Ingabe UJesu Wazalwa NgoDecember 25?
Cishe abantu abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi kunjalo. Ubufakazi bubonisani? Kungani ungahloli isihloko esithi “Christmas” ku-encyclopedia? Cishe iyokubonisa umsuka kaKhisimusi, nendlela usuku lukaDecember 25 olwakhethwa ngayo njengosuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu. Unyaka ngamunye izincwadi eziningi ziveza lokhukwaziswa. Ukukhulumela okulandelayo kuvela komagazini abakhishwa ngoDecember ka-1981.
IFrontier, umagazini weFrontier Airlines, waphawula: “KumaKristu akuqala, izinsuku zokuzalwa zaziyisiko lamaqaba. Kwakuwubuwula ukuba umuntu agubhe usuku lokuzalwa kwakhe umuntu siqu, kungasaphathwa usuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu. Kwakuyisihlamba ngisho nokusho ukuthi uMuntu Waphezulu wayenosuku lokuzalwa.
“Eminyakeni engama-300 eyalandela umbono waqala ukushintsha, futhi ngo-354 A.D., umBhishobhi waseRoma wamemezela uDecember 25 ukuba abe usuku lonyaka lokukhumbula ukuzalwa kukaKristu.”
IThese Times, umagazini wama-Adventist, waphawula: “Esikhathini esithile ngaphambi kokufika kobuKristu, uDecember 25 wawuyisikhathi somkhosi wamaqaba . . . uMbusi uAurelian (A.D. 270-275) ngokushesha wasebenzisa ngokwenzuzo yakhe ukukhulekela kwabahedeni ilanga, futhi ngonyaka ka-274 A.D., wamemezela ngokomthetho uDecember 25 njengosuku lokuzalwa kweLanga Elingenakunqotshwa . . . Ngo-354 A.D., eminyakeni emibili ngemva kokuphela kokubusa kukaSaint Julius, umbhishobhi omusha waseRoma, uLiberius, wayala bonke abantu bakhe ukuba bagubhe uDecember 25 njengosuku oluqondile lokuzalwa kukaKristu.”
Yebo, uDecember 25 wathathwa njengosuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu emikhosini yamaqaba, njengoba iU.S. Catholic ichaza: “Umkhosi owawuthandwa kakhulu wamaRoma kwakuyiSaturnalia, owawuqala ngoDecember 17 futhi uphele ngosuku lokuzalwa ‘kwelanga elingenakunqotshwa’ (Natalis solis invicti) ngoDecember 25. Esikhathini esithile ngekota yesibili yekhulu lesine, izikhulu ezihlakaniphile zesonto laseRoma zanquma ukuba uDecember 25 abe usuku oluhle kakhulu lokugubha usuku lokuzalwa kwe‘langa lokulunga.’ UKhisimusi wazalwa.” Isihloko siyaqhubeka: “Akunakwenzeka ukwehlukanisa uKhisimusi emisukeni yawo yobuqaba.”
Lapho befunda lamaqiniso ngoKhisimusi, abanye bathinteka kanjani? IThe World Book Encyclopedia yaphawula ngaphansi kwesithi “Christmas”: “Phakathi nawo-1600, ngenxa yalemizwa, uKhisimusi wakhishwa emthethweni eNgilandi nasezingxenyeni zamazwe angaphansi kwamaNgisi eMelika.”
Ngakho-ke, kumelwe ukuba akumangalisi ukuthi amaKristu afundisiwe namuhla awawugubhi uKhisimusi.