UPapa Nembubhiso
IZINTATHELI ezimbili zanika incwadi yazo ka-1984 eyayikhuluma ngezombangazwe zamuva zopapa isihloko esithi Averting Armageddon. UGordon Thomas noMax Morgan-Witts bebebhala ngesikhundla sopapa iminyaka engaphezu kweyi-17. Ikuphi ukuqondisisa esingakuthola kubo ngokuzikhathaza kwabasezikhundleni eziphezulu eSontweni lamaKatolika ngembubhiso?
Ngokwalezintatheli, umBhishobhi uEmery Kabongo, unobhala kaJohn Paul II, wathi: “UPapa unjengeQhawe lenganekwane yamaGreki [uHercules] elingokomoya elizama ukugcina imibuso emikhulu yehlukene, lizama ukuvimbela iArmagedoni yenuzi.”
Kuyabonakala ukuthi abaholi besonto bakhathalela ngokukhethekile ukubhujiswa komhlaba wonke ngumuntu kunokungenela kukaNkulunkulu okukhethayo ezindabeni zabantu—imbubhiso ebikezelwa yiBhayibheli. Ngalokho, ethi Averting Armageddon ithi: “Phakathi kwalabo abaphikisana noKabongo, akukho sibonakaliso sangaphandle sokuzikhandla ekuzameni ukuvimbela imbubhiso abayibona iza. . . . Kodwa imbangela yalokhu iwukucindezeleka abakuthola eSigungwini SabaBhishobhi bezizwe zonke. Saphetha izingxoxo ngamazwi angenathemba, sikhala ‘ngogqozi lokulwa, ubudlova, nobuphekulazikhuni, ukwakhiwa kwezinqolobane zakho kokubili izikhali ezivamile futhi ikakhulukazi izikhali zenuzi, nokuhweba ngazo zonke izikhali zempi okushaqisayo.’” Ngisho noPapa uhilelekile. UThomas noMorgan-Witts babika ukuthi emashalofini ezincwadi zakhe zokutadisha kunezincwadi ezinjengezithi International Defense Review, The Problems of Military Readiness, nethi Surprise Attack: Lessons for Defense Planning. Bayanezela:
“Izincwadi ezisondelene nalezo eziya kubo bonke abefundisi yilezo eziphathelene nendaba evusa isithakazelo sikapapa: isayensi yezenzakalo zokuphela kwezwe, ukucwaningwa kwezimfundiso ezingokweBhayibheli ezithi uNkulunkulu uyoletha kuqala uMbuso waKhe emhlabeni ngochungechunge ‘lwezenzakalo’ ekuqedeni inkathi. UJohn Paul ukholelwa ngokugxilile . . . ekutheni, ngokunokwenzeka ngaphambi kokuphela kwalelikhulu leminyaka, okuthile ‘okungumnqamulajuqu’ kungase kukhukhule lomhlaba. Kungaba izifo, isifo sesibili esifana nesahlasela iYurophu neAsia ngekhulu leshumi nane leminyaka? Noma ukomisa noma indlala ngezinga elingenakucabangeka? Noma impi yenuzi? Ngokuvamile manje wesaba lokhu kwamuva; mhlawumbe useye wabekwa esikhundleni sokuba inhloko yeSonto phakathi nalokho okungaba yishumi lokugcina leminyaka lomhlaba ngaphambi kokuba uvuthuzwe ngokuphelele inhlekelele yenuzi, njengoba kuthiwa uzindla ngalokho.”
Ethi Averting Armageddon iletha futhi ukunakekela ‘ewashini losuku lokwahlulela’ elingokomfanekiso eliqokonyiswa njalo kwethi Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Lapho ‘leliwashi’ likhishwa okokuqala ngoDecember 1947, lalibekwe emizuzwini eyisikhombisa ngaphambi kwamabili ukubonisa ‘indlela umhlaba owawuseduze ngayo neArmagedoni yenuzi.’ Ngemva kwesivumelwano sika-1972 sokunciphisa izikhali (SALT), izinti zewashi zahlehliselwa emuva emizuzwini eyi-12 ngaphambi kwamabili. Ngo-1984 uThomas no-Morgan-Witts babhala: “Iwashi manje lishaya imizuzu emithathu kuphela ngaphambi kwamabili. Liyaqala ukusondela kangaka osukwini lokwahlulela eminyakeni engamashumi amathathu.”
Naphezu kwanoma imiphi imizamo yopapa “yokuvimbela iArmagedoni yenuzi,” ngoNovember ka-1985, izinti zazisabonisa imizuzu emithathu kuphela esele. Nokho, masingadukiswa ukukhathalela kokuthi izizwe ziyosibhubhisa yini isintu noma cha. Esikhundleni sokuzama ukugwema imbubhiso, siyobe senza ngokuhlakanipha uma sifuna indlela kaNkulunkulu yokusinda embubhisweni, ngoba ngokuqinisekile ‘iyakufika ezweni lonke.’—IsAmbulo 3:10.