Ukubuka Okwezwe

UKhadinali Unezela Emazwini KaPapa

Enezela emazwini kaPapa John Paul okuthi inkolelo-mbono yokuziphendukela kwemvelo “ayiyona nje inkolelo,” uKhadinal’u-O’Connor waseNew York uye wahlongoza ukuthi u-Adamu no-Eva kungenzeka “babengesinye isimo esihlukile,” hhayi indoda nomfazi. Njengoba kwabikwa kuyi-Daily News yaseNew York, u-O’Connor wathi: ‘iSonto LobuKatolika lisakwamukela ukuphenya kwesayensi, futhi kunjalo ngokuziphendukela kwemvelo okwaveza izinto eziphilayo.’ Entshumayelweni ayinikeza eSt. Patrick’s Cathedral, lokhadinali wathi: “Kungenzeka yini ukuthi lapho abantu ababili esithi u-Adamu no-Eva bedalwa, babekwesinye isimo esihlukile, futhi uNkulunkulu waphefumulela ukuphila kubo, waphefumulela umphefumulo kubo—lowo umbuzo ongokwesayensi.” Isihloko esikhulu sephephandaba lase-Italy elisadla ngoludala i-Giornale ngamafuphi sathi: “UPapa Uthi Kungenzeka Savela Ezinkawini.”

Iseluleko Esiya KuPapa

Umlobeli wephephandaba wase-Italy ongumKatolika uVittorio Messori ukholelwa ukuthi amalungu esigungu sabefundisi beSonto LamaKatolika lanamuhla bakhuluma kakhulu. Usikisela ukuthi enze izigijimi zawo zibe ‘lula’ futhi ‘zishaye emhloleni.’ Engxoxweni eyabikwa engosini yezindaba yamaKatolika i-Adista, wathi: “Ukuhlaziya okusheshayo kwembula ukuthi yonke imikhakha yesonto iye yasho amazwi amaningi kuleminyaka engu-20 edlule kunasemakhulwini eminyaka angu-20 andulelayo. Lapho umuntu ekhuluma kakhulu, kulapho nabantu bengamlaleli khona. Ngiye ngahlongoza ushintsho lweminyaka eyisikhombisa lapho isonto kufanele lithule khona, kusuka kubasizi babapristi bezifunda kuya kuPapa. . . . Zonke lezi zinkulumo eziningi nezincwadi eziya kubabhishobhi . . . ngiyazifunda, kodwa bangaki abanye abenza kanjalo? Kufanele sizidele sibuyele emkhubeni wopapa wasemashumini eminyaka ambalwa adlule. Babevame ukukhipha izincwadi ezintathu kuphela eziya kubabhishobhi.”

Imidlalo Eyingozi Ebulalayo

I-bungee jumping, ukucaca izintaba ngaphandle kwezindophi, ukutshuza emoyeni, i-base jumping—imidlalo eyingozi—isiyimfashini eFrance. Iphephandaba laseParis i-Monde labuza abanye ochwepheshe ukuthi kungani imidlalo eyingozi isithandwa kangaka eFrance. U-Alain Loret, umqondisi wesikhungo sokuhlola imidlalo emisha, wathi esinye isizathu siwukuthi imidlalo evamile, enemithetho okufanele igcinwe, eyalayo futhi eqeqeshayo, ayisahambisani nezindinganiso zentsha yanamuhla, egcizelela kakhulu inkululeko nokuzijabulisa kunesidingo sokuyalwa. Ngokwesazi sezenhlalo saseFrance uDavid Le Breton, “ukuthandwa ngokwandayo kwemidlalo eyingozi kuveza inhlekelele yezindinganiso zokuziphatha. Ngokuqinisekile, asisazi ngempela ukuthi siphilelani. Umphakathi esikuwo awusitsheli ukuthi ukuphila kuyigugu. Ngakho-ke, ukuba idelakufa . . . kungase kubhekwe njengendlela yokwenza ukuphila kube nenjongo.” Nokho, intsha eningi ngokwandayo izifaka engozini futhi ilahlekelwe ukuphila kwayo.

Ukuvakashela E-Alexandria Yasendulo Futhi

Okokuqala, abavubukuli bamemezela ukutholakala kwePharos, indlu yesibani sasolwandle eneminyaka engu-2200 ubudala, engesinye sezimangaliso ezingu-7 zezwe lasendulo, ngasogwini lwase-Alexandria, eGibithe. Manje bathi sebethole “amanxiwa esigodlo sasendulo sase-Alexandria emamitheni angaba isithupha ngaphansi kwamanzi engxenyeni engasempumalanga yetheku lasendulo lase-Alexandria,” kusho i-Vancouver Sun. Ngokomvubukuli wasolwandle waseFrance uFranck Goddio, lendawo inamanxiwa endlu nethempeli likaMark Antony kanye nawesigodlo sikaCleopatra, kuhlanganise nezimbiza zewayini, izinsika zegwadle (granite), imigwaqo egandaywe ngamatshe kanye namanye amanxiwa aleli dolobha lasendulo. Laba bacwaningi bathola “itheku elihle elibiyelwe ngothango olude elisesesimweni esihle ngemva kweminyaka engu-2000, kodwa lingaphansi kwamanzi,” kusho uGoddio. I-Alexandria yethiwa ngo-Alexander Omkhulu, owathi lapho ebona leli theku elihle ngo-332 B.C.E., wanquma ukuthi laliyoba idolobha. Laba isikhungo sezempucuko nezentengiselwano esasincintisana ne-Athene neRoma. Umtapo odumile wase-Alexandria wawulapho. Kodwa eNkathini Ephakathi, ingxenye enkulu yaleli dolobha lasendulo yabe ingasekho, ichithwe ukuzamazama komhlaba nemililo yase imbozwa ulwandle.

Iqala Nini Iminyaka Eyinkulungwane?

Phakathi kwamabili, ngo-December 31, 1999, abantu abaningi embulungeni yonke bayogubha ukuqala kweminyaka emisha eyinkulungwane, futhi kakade sekwenziwe amalungiselelo emicimbi emikhulu. Kodwa nakuba “kuvamile ukuba unyaka onenombolo enjalo engenamuvo” ugujwe, i-Royal Greenwich Observatory, eCambridge, eNgilandi, ithi “uma sikhuluma iqiniso, siyobe sigubha unyaka wezi-2000, noma unyaka wokugcina walenkulungwane yeminyaka, hhayi ukuqala kwenkulungwane yeminyaka entsha.” Lokhu kudideka kwabangelwa ukushintsha kusuka ku-B.C.E. kuya ku-C.E. okwanqunywa uBede, isazi somlando nemfundiso yenkolo sekhulu lesi-7, owazama ukubala izenzakalo ngokuvumelana nokuzalwa kukaJesu. Awukho unyaka oyiqanda (zero) owafakwa, ngakho isikhathi phakathi kosuku lokuqala luka-1 B.C.E. nosuku lokuqala luka-1 C.E. kwaba unyaka nje owodwa. Ngenxa yalokho, inkulungwane yokuqala yeminyaka yaqala ngosuku lokuqala luka-1 C.E. futhi yaphela ngosuku lokugcina luka-1000 C.E. Khona-ke inkulungwane yesibili yeminyaka yaqala ngo-January 1, 1001. “Ngakho kusobala ukuthi ukuqala kwenkulungwane entsha yeminyaka kuyoba ngo-1 January 2001,” kusho laba bacwaningi. Noma kunjalo, lemikhosi iyosekelwa ngokuphelele ekhalendeni likaGregory hhayi osukwini olunembile lokuzalwa kukaJesu, manje okwaziwa ukuthi wazalwa esikhathini esithile ngaphambi kwalokho.

Umlando Ongafiseleki

“E-United States kunezinga eliphakeme kunawo wonke lezifo ezithathelwana ngobulili kunakunoma yiliphi izwe elithuthukile emhlabeni kanti asikho isimiso sezwe esiphumelelayo sokulwa nalolu bhadane [kusho] ithimba lochwepheshe bezempilo,” njengoba kubikwe kuyi-New York Times. Ngokwekomiti ye-Institute of Medicine, okuyigatsha le-National Academy of Sciences, izifo eziningi ezithathelwana ngobulili eziphethe amaMelika zingavinjelwa kodwa ziyaqhubeka zibangela izinkinga zempilo ezingathi sína, njengomdlavuza nokufa kwezinkulungwane unyaka ngamunye. Ngemva kokuhlola izinyanga ezingu-18, lekomiti enamalungu angu-16 yathola ukuthi kulawo nalawo ma-dollar angu-43 (R201) achithwa kwezokwelapha nakwezinye izindleko, i-dollar (R4,67) kuphela elasetshenziswa ekuvimbeleni lezi zifo. Umbiko wayo uthi ingxenye yesine yabangenwa izifo abalinganiselwa ezigidini ezingu-12 ngonyaka ihlanganisa intsha. Uma zingelashwa, lezi zifo—ezihlanganisa i-herpes, ukusha kwesibindi kohlobo B, i-chlamydia, isipatsholo nogcunsula—zingabangela ukungazali, ukuzalwa kwabantwana bekhubazekile, ukuphuphuma kwesisu, umdlavuza nokufa. Uma kungabalwa izindleko ze-HIV edluliselwa ngobulili, okuyigciwane elibangela ingculaza, lezi zifo zibiza izwe okungenani ama-dollar ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane eziyishumi (amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-46,7) ngonyaka.

Ukufuna I-Antarctic Ehlanzekile

Naphezu kwezinga lokubanda lasehlobo elingu-10°C. ngaphansi kwezinga-qhwa, inani labantu abavakashela e-Antarctica liye laphindeka kabili kuleminyaka eyishumi edlule. Abantu abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi baya eholidini elibiza u-R42 000 ukuze bayobona lelizwekazi eliphansi eningizimu elinama-penguin, izimvu zamanzi kanye nodedangendlale omangalisayo wezwe elibandayo elingamakhilomitha-skwele ayizigidi ezingu-13. Kodwa i-Independent yaseLondon ibika ukuthi lezi zihambi ezinesibindi ziyashesha ukukhononda ngodoti owashiywa amazwe ake asebenza lapho—amaqhugwane akhala ibhungane, imigqomo kaphethiloli, imfucumfucu, ngisho nama-computer amadala. UDkt. Bernard Stonehouse, we-Scott Polar Institute, eCambridge, eNgilandi, owanyathelisa incwajana yokuqala eqondisa izihambi kulendawo, uthi ngalaba bangcolisi: “Abazange nje bazikhathaze ngokucoca esikhathini esingaphambili, kodwa manje baphoqeleka ukuba bakhathazeke. Izivakashi ezivamile nezibona amazwe bezilokhu zikhononda ngokuthi azikhokheli ukuyobona indawo yokulahla imfucumfucu.”

Imali Yokuthenga Amathikithi Okubheja Idlula Eyamasonto

AmaMelika achitha imali eningi ekuthengeni amathikithi okubheja kunasekunikeleni emasontweni awo, kusho i-Associated Baptist Press. Njengoba kwabikwa kuyi-Christian Century, ukuqhathanisa izibalo zombiko we-Census Bureau yase-United States nezibalo ze-Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches kubonisa ukuthi ngo-1994, amaMelika achitha ama-dollar ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-26,6 (amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-124,2) ezindaweni zikahulumeni zokuthenga amathikithi okubheja kodwa anikela ama-dollar ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-19,6 (amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-91,5) kuphela emasontweni awo.

Awasebenzi Komiyane

Ama-zapper ezinambuzane, imishini kagesi elengiswa ngaphandle edonsa izinambuzane ebusuku bese izibulala ngokuzwakalayo, awasebenzi komiyane. “Lemishini ayisebenzi nhlobo,” kusho uGeorge B. Craig, Jr., uprofesa wesayensi yezinambuzane. Omiyane abaningi akubadonsi lokhu kukhanya futhi lapho befuna ukudla, abayizinsikazi—okuyibona abalumayo—bafuna i-ammonia, isikhutha, ukushisa nezinye izinto ezikhishwa isikhumba lama-zapper ezinambuzane angenazo. Lapho bengazitholi lezi zinto, bayabaleka. Ngaphandle kwalokho, ukuzama ukubulala omiyane ngama-zapper ‘kunjengokuzama ukuhlanza ulwandle ngezipuni,’ kusho uDkt. Craig. Umiyane oyinsikazi ungazala abantwana abayizinsikazi abangaphezu kuka-60 000 ezinyangeni nje ezimbalwa. Ukuhlola kwezinyanga ezintathu kwabonisa ukuthi ebusuku obuvamile, amaphesenti amathathu kuphela ezinambuzane ezibulawa ama-zapper angomiyane abayizinsikazi. UCraig uthi ama-zapper “kufanele athengiswe engxenyeni yesitolo yezokuzijabulisa kwasekhaya, hhayi engxenyeni yokunakekela ingadi.”