Okwenza Ukuba Abanye Ososayensi Bakholelwe KuNkulunkulu

ISAYENSI iyaqhubeka yembula izinto ezintsha ebezifihlekile ngomkhathi nangokuphila okukhona kunozungezilanga wethu. Noma kunjalo, ososayensi nabantu abafana nami nawe basabhekene nemibuzo ebalulekile enjengale: Indawo yonke yaba khona kanjani? Kwakukhonani ngaphambi kwayo? Kungani indawo yonke ibonisa ngokusobala ukuthi yaklanyelwa ukuba isekele ukuphila? Ukuphila kwaqala kanjani lapha emhlabeni?

Kuze kube manje isayensi ayikakwazi ngempela ukuyiphendula le mibuzo. Abanye bayangabaza ukuthi iyoke ikwazi ukuyiphendula. Ngakho-ke, abaningi bazizwa bephoqelekile ukuba bahlaziye kabusha imibono nezinkolelo zabo. Ake sicabangele izici ezintathu eziyimpicabadala eziholela abanye ososayensi ukuba bazibuze ukuthi akunakwenzeka yini ukuthi kukhona uMdali.

Indawo Yonke Ehlelwe Ngononina—Ingabe Yazenzakalela?

Omunye umbuzo omkhulu uphathelene nokuhleleka kwendawo yonke. Kungani ihlonyiswe ngemithetho yemvelo nezinqubo ezingaguquki ezikufanelekela ngokunembile nangokuphelele ukusekela unozungezilanga onjengalo wethu nakho konke ukuphila okukuwo?

Sisho ukuthini uma sithi ihlelwe ngononina? Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ngokuhleleka kwamandla emvelo amane ayisisekelo: amandla kazibuthe, amandla adonsela phansi, amandla amakhulu enuzi, namandla alinganiselwe enuzi.a La mandla athinta yonke into esendaweni yonke. Ahlelwe futhi alinganiswa ngokunembile kangangokuba ngisho noshintsho oluncane lwalungenza kungabi nakuphila endaweni yonke.

Kubantu abaningi abacabangayo, incazelo imane nje iwukuthi kumelwe ukuba kukhona okuthile okuhilelekile kunokumane kube ukuziqondanela nje kwezinto. UJohn Polkinghorne, owayeyisazi semithetho yemvelo eCambridge University, waphetha kanje: “Lapho uqaphela ukuthi imithetho yemvelo kumelwe ihlelwe ngendlela engakholeki kangaka ukuze indawo yonke esiyibonayo ibe khona, lokho kuhlangana kutshale ezingqondweni zethu umqondo wokuthi indawo yonke ayizange nje imane ibe khona, kodwa kumelwe ukuba ikhona ngenjongo.”

Isazi semithetho yemvelo sase-Australia uPaul Davies saveza iphuzu elifanayo: “Akungabazeki ukuthi ososayensi abaningi . . . bayawugxeka umqondo wokuthi kungenzeka ukuthi kukhona uNkulunkulu, noma umthombo othile ongaphili odalile.” Sanezela: “Mina angihambisani nalokhu kugxeka kwabo. . . . Angikwazi ukukholelwa ukuthi ukuba khona kwethu kulo mhlaba kumane kuyinto eyenzeka ngenhlanhla, . . . isimanga esathuka senzeka kulo mhlaba nomkhathi omkhulu kangaka.”

Inselele Yokuba Yinkimbinkimbi

Inkinga yesibili ebhekene nososayensi banamuhla iphathelene nokuba yinkimbinkimbi kakhulu kwezwe elisizungezile. Ukucabanga ngomqondo ohluzekile kusitshela ukuthi lapho into iyinkimbinkimbi nakakhulu, mancane amathuba okuthi ingenzeka ngenhlanhla. Cabanga ngalesi sibonelo.

Kunezinqubo zamakhemikhali eziningi kakhulu okudingeka ukuba zihlelwe ngokunembile ukuze kwakheke isakhi sokuphila i-DNA. Eminyakeni engamashumi amathathu edlule uDkt. Frank Salisbury wase-Utah State University, e-U.S.A., wacwaninga ukuthi angakanani amathuba okuba kwakheke ngokuzenzakalelayo ingqamuzana eliyisisekelo le-DNA elibaluleke kangaka ukuze ukuphila kube khona. Ukucwaninga kwembula ukuthi ithuba elinjalo lincane kakhulu kangangokuba ngokwezibalo kubhekwa njengento engenakwenzeka.b

Ukuba yinkimbinkimbi kwezinto kubonakala ikakhulukazi lapho izinto eziphilayo zinezici eziyinkimbinkimbi ebeziyoba yize ukube bezingekho ezinye izici eziyinkimbinkimbi. Ake sibhekisise isibonelo sokuzalana.

Ngokwezimfundiso zokuziphendukela kwemvelo, izinto eziphilayo zaqhubeka zizalana lapho ziya ngokuya ziba yinkimbinkimbi. Nokho, esikhathini esithile, izinsikazi zezinhlobo eziningana zezinto eziphilayo kwadingeka ukuba ziveze amangqamuzana okuzala adinga ukuvundiswa iduna elinamangqamuzana okuzala afanelana nawo. Ukuze umntwana athole isibalo esifanele sezakhi zofuzo, amangqamuzana okuzala omzali ngamunye kumelwe aqale inqubo emangalisayo yokuhlukana kwawo okuthiwa i-meiosis, lapho amangqamuzana avela kumzali ngamunye esala nesigamu senani elivamile lezakhi zofuzo. Le nqubo ivikela umntwana ukuba angabi nezakhi zofuzo eziningi kakhulu.

Yebo, bekuyodingeka inqubo efanayo nakwezinye izinhlobo zezinto eziphilayo. Khona-ke, “umama wokuqala” wohlobo ngalunye oluphilayo wakwazi kanjani ukuzala “nobaba wokuqala” osekhule ngokugcwele? Kwenzeka kanjani ukuba bobabili ngokushesha bakwazi ukuhlukanisa inani lezakhi zofuzo ezisemangqamuzaneni abo okuzala ngendlela edingekile ukuze baveze umntwana ophile kahle onezici ezithile zabo bobabili abazali? Futhi-ke uma kuwukuthi lezi zici zokuzala zakheka kancane kancane, iduna nensikazi zohlobo ngalunye oluphilayo zakwazi kanjani ukuqhubeka ziphila ngesikhathi lezi zici ezibaluleke ngale ndlela zingakakheki ngokuphelele?

Ngisho nasohlotsheni olulodwa lwento ephilayo, amathuba okuba lokhu kuzalana kumane kuzenzakalele mancane ngendlela engenakulinganiswa. Ithuba lokuthi kwenzeka kolunye uhlobo kuqala kwase kwenzeka nakwezinye izinhlobo kamuva alizwakali linengqondo. Ingabe imfundiso ecatshangelwayo yokuziphendukela kwemvelo ingayichaza le nto eyinkimbinkimbi ngale ndlela? Kwakungenzeka kanjani ukuba izenzakalo ezizenzakalelayo noma ezenzeka ngokwethukela ngaphandle kwenjongo ziveze izinqubo ezincikene ngendlela eyinkimbinkimbi kangaka? Izinto eziphilayo zinezici eziningi ezibonisa ubufakazi bokucatshangelwa kusengaphambili nokuhlelelwa—okufakazela ukuthi kwaba khona uMdali okhaliphile.

Izazi eziningi ziye zafinyelela isiphetho esifanayo. Ngokwesibonelo, isazi sezibalo uWilliam A. Dembski sabhala ukuthi “umklamo wobuhlakani” osobala “ezicini eziphawulekayo zemvelo . . . ungachazwa ngokuzwakalayo kuphela ngokuthi wenziwa umuntu okhaliphile.” Isazi sezinhlayiya zamakhemikhali ezinto eziphilayo uMichael Behe sifingqa lobu bufakazi ngale ndlela: “Ungaba umKatolika omuhle kodwa ukholelwe emfundisweni kaDarwin. Nokho isayensi yamakhemikhali ezinto eziphilayo ikwenze kwaba nzima nakakhulu ukuthi ube usosayensi ocabangisisayo kodwa ukholelwe kule mfundiso.”

Umlando Wezinsalela Ontulayo

Impicabadala yesithathu eye yaphica ososayensi abathile ihlobene nomlando wezinsalela zamandulo. Uma kwathatha iminyakanyaka ukuba imvelo iziphendukele, kufanele silindele ukuthola inqwaba yezinhlobo zezinto eziphilayo ezazimaphakathi, noma amaketanga, axhuma olunye uhlobo lwezinto ezinkulu eziphilayo nolunye. Nokho, izinsalela ezingenakubalwa ezivubukuliwe kusukela ngesikhathi sikaDarwin azivezanga lutho oluyisekelayo le mfundiso. Awekho la maketanga.

Ngenxa yalokho ososayensi abaningana baye baphetha ngokuthi ubufakazi bokuziphendukela kwemvelo bubuthaka kakhulu futhi buyaphikisana kangangokuthi abukwazi ukufakazela ukuthi ukuphila kwaziphendukela. Unjiniyela wemikhumbimkhathi uLuther D. Sutherland wabhala encwadini yakhe ethi Darwin’s Enigma: “Ubufakazi besayensi bubonisa ukuthi noma nini lapho uhlobo oluthile oluhlukile luqala ukuvela eMhlabeni, ukusukela kuyi-protozoa enengqamuzana elilodwa ukuya kumuntu, lwaluvela luphelele futhi izitho nezinhlaka zalo ziphelele futhi zisebenza. Isiphetho esingenakugwenywa okufanele leli qiniso lisenze sifinyelele kuso siwukuthi kwakunokuhlakanipha kohlobo oluthile okwase kukhona ngaphambi kokuba ukuphila kuqale ukuvela eMhlabeni.”

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, umlando wezinsalela zamandulo uhambisana kakhulu nohlelo lokuvela kwezinto eziphilayo olutholakala encwadini yeBhayibheli kaGenesise. UDonald E. Chittick, isazi samakhemikhali asemithethweni yemvelo, owathola iziqu zobudokotela e-Oregon State University, uyaphawula: “Ukuwubhekisisa umlando wezinsalela kungaholela umuntu ekuphetheni ngokuthi izilwane zazizalana ngokohlobo lwazo njengoba nje uGenesise esho. Azizange zishintshe zisuka kolunye uhlobo ziye kolunye. Ubufakazi obukhona manje, njengoba nje kwakunjalo nasosukwini lukaDarwin, buvumelana nombhalo kaGenesise wokuthi izinto zadalwa ngokuqondile. Izilwane nezimila kuyaqhubeka kuzalana ngokohlobo lwako. Empeleni, ukungqubuzana okukhona phakathi kwesayensi yezinsalela zasendulo nemfundiso kaDarwin kukhulu kangangokuthi abanye ososayensi sebeqala ukukholelwa ukuthi izinhlobo ezimaphakathi azisoze zatholakala.”

Ukubhekana Nobufakazi

Osekushiwo ngenhla kumane nje kuwukusika elijikayo emibuzweni engaphenduliwe ephica labo abaphika ubufakazi bokuba khona koMdali. Ososayensi abathile bayaqaphela ukuthi ukwenqaba uNkulunkulu akuzange kususelwe ebufakazini nasekucabangisiseni ngomqondo ohluzekile, kodwa kwasuselwa ezifisweni ezibunjwe ngokuqagela nokuzicabangela.

Ngakho, ngemva kwesikhathi eside sokucwaninga ngesayensi nokusebenza okwaba nemiphumela, isazi sezinkanyezi u-Allan Sandage sathi: “Ukufunda kwami isayensi okwangiqhubela esiphethweni sokuthi umhlaba uyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu ngendlela yokuthi isayensi ayikwazi ukuwuchaza. Ukukholelwa emthonjeni ongaphezu kowemvelo kuphela okungangenza ngiqonde impicabadala yokuphila.”

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 14]

Imibuzo ephica ososayensi

◼ Kungani izinhlobo ezine zamandla emvelo ayisisekelo zihlelwe ngezinga elimangalisa kangaka, okwenza ukuba indawo yonke kanye nokuphila kube khona?

◼ Ukuba yinkimbinkimbi okukhulu kwezinto eziphilayo futhi ngokuvamile okungeke kwenziwe kwaba lula kungachazwa njengokubangelwe yini?

◼ Kungani umbhalo wezinsalela zamandulo ungaphelele, futhi buphi ubufakazi bezinhlobo zezinto eziphilayo ezimaphakathi, noma amaketanga, axhuma izinhlobo ezinkulu zezinto eziphilayo?

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 16]

Ingabe kwamane kwazenzakalela?

Muva nje lapho i-National Geographic ikhipha isithombe esihle esibonisa isibopho sothando esiphakathi kukamama nosana lwakhe, umfundi othile wabhalela lo magazini: “Isithombe sikamama nosana lwakhe esisesembozweni senziwe ngobuciko obukhulu. Ukuthi kungenzeka kanjani ukuba umuntu abheke lo muntuza owayekade eyiqanda elingangesihloko sikakhanjana ezinyangeni ezingu-9 ngaphambili abese ecabanga ukuthi ukukhula okuyisimangaliso ngale ndlela kungazenzakalela ngengozi kuyinto engingayiqondi neze.”

Abaningi bangavumelana naye. UDkt. Gerald Schroeder ongumlobi nowake waba uprofesa womkhakha wesayensi yenuzi ufanisa ithuba lokuba indawo yonke kanye nokuphila kube khona ngokuzenzakalelayo nethuba lokuba umuntu awine i-lottery izikhathi ezintathu zilandelana, uthi: “Ungathi ungakayilandi nemali yakho okwesithathu, uzithole ususendleleni eqonde ejele uboshelwe ukwenza umkhonyovu ngezinombolo. Ithuba lokuyiwina izikhathi ezintathu zilandelana, noma nje kathathu ekuphileni kwakho lincane kakhulu kangangokuthi awulicabangi nakulicabanga.”

[Izithombe ekhasini 15]

Ukube lezi zinhlobo ezine zamandla zazingahleliwe ngokunembile futhi zalinganiswa, ukuphila kwakungeke kube khona

Amandla alinganiselwe enuzi agcina ilanga lishisa ngezinga elingashintshashintshi

Amandla adonsela phansi yiwo abamba izinto emhlabeni

Amandla amakhulu enuzi agcina i-“nucleus” yama-athomu ihlangene

Amandla kazibuthe yiwo abangela umbani 

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

Izinqubo ezenzeka ngokwethukela zazingakwazi kanjani ukuveza into eyinkimbinkimbi njengengqamuzana elilodwa kanye ne-“DNA” yalo, singasayiphathi eyokuveza umuntu?

[Izithombe ekhasini 16]

Umlando wezinsalela zamandulo uhlulekile ukufakazela ukuthi ukuphila kwazenzakalela