Inkolo—Ithonya Elihle Noma Elibi?
“NGIYABUKWELETA ubuKristu, futhi ngikholwa ukuthi lo mhlaba esesihlale kuwo iminyaka engu-2 000 edlule unesikweletu esifanayo.”—Isandulela, Two Thousand Years—The First Millennium: The Birth of Christianity to the Crusades.
Lokho kutuswa obala “kobuKristu” kuvela kumlobi oyiNgisi nongumsakazi wezinhlelo zethelevishini, uMelvyn Bragg. Amazwi akhe avumelana nemizwa yezigidi zezakhamuzi zomhlaba nazo ezizizwa zikweleta inkolo ethile isikweletu esikhulu nokuthembeka kuyo. Ziyaqiniseka ukuthi inkolo ibilokhu iyithonya elihle elinamandla ekuphileni kwazo. Ngokwesibonelo, omunye umlobi uthi inkolo yamaSulumane “ilethe impucuko enkulu . . . [eye] yazuzisa umhlaba wonke.”
Indima Yenkolo—Yinhle Noma Yimbi?
Nokho, amazwi kaBragg alandelayo aphakamisa umbuzo obalulekile mayelana nokuthi inkolo iyonke ibilokhu iyithonya elihle ngempela yini. Uyanezela: “UbuKristu nabo bungikweleta incazelo.” Ufuna incazelo yani? Uthi: “Yokubandlululana, ububi, unya nokushalazela amaqiniso ngamabomu nakho okuye kwavelela ‘emlandweni’ wabo.”
Abantu abaningi bangase bathi ubandlululo, ububi, unya, nokushalazela amaqiniso ngamabomu kuye kwangcolisa izinkolo eziningi kuwo wonke umlando. Umbono wabo uwukuthi inkolo imane nje ibonakala sengathi izuzisa isintu—ukuthi ngaphansi kobuhle nobungcwele ezigqume ngabo empeleni igcwele ubuzenzisi namanga. (Mathewu 23:27, 28) I-Rationalist Encyclopædia ithi: “Ayikho inkulumo evame kakhulu ezincwadini zethu ukudlula ethi inkolo ibaluleke ngokukhethekile ngokuqondene nempucuko.” Iyaqhubeka: “Futhi ayikho inkulumo eye yavezwa kakhulu amaqiniso omlando ukuthi ingamanga njengalena.”
Uma ufunda noma iliphi iphephandaba namuhla, uzothola uhide lwezibonelo zabaholi benkolo abashumayela ngothando, ukuthula, nesihawu bebe bethungela amalangabi enzondo bese besebenzisa igama likaNkulunkulu ukuze bagunyaze izingxabano zabo ezinonya. Shono nje abantu abaningi benomuzwa wokuthi inkolo ivame kakhulu ukuba ithonya elicekela phansi ukuphila!
Ingabe Umhlaba Ubuyoba Ngcono Ngaphandle Kwenkolo?
Njengesazi sefilosofi esiyiNgisi uBertrand Russell, abanye baye baphetha ngokuthi bekuyoba kuhle ukube “zonke izinhlobo zezinkolelo zenkolo [be]ziyophela” ekugcineni. Ngokombono wabo, ukususwa kwenkolo kuwukuphela kwekhambi elihlala njalo lazo zonke izinkinga zesintu. Nokho, bangase bashalazele iqiniso lokuthi labo abalahla inkolo bangaba nenzondo nobandlululo okufana nokwalabo abangabasekeli bayo abaqotho. Umlobi wezincwadi zenkolo, uKaren Armstrong, uyasikhumbuza: “Okungenani, ukuQothulwa Kwesizwe kwabonisa ukuthi imibono yokungabi nandaba nenkolo [inga]bulala njenganoma iyiphi impi yenkolo.”—The Battle for God—Fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Ngakho-ke, ingabe inkolo iyithonya elihle ngempela, noma eqinisweni iwumnyombo wezinkinga zesintu? Ingabe ikhambi lalezo zinkinga liwukuqeda zonke izinkolo? Hlola lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo ngalokhu esihlokweni esilandelayo. Impendulo ingase ikumangaze.