Ingabe Ukukholelwa KuNkulunkulu Kuyangqubuzana Nesayensi?
LAPHO ufunda izincwadi zesayensi, kuvamile ukuba uthole amagama asetshenziswa enkolweni. Ngokwesibonelo, ososayensi baye babizwa ngokuthi “abapristi abaphakeme bempucuko entsha yezobuchwepheshe,” bese kuthi amagumbi abenzela kuwo ukuhlola kwabo abizwe ngokuthi “amathempeli” noma “izindawo ezingcwele.” Yebo, izinkulumo ezinjalo zimane nje ziyizingathekiso. Nokho, zingaholela kulo mbuzo obalulekile: Ingabe likhona yini ngempela igebe phakathi kwesayensi nenkolo?
Abanye bangase babe nomuzwa wokuthi lapho ososayensi befunda bejula, baqhela nakakhulu ekukholelweni kuNkulunkulu. Kuyiqiniso ukuthi kunabaningi emkhakheni wezesayensi abakugxekayo ukuba nokholo. Kodwa inani eliphawulekayo labanye lizithola lihlatshwe umxhwele kakhulu ubufakazi obubonisa ukuthi imvelo esizungezile iwumklamo. Abanye ososayensi badlulela ngalé kokuzibuza ngalo mklamo; baqala ukucabanga ngoMklami wawo.
Ukushintsha Kwezinto
Sekuyiminyaka eyikhulu nesigamu imfundiso yokuziphendukela kwemvelo kaCharles Darwin ikhona. Kungenzeka ukuthi ezinye izifundiswa zazilindele ukuthi njengamanje, ukukholelwa kuNkulunkulu kuyobe sekuchilizelwe kubantu abangazi, abathathekayo nabayizilulutheki. Kodwa akubanga njalo. Ososayensi abaningi bavuma obala ukuthi bayakholelwa kuMdali. Kuyavunywa, bangase bangakholelwa kuNkulunkulu ophilayo noma eBhayibhelini. Noma kunjalo, bayaqiniseka ukuthi ukuze lo mklamo obonakala endalweni ube khona kudingeka kube noMklami okhaliphile.
Ingabe-ke lab’ ososayensi kufanele banganakwa kuthiwe bayizilulutheki? Sikhuluma ngososayensi abakholelwa ukuthi indawo yonke nokuphila okukuyo kuwumphumela womklamo wobuhlakani, isihloko esihlaziya incwadi ethile kuyi-New York Times sithi: “Baneziqu ze-Ph.D. futhi banezikhundla kwamanye amayunivesithi aphambili. Izizathu abamelana ngazo nemfundiso kaDarwin azisekelwe egunyeni lemiBhalo; kunalokho zisekelwe ezizathwini ezingokwesayensi.”
Sona lesi sihloko sibuye futhi sithi abasekela umklamo wobuhlakani “abagomeli lutho ngobuwula. . . . Abakwenqabayo kuwukuba kumane nje kuthiwe yanele imfundiso ekhona manje kaDarwin, nanoma iyiphi enye imfundiso ‘yokuthi imvelo izenzile’ efundisa ukuthi konke ukuphila kwamane kwazenzakalela kancane kancane ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ngaphandle kwesiqondiso esikhaliphile. Bathi izinto eziphilayo zigcwele ubufakazi bomklamo wobuhlakani—ubufakazi obubonisa cishe ngokuqiniseka okuphelele ukuthi kukhona isandla esaba neqhaza soMklami Okhaliphile.”a
Kuyamangaza ukuthi ososayensi bavamile ukufinyelela esiphethweni esinjengalesi. Ngokwesibonelo, ucwaningo olwakhishwa ngo-1997 lwembula ukuthi ososayensi abane kwabayishumi e-United States bakholelwa kuNkulunkulu ophilayo. Leso silinganiso sasihlalé sinjalo kusukela ngo-1914, lapho kwenziwa ucwaningo olufanayo.
Kuyaqondakala ukuthi emazweni lapho kuvame khona umoya wokuphika uNkulunkulu, njengawaseYurophu, isilinganiso sakhona siphansi. Kodwa, iphephandaba laseBrithani i-Guardian labika ukuthi “izinga lokukholelwa kuNkulunkulu liphakeme kakhulu kwabasebenza ngesayensi efakazelekayo, njengesayensi yemithetho yemvelo neyokwakheka komhlaba, bese liba phansi kwabasemkhakheni wesayensi engafakazeleki kalula, njengalabo abacwaninga ngemvelaphi yabantu nenhlalo yabo.” Liyanezela: E-United Kingdom kunezinhlangano ezinjenge-Christians in Science.” Leli phephandaba laphawula nokuthi eGreat Britain “isibalo sabafundi besayensi abaya esontweni siphakeme kunesalabo abenza izifundo zobuciko.”
Noma kunjalo, kubonakala sengathi iningi lososayensi liwubukela phansi umqondo wokuba khona koMdali. Umoya onjalo unomthelela kakhulu kontanga. Isazi sezinkanyezi u-Allan Sandage siphawula ukuthi “kunokungathandisisi ukuziveza ukuthi uyikholwa.” Kungani? Uthi: “Ukugxekwa”—ukungenanyelwa nokusolwa ontanga—“kunzima kakhulu.”
Ngenxa yalokho, ososayensi abalokotha basikisele ukuthi isayensi ayixabene ngempela nokukholelwa kuMdali abezwakali ngoba amazwi abo avinjaniswa imibono egxeka kakhulu. Izihloko ezilandelayo zizogxila kula mazwi avame ukunganakwa nokuthi kungani lab’ ososayensi benalo muzwa. Kodwa-ke, wena uthinteka kanjani kule ndaba? Ingabe isayensi ingakusiza ukuba wazi uNkulunkulu? Sicela uqhubeke nokufunda ngale ndaba.
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Izazi nososayensi abaye baphumela eshashalazini basho ukuthi bahambisana nomqondo ‘woMdali Okhaliphile’ bahlanganisa uPhillip E. Johnson, ofundisa ezomthetho e-University of California, eBerkeley; isazi samakhemikhali ezinto eziphilayo uMichael J. Behe, umlobi wencwadi ethi Darwin’s Black Box—The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution; isazi sezibalo uWilliam A. Dembski; isazi sefilosofi yobuhlakani bokuhlaziya u-Alvin Plantinga; izazi zemithetho yemvelo uJohn Polkinghorne noFreeman Dyson; isazi sezinkanyezi u-Allan Sandage; nabanye esingenakubabala ngenxa yobuningi.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 11]
Stars: Courtesy of ROE/Anglo-Australian Observatory, photograph by David Malin