Umbono WeBhayibheli
Ukuphatha Izilwane Ngonya—Ingabe Akulungile?
ENKUNDLENI yezemidlalo eMelika Ephakathi, wonke amehlo athe njó emaqhudeni amabili, elinye libomvu, kanti elinye limhlophe. Isixuku siyahlokoma njengoba iqhude elibomvu, eliboshelwe ummese ololiwe emlenzeni walo, libulala elimhlophe. Unompempe uphakamisa lezi zinyoni ezimbili. Emhlophe isifile futhi iyopha. Impi yamaqhude isiphelile.
Eningizimu yePhilippines, amahhashi angamaduna ayaqhathwa. Izibukeli zibuka lo mbukwane oshaqisayo njengoba amahhashi elumana izindlebe, izintamo, izimpumulo nezinye izitho zomzimba. Nakuba womabili engase aphume enkundleni esaphila, okungenani elilodwa lawo lingase ligogeke noma livaleke amehlo noma lithole amanxeba azolibulala kamuva.
Izinja ezimbili eRussia ziyalwa. Ngemva nje kwesikhashana, sezidwengulane amehlo nezindlebe, zihamba ngemilenze ephukile, amanxeba avulekile emzimbeni ayopha.
Sekungamakhulu eminyaka abantu beqhatha izilwane ngoba bethi umdlalo, beshukunyiswa amandla okugembula. Okunye kwalokhu ukulwa nezinkunzi, ukuzingela izimpungushe ngisho nokuqhathwa kwezicabucabu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izilwane eziningi ziyabulawa ngenxa yocwaningo lwezesayensi. Kanti izilwane eziningi ziyahlupheka ngenxa yokuphathwa budedengu abaninizo, ngamabomu noma bengaqondile.
Kwamanye amazwe, kunemithetho yokuphathwa kwezilwane nenqabela ukuziphatha ngonya. Emuva ngo-1641, iMassachusetts Bay Colony yabumba “Indikimba Yenkululeko,” eyathi: “Akekho ovunyelwe ukuhlukumeza noma ukuphatha ngonya noma isiphi isilwane esivame ukusetshenziselwa inzuzo yabantu.” Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, kuye kwashaywa imithetho futhi kwasungulwa izinhlangano ezinqanda ukuphathwa ngonya kwezilwane.
Nakuba kunjalo, abaningi abakhuthaza imidlalo yokulwa okukhulunywe ngayo ngenhla, abazibheki njengabashoshozeli bokuphathwa kwezilwane ngonya. Abanye bathi bayazithanda izilwane abazibangela ukuba zihlupheke futhi zife ngesihluku. Abathanda ukuqhatha amaqhude bathi izinyoni zabo ziphila isikhathi eside kunezinkukhu ezivamile eziphekwayo—okungeyona neze induduzo!
Kungani Unya Lungalungile?
UNkulunkulu uyasivumela ukuba sizuze ngezilwane. Izimiso zeBhayibheli ziyasivumela ukuba sibulale izilwane ukuze sithole ukudla nezingubo zokugqoka noma ukuze sizivikele engozini. (Genesise 3:21; 9:3; Eksodusi 21:28) Nokho, ukuphila kungcwele kuNkulunkulu. Kumelwe sibuse izilwane ngokulinganisela okubonisa ukuthi siyakuhlonipha ukuphila. IBhayibheli ligxeka indoda okuthiwa uNimrode, eyayibulala izilwane ngisho nabantu ukuze nje izijabulise.—Genesise 10:9.
UJesu wakhuluma ngokukhathalela kukaNkulunkulu izilwane lapho ethi: “Ondlunkulu abahlanu bathengiswa ngezinhlamvu zemali ezimbili zenani elincane, akunjalo? Nokho akukho noyedwa kubo olibalekayo phambi kukaNkulunkulu.” (Luka 12:6) Futhi lapho eshintsha umqondo ngokubhubhisa umuzi owawugcwele abenzi bobubi ababephendukile, uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe wathi: “Bengingayikulihawukela iNineve, umuzi omkhulu, okukuwo abantu abangaphezu kwezinkulungwane eziyikhulu namashumi amabili . . . , kanye nezinkomo eziningi, na?” (Jona 4:11) Ngokusobala, akabheki izilwane njengezinto ezingabalulekile, ezingalahlwa nje noma yinini.
Lapho enikeza ama-Israyeli imithetho, uNkulunkulu wawafundisa ukunakekela izilwane. Wayefuna ukuba abuyisele isilwane esidukile kumniniso futhi asize izilwane ezisenkingeni. (Eksodusi 23:4, 5) Izilwane nazo kwakumelwe ziphumule ngeSabatha, njengabantu. (Eksodusi 23:12) Kwakunemithetho yokuphathwa ngokufanele kwezilwane zokulima. (Duteronomi 22:10; 25:4) Ngokusobala, izilwane kwakumelwe zinakekelwe futhi zivikelwe, zingaxhashazwa.
IzAga 12:10 ziwuveza ngokuqondile umbono kaNkulunkulu: “Olungileyo uyakunaka ukuphila kwesilwane sakhe, kepha isihe sababi silunya.” Enye incwadi ehlaziya iBhayibheli ibeka leli vesi ngale ndlela: “Umuntu olungile unomusa ngisho nasezilwaneni ezingezwa, kodwa umuntu omubi unonya, ngisho noma ecabanga ukuthi umnene ngempela.”—Believer’s Bible Commentary, kaWilliam MacDonald.
Umuntu olungile uphatha izilwane ngomusa futhi afune ukwazi izidingo zazo. Umuntu omubi angase athi uyazithanda izilwane, kodwa empeleni “isihe” sakhe siwulunya. Izenzo zakhe zidalula isisusa sobugovu anaso engqondweni. Yeka ukuthi lokhu kuyiqiniso kanjani ngalabo abaqhatha izilwane ukuze bathole imali!
Impumuzo Ngezilwane
Yiqiniso, injongo kaNkulunkulu yasekuqaleni yayiwukuba umuntu ‘abuse phezu kwezinhlanzi zolwandle, nezinyoni zezulu, nezilwanyana ezinwabuzelayo emhlabeni.’ (Genesise 1:28) Ukuphatha izilwane ngonya akunandawo kuleyo njongo. Ukuphathwa ngonya kwezilwane ngeke kuqhubeke phakade. Sinesizathu sokukholelwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzoqeda konke ukuhlupheka okungadingekile. Kodwa kanjani?
Uthembisa ukuqeda abantu ababi nabanonya. (IzAga 2:22) Ngokuphathelene nezilwane, uHoseya 2:18 uthi: “Ngalolosuku ngiyakubenzela isivumelwano nezilwane zasendle, nezinyoni zezulu nezilwanyana ezinwabuzelayo emhlabeni, . . . ngibalalise belondekile.” Yeka ukuthi kuyoba kuhle kanjani ukuphila ngaleso sikhathi, lapho izimo ezinokuthula zingeke zijatshulelwe abantu abalungile nje kuphela, kodwa ziyojatshulelwa nayizilwane!
[Isithombe ekhasini 26]
Umfanekiso i-“Bullfight in a Village,” kaFrancisco Goya