Ingabe Uyamazi UNkulunkulu Omkhulekelayo?

“UNKULUNKULU UFILE.” Lawomazwi ayeqanjwe yisazi sefilosofi esingumJalimane uFriedrich Nietzsche ekhulwini leminyaka elidlule, avuselelwa yizazi zenkolo ezithile ngawo-1960. Ngalesosikhathi abantu abaningi abafundile babecabanga ukuthi umphakathi wesintu ongakholwa wawungaxazulula izinkinga zesintu futhi ulondoloze ukuthula.

Khona-ke baqala ukusanguluka, futhi eminyakeni yawo-1970 kwaba khona ukuthambekela “ngasenkolweni.” Izazi zesayensi yokuhlalisana kwabantu zathola ukuthi, ukuze abantu bajabule, badinga isici esingokomoya ekuphileni kwabo. Ngisho nasemaqenjini ososayensi kwaba lula ukuvuma isidingo sokukholelwa kuNkulunkulu. Ngakho encwadini yakhe ka-1979 ethi Dieu existe? Oui (Ingabe UNkulunkulu Ukhona? Yebo), umlobi waseFulansi uChristian Chabanis wakwazi ukwenza izingxoxo nososayensi abavelele abayisishiyagalolunye, bonke abavuma ukuba nohlobo oluthile lokukholelwa kuNkulunkulu.

Yebo, izigidi zabantu azikaze zihambisane nomqondo wokuthi “uNkulunkulu ufile.” Ziye zalondoloza ukholo lwazo kuNkulunkulu. Kodwa ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi zinombono oqondile ngoNkulunkulu?

Ngo-1967 iSigungu sababhishobhi abangamaKatolika saseFrance sabhala uhlu lwezinkinga ezaziphazamisa amaKatolika. Inkinga yokuqala ohlwini yayithi “Ulwazi lwethu ngoNkulunkulu,” futhi eyesibili yayithi “Ubuntu bukaKristu.” Encwadini yakhe ethi God for Men of Today, umlobi uJacques Duquesne waxoxa nendoda engumKatolika eneminyaka engama-58 eyavuma: “Ngezinye izikhathi ngiyazibuza ukuthi uKristu unguNkulunkulu ngempela yini. . . . Ngiyazama ukuzenza ngikholelwe. Inkinga enkulu kimi.” UDuquesne wacaphuna futhi abapristi ababili abangamaKatolika ababethi ngamaKristu amaningi “izimfundiso ziyimithetho ehlukene, ecatshangelwayo, enonya; ngayinye ayinalutho eluchazayo; enye imfundiso ayikwazi ukukhanyisa enye; ngakho-ke, kunzima ukuzisho kubantu abaphila namuhla. Uma izazi zezenkolo zinquma ukwenezela uMuntu wesine kuZiqu-zintathu, kungaliphi izinga lokho okungaphazamisa ngalo ngisho namaKristu amaningi angcono?”

Eqinisweni, imfundiso engaxaki nje kuphela amaKatolika kodwa namalungu eSonto lobuOrthodox laseMpumalanga namasonto amaningi obuProthestani ekaZiqu-zintathu. Ngokuqondene nayo iA Catholic Dictionary ithi: “Siyayiqonda indlela amadoda amathathu ahlukene ngayo nangaba ngayo nezimfanelo zobuntu ezifanayo. Ubunye baBantu Baphezulu abathathu buhluke ngokuphelele. Uma sikhuluma ngabo njengoNkulunkulu oyedwa, asisho nje kuphela ukuthi ngamunye unguNkulunkulu, kodwa ukuthi bonke banguNkulunkulu oyedwa efanayo, ngakho kulapha lapho kuyimfihlakalo khona, aliqondakali kunoma isiphi isidalwa esihlakaniphile.” Akumangalisi ukuthi kungani amaKatolika ekhononda ngokuthi inkinga yawo enkulu “iwulwazi lukaNkulunkulu”!

Ukukhulekela UNkulunkulu Ongaziwa

Cishe izigidi eziyinkulungwane zabantu bamasonto eLobukholwa zibizelwa ukuba zikhulekele uNkulunkulu ezingamqondi. Zizithola zisesimweni esifana naleso samaSamariya asendulo, uJesu athi komunye wawo: “Nina maSamariya nikhuleka kweningakwaziyo.” (Johane 4:22, New International Version) Kungani uJesu ayengasho kanjalo?

Ekhulwini lesishiyagalombili B.C.E., umbuso wasenyakatho wezizwe eziyishumi zakwaIsrayeli nekomkhulu lawo iSamariya kwanqotshwa ngama-Asiriya, futhi amaIsrayeli amaningi athunjelwa eAsiriya nakwezinye izindawo ezinqotshiwe. Kamuva, inkosi yaseAsiriya yathumela abathunjwa abahlukene, ikakhulukazi abavela eBabiloni, endaweni yakwaIsrayeli eyayaziwa ngokuthi iSamariya. Lokhu kwaveza izakhamuzi ezixubile zamaIsrayeli namaqaba. Ngokuqondene nabahlanganyeli benkolo exubile, iBhayibheli lithi: “Bamesaba uJehova, bakhonza nawonkulunkulu babo njengomthetho wezizwe ababesuswe phakathi kwazo.”—2 AmaKhosi 17:26-33; qhathanisa neyoku-1 AmaKhosi 12:28-31.

Yebo, amaSamariya ayesaba uJehova. Aze amukela ngisho nengxenye yeZwi lakhe—imiBhalo emihlanu kaMose, noma izincwadi eziyisihlanu zokuqala zeBhayibheli. Kodwa axuba ukukhulekela kukaJehova nenkolo yamanga yobuBabiloni. Futhi uJesu wathi ngokuqondene namasamariya anjalo: “Nina nikhuleka kweningakwaziyo.” Ayazi ngoJehova, kodwa awazange amukele lonke iZwi lakhe. Futhi awazange akhulekele uNkulunkulu “ngomoya nangeqiniso.”—Johane 4:22, 23.

Ingabe amalungu amasonto eLobukholwa awazitholi esesimweni esifanayo? Ayazi ngoNkulunkulu, kodwa amaningi awo ayavuma ukuthi awamazi ngempela. Awunakuhlala ungakunaki lokhu, ngoba uJesu wathi: “Ukuphila okuphakade yilokhu ukuba bazi wena-Nkulunkulu wedwa oqinisileyo, nomthumileyo, uJesu Kristu.”—Johane 17:3.

Iyiphi imfundiso ngokukhethekile eye yavimbela amalungu amasonto eLobukholwa ukuba azi uJehova, ‘uNkulunkulu oyedwa weqiniso’? Ngokungangabazeki, yimfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu ‘eyimfihlakalo engaqondakali.’ Nokho lapho umuntu efunda iBhayibheli akawutholi umuzwa wokuthi amaKristu akuqala ayekhulekela ‘unkulunkulu eyimfihlakalo.’ Umphostoli uJohane wathi “iNdodana kaNkulunkulu . . . yasinika ingqondo ukuze simazi oweqiniso [uJehova uNkulunkulu]; sikuye oweqiniso, kuyo iNdodana yakhe uJesu Kristu.”—1 Johane 5:20.

[Isithombe ekhasini 22]

Ialtare elalinikezelwe konkulunkulu abangaziwa, elatholakala ePergamum, eAsia Minor