. Umphakathi othathekile wakhangwa izithembiso nalokho okwakufezwa isayensi. Njengesesheli esiyisoka, isayensi yagidlabeza isintu ngezipho ezintsha—isibonakude, isibonakhulu, nesitimela samalahle futhi kamuva, ugesi, ucingo, nemoto. Kakade ubuchwepheshe base bakhe inguquko yezezimboni eyayinikeza umuntu ovamile izinzuzo zezinto ezibonakalayo ezazingakaze zibe khona ngaphambili.

Ngokuphambene, inkolo yayibhekwa njengesithiyo sentuthuko. Abanye babenomuzwa wokuthi yayikhungathekisa abantu, ingakwazi ukuhambisana nokuthuthuka okusheshayo kwesayensi. Abangakholelwa ebukhoneni bukaNkulunkulu baqala ukumemezela imibono yabo ngokuzwakalayo nangesibindi. Ngempela, njengoba uRichard Dawkins abhala, “uDarwin wenza kwaba nokwenzeka ukuba umuntu abe isihlakaniphi esanelisekile esingakholelwa ebukhoneni bukaNkulunkulu.” Isayensi yayiba ithemba elisha lensindiso yesintu.

Ekuqaleni, abaholi benkolo bayiphikisa inkolelo-mbono yokuziphendukela kwemvelo. Kodwa njengoba kwakudlula amashumi eminyaka, bonke abefundisi bavumelana nombono othandwayo, bamukela ukuhlanganiswa kokuziphendukela kwemvelo nokudala. Isihloko esikhulu se-New York Times yango-1938 samemezela: “Umbiko WeSonto LaseSheshi Usekela Umbono Wokudala Ngokuziphendukela Kwemvelo.” Lombiko, wekhomishani yoMbhishobhi Omkhulu waseYork, wathi: “Ukulandisa okubili okukuGenesise I no-II ngeke kuyiphikise inkolelo-mbono yokuziphendukela kwemvelo, njengoba ngokuvamile amaKristu afundile evumelana ngokuthi lokhu kulandisa kuyinganekwane nokuthi kusizuzisa ngokomfanekiso kunokuba kusizuzise ngokomlando.” Lekhomishani yombhishobhi omkhulu yaphetha: “Ungacabanga okuthandayo kodwa uqhubeke ungumKristu.”

Kwabaningi, imizamo enjalo yokuvumelanisa iBhayibheli nokuziphendukela kwemvelo yamane yalulaza ukuthembeka kweBhayibheli. Yabangela ukungatshazwa kweBhayibheli okusakazekile, futhi lokhu kusekhona nanamuhla, ngisho naphakathi kwabanye abaholi benkolo. Okuphawulekayo ukukhulumela kombhishobhi we-Episcopal eCanada owagomela ngokuthi iBhayibheli labhalwa enkathini engaphambi kwesayensi futhi ngenxa yalokho libonisa ubandlululo nokuntula ulwazi. Wathi iBhayibheli liqukethe “amaphutha angokomlando” kanye “namanga aluhlaza” ngokuqondene nokuzalwa nokuvuka kukaJesu.

Ngakho, abaningi, kuhlanganise namalungu esigaba sabefundisi, baye bashesha ukululaza iBhayibheli. Kodwa kuye kwaholelaphi ukungabaza okunjalo? Iliphi elinye ithemba eliye lanikezwa? Ngenxa yokuncipha kokukholelwa eBhayibhelini, abanye baye baphendukela kuyifilosofi nakwezombangazwe.

Imiphumela Kufilosofi Nakwezombangazwe

I-Origin of Species yanikeza umbono omusha ngokuziphatha kwabantu. Kungani esinye isizwe siphumelela ekunqobeni esinye? Kungani olunye uhlanga lubusa olunye? I-Origin of Species, njengoba yayigcizelela ukuzikhethela kwemvelo nokusinda kwezinamandla, yanikeza izincazelo ezashukumisa izazi zefilosofi eziphambili zekhulu le-19.

UFriedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) noKarl Marx (1818-1883) babeyizazi zefilosofi ezazinethonya elikhulu kwezombangazwe. Bobabili kwabahlaba umxhwele ukuziphendukela kwemvelo. “Incwadi kaDarwin ibalulekile,” kusho uMarx, “futhi ngiyibheka njengesisekelo semvelo esingokwesayensi sokulwa kwezigaba zomphakathi emlandweni.” Isazi-mlando uWill Durant sabiza uNietzsche ngokuthi “ingane kaDarwin.” Incwadi ethi Philosophy—An Outline-History yafingqa enye yezinkolelo zikaNietzsche ngalendlela: “Labo abanamandla, abanesibindi, abangomashiqela, abaqhoshayo, bawufanela kahle kakhulu umphakathi wesikhathi esizayo.”

UDarwin wayekholelwa—futhi wabhala encwadini eyayiya kumngane wakhe—ukuthi esikhathini esizayo “inani elingenakubalwa lezinhlanga eziphansi liyobe liqedwe izinhlanga eziphakeme eziphucukile emhlabeni wonke.” Wasebenzisa ukunqoba abanye kweYurophu njengesibonelo futhi wathi lokhu kwakubangelwa “ukulwela ukuba khona.”

Abanamandla babewasekela ngokushesha amazwi anjalo. UH. G. Wells wabhala kwethi The Outline of History: “Abantu ababebusa ekupheleni kwekhulu leshumi nesishiyagalolunye babekholelwa ukuthi babebusa ngenxa yokuLwela Ukuba Khona, lapho abanamandla nobuqili benqoba khona ababuthakathaka nabangakwazi ukuzimela. Futhi babekholelwa nawukuthi kwakumelwe babe namandla, nonya, ‘namakhono,’ nokuzazisa.”

Ngakho, “ukusinda kwezinamandla” kwangenela kufilosofi, kwezomphakathi, nakwezombangazwe, ngokuvamile ngokwezinga elingenangqondo. “Kwabanye impi yaba ‘isidingo sezinto eziphilayo,’” kusho incwadi ethi Milestones of History. Futhi lencwadi yaphawula ukuthi phakathi nekhulu leminyaka elalandela, “imiqondo kaDarwin yakha ingxenye ewumgogodla yemfundiso kaHitler yokuphakama kobuhlanga.”

Yiqiniso, uDarwin, uMarx, noma uNietzsche abazange baphile ukuze babone ukuthi imibono yabo yayiyosetshenziswa kanjani—noma yayiyosetshenziswa kabi kanjani. Ngempela, babelindele ukuthi ukulwela ukuba khona kwakuyothuthukisa isimo somuntu ekuphileni. UDarwin wabhala kwethi The Origin of Species ukuthi “wonke amandla omzimba nawengqondo ayothambekela ekupheleleni.” Umpristi wekhulu lama-20 futhi oyisazi sesayensi yezinto eziphilayo uPierre Teilhard de Chardin wavumelana nalokhu, enombono wokuthi ekugcineni kuyoba khona ‘ukuziphendukela kwemvelo kwezingqondo zalo lonke uhlanga lwesintu; bonke abantu babeyobambisana besebenzela umgomo owodwa.’

Ukuwohloka, Akuyona Intuthuko

Ingabe uyayibona intuthuko enjalo? Incwadi ethi Clinging to a Myth yaphawula ngombono omuhle kaDe Chardin: “Kumelwe ukuba uDe Chardin wayewulibale ngokuphelele umlando wokuchithwa kwegazi lesintu nezimiso zobandlululo lobuhlanga njengaleso saseNingizimu Afrika. Uzwakala njengomuntu ongaphili kulelizwe.” Kunokuba sithuthukele ebunyeni, isintu kuleli khulu leminyaka siye sabhekana nokuhlukana kwezinhlanga nezizwe ngezinga elingakaze libe khona ngaphambili.

Ithemba elanikezwa kwethi The Origin of Species, lokuthi umuntu wayeyothuthukela ekupheleleni, noma okungenani athuthuke, aligcwaliseki nakancane. Futhi lelo themba liyaqhubeka lishabalala ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, ngoba selokhu kwamukelwa kabanzi ukuziphendukela kwemvelo, ngokuvamile umkhaya wesintu uye wawela ebuqabeni. Cabangela lokhu: Kuye kwabulawa abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi eziyikhulu ezimpini zaleli khulu leminyaka, abangaba izigidi ezingu-50 eMpini Yezwe II kuphela. Futhi cabangela ukuqothulwa kohlanga kwamuva ezindaweni ezinjengeRwanda nezwe elaliyiYugoslavia.

Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi zazingekho izimpi nezenzo zonya emakhulwini eminyaka adlule? Cha, ngokuqinisekile zazikhona. Kodwa ukwamukelwa kwenkolelo-mbono yokuziphendukela kwemvelo, lesi simo sengqondo sonya sokulwela ukuba khona, lombono wokusinda kwezinamandla, akuzange kusithuthukise isimo somuntu. Ngakho nakuba kungeke kusolwe ukuziphendukela kwemvelo ngazo zonke izinkathazo zesintu, kuye kwaba nengxenye ekufakeni umkhaya wesintu enzondweni, ebugebengwini, ebudloveni, ekuziphatheni okubi, nasekuwohlokeni okukhulu ngempela. Njengoba kwamukeleka kabanzi ukuthi abantu bavela ezilwaneni, akumangalisi ukuthi abantu abengeziwe baziphatha njengezilwane.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 6]

‘Incwadi kaDarwin ngiyibheka njengesisekelo esingokwesayensi sokulwa kwezigaba zomphakathi emlandweni.’—UKarl Marx

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 6]

‘Izinhlanga eziphansi ziyobe ziqedwe izinhlanga eziphakeme eziphucukile.’—UCharles Darwin

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 6]

U.S. National Archives photo

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 6]

Copyright British Museum