Izingelosi—Esikhathini Esidlule Nesamanje
“Imifanekiso yazo iyenziwa ngoKhisimusi emihlobisweni esiyilengisa esihlahleni, noma emakhadini kaKhisimusi—onodoli begolide abanobuso obuhle, zidlala ihabhu noma i-ogani yasesontweni noma zithwele amakhandlela. Zinezimpiko ezimfushane ezifana nezamaphuphu ezinyoni. Ngamafuphi, ziyabukeka.”—The Sunday Denver Post.
“IZINGELOSI ngokuvamile azinakwa ezikoleni zokufundela ubufundisi, kuSonto-sikole, futhi aziphawulwanga ngisho nasohlwini lwezindaba oluqukethwe yiNational Catechetical Directory, incwadi eyisichasiso semfundo yezenkolo yamaKatolika eMelika.”
Washo njalo uCharles W. Bell, umhleli wenkolo. Waphawula ukuthi abefundisi abathile, ikakhulukazi abavela emasontweni ayinhloko obuProthestani, bazizwa “bengakhululekile futhi bengaqiniseki ngezingelosi.” INew Catholic Encyclopedia iphawula ukuthi izazi ezithile zanamuhla zithi “yonke inkolelo yokuba khona kwezingelosi kumelwe yenqatshwe.”
Lokhu bekungenjalo ngaso sonke isikhathi. Ngokwesibonelo, ekhulwini le-13 leminyaka, izazi ezafunda isayensi yezingelosi, okungumkhakha wesayensi yezenkolo ephathelene nezingelosi, kuthiwa zahlatshwa umxhwele yimiqondo emayelana “nesimo, ubuhlakani, nokuzimisela” kwezingelosi. Emakhulwini amaningana eminyaka, kwakuqondiswa imithandazo ngisho ‘nasezingelosini ezingabalindi.’ Kodwa njengoba kuphawulwe ngenhla, izimo ziye zashintsha kusukela lapho.
NgokweNew Catholic Encyclopedia, “emqondweni wanamuhla izingelosi . . . zibuyiselwa emuva ngokweqile esikhundleni sezinganekwane zomlando zakudala, nesokufaniswa nabantwana.” Ngempela, phakathi nekhulu le-19 leminyaka, ezingqondweni zabantu abaningi izingelosi zaziye zangahlanganiswa kangako nenkolo futhi zahlanganiswa kakhulu nemiqondo yezwe ecatshangelwayo. Namuhla, ngisho nabantu abaningi bazibheka njengemikhiqizo yokucatshangelwa, ngalokho abantu abanjalo baphika ubukhona bezingelosi.
Izingelosi Kwezinye Izinkolo
Nokho, izingelosi zisenendawo kwezinye izinkolo. Ngokwesibonelo, iSonto lamaRoma Katolika “likhuthaza abathembekile ukuba bathande, bahloniphe, futhi bakhulekele izingelosi.” Eqinisweni, ubuKatolika buye baphakamisa abathathu labo obubabheka njengezingelosi—uMikayeli, uGabriyeli, noRafayeli—esikhundleni sabangcwele. URafayeli uvela kuphela ezincwadini eziqanjiwe futhi akaveli ohlwini olugunyaziwe lwemiBhalo yeBhayibheli elivamile.
Emasontweni obuOrthodox aseMpumalanga, izingelosi zibalulekile ohlotsheni lomthandazo okwenziwa kuwo amazwi okunxusa noma izicelo, ibandla libe lisho amazwi okusabela. Izingelosi futhi zinendawo kumaIslam, njengoba ukukholelwa ezingelosini kungesinye sezihloko zokholo kusayensi yezenkolo yamaSulumane.
Noma kunjalo, akukho kungabaza ukuthi osukwini lwethu ukukholelwa ezingelosini kuyancipha.
Ingabe Uyakholelwa Ezingelosini?
Mayelana nokukholelwa ezingelosini, iNew Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Kancane, kancane . . . enkambweni yokuthuthuka kwesikhathi eside nempucuko . . . encazelweni ecatshangelwayo yemiqondo equkethwe emBhalweni oNgcwele, kwavela isayensi yezingelosi leyo, ngamazinga ahlukahlukene eqiniso, eye yaba imfundiso yeSonto.” [Omalukeke sizenzele.] Ubungaba nokholo oluqine kangakanani ezingelosini uma bewazi ukuthi ukholo lwakho lusekelwe ‘encazelweni ecatshangelwayo’?
Ngokuthakazelisayo, kunokwehlukahlukana ngomqondo kulendaba ngisho naphakathi kweSonto lamaKatolika. Ngokuphathelene nokuthi izingelosi zadalwa nini, iEnciclopedia de la Religión Católica ithi: “Ngombono wofata abangamaGreki, izingelosi zadalwa ngaphambi komhlaba obonakalayo, kodwa umbono ovamile wofata abangamaLatin uwukuthi zadalwa kamuva. Noma kunjalo, umbono osekelwa yiningi uwukuthi zadalwa ngasikhathi sinye nomhlaba.” Ukungaqiniseki okunjalo kudala ukudideka ezingqondweni zabantu futhi kusiza ekuthonyeni umkhuba wokungakholelwa namuhla.
Isazi sefilosofi esingumJuda, uPhilo, wagomela ngokuthi izingelosi zazimane “ziyizibonakaliso namandla endawo yonke.” Eminyakeni eminingi, abefundisi baye baphikisana ngezindaba ezingasho lutho mayelana nesimo sezici zezingelosi, njengalombuzo wobuwula, Zingaki izingelosi ezingama esihlokweni senaliti? Ingabe kuyamangalisa yini ukuthi abantu abaningi eminyakeni yethu yanamuhla baye bakhetha ukungakholelwa ezingelosini?
Njengoba kunayo yonke lemiqondo ephikisanayo, kungani singakuhloli lokho iBhayibheli ngokwalo elinokukusho ngezingelosi? Lokhu kuzosisiza ukuba sithole izimpendulo eziqinile ngemibuzo enjengalena: Ingabe izingelosi zingokoqobo? Uma kunjalo, ingabe zake zangenela ezindabeni zomuntu? Futhi obaluleke kakhulu, ingabe izingelosi zingakuthinta ukuphila kwakho?