Ingabe Kukhona Ukuphila Ngemva Kokufa?
KUNEMIBUZO emibili esinezinkulungwane zeminyaka ixaka isintu: Kungani kufanele siguge futhi ekugcineni sife? Ingabe kukhona ukuphila kwanoma iluphi uhlobo ngemva kokufa?
Owokuqala uye wadida abantu abaningi ngoba ngisho nesayensi yezokwelapha yanamuhla, nazo zonke izinto ezitholayo ezimangalisayo, ayikwazanga ukuphuma nempendulo ewujuqu noma eyanelisayo.
Umbuzo wesibili uye waba nenqwaba yezimpendulo ezingafani. Nokho, ngokuvamile izimpendulo mayelana nokuthi kukhona yini ukuphila ngemva kokufa zihlukana phakathi kube khona abaqinisekayo ukuthi lokhu kuphila akukhona ukuphela kwakho nalabo abagxile ngokufanayo ekutheni ukuphila kuyaphela ekufeni. Abaningi kuleli qembu lamuva basitshela ukuthi akukho kungabaza ezingqondweni zabo ngokuthi akukho okungalé kokuphila komuntu okufushane. Ngokuvamile, noma imaphi amaphuzu avezwayo aphikisa lokhu ahlangabezana namazwi okwaneliseka athi, “Akekho owake wabuya wazositshela, angithi?”
Njengakweminye imibuzo ebangela ukuphikisana, kunabaningi abangakaqiniseki—abami ekutheni noma nini bakulungele ukuthonyelwa kunoma yikuphi. Kodwa abanye mhlawumbe baphendula ngokunganaki, bathi “Sesiyolinda sibone uma kufika isikhathi!”
Umbuzo Osunesikhathi Eside Ukhona
Umbuzo wokuqala ngqá ngokuphila ngemva kokufa waphakanyiswa eminyakeni engaba ngu-3 500 edlule, uphakanyiswa umuntu waseMpumalanga owaziwayo uJobe, odume ngokubekezela kwakhe lapho ebhekene nokuhlupheka. Nansi indlela uJobe awubeka ngayo umbuzo wakhe: “Umuntu uyafa abese ebekwa phansi; uphefumula okokugcina abese ephela. Njengamanzi enyamalala olwandle noma umfula ugagadeka futhi woma, kanjalo umuntu ulala phansi futhi angavuki . . . Uma umuntu efa, ingabe uyophinde aphile?”—Jobe 14:10-14, New International Version.
Kodwa uJobe wayengeyedwa ekuzibuzeni ngokuphila ngemva kokufa. I-Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics inikeza lokhu kwaziswa okukhanyiselayo ngaphansi kwesihloko esithi “State of the Dead” (Isimo Sabafileyo): “Asikho isihloko esihlobene nalokhu kuphila okungumoya esiye sabamba ingqondo yomuntu njengesesimo sakhe ngemva kokufa. [Abomdabu] kuzo zonke izindawo emhlabeni ngokuvamile banemibono ecace kakhulu nekhanyayo ngezwe lemimoya—ukuphila kwakhona, izici zakhona, ukuma kwendawo yakhona—futhi lokhu kubonisa ukukhathazeka okukhulu ngalendaba. Ukwesaba abafileyo okwandile kubonisa umbono omdala kakhulu wokuthi isimo sabo sasingesona esokuphela kokuphila. Ukufa kwase kuwaqedile amandla; lokho kwakusobala; kodwa ingabe ayengekho amanye amandla asebenzayo, noma ingabe lawo mandla ayengenakukwazi ukuzibonakalisa ngezindlela ezicashile, ezingaqondakali? Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ekuqaleni abantu babekholelwa yini emoyeni, noma emphefumulweni, ohlukene nomzimba noma cha, kubonakala kunesizathu esihle sokukholelwa ukuthi babebheka abafileyo njengabaqhubekayo bekhona ngandlela-thile.”
Kungenzeka ungena komunye walemikhakha emithathu okukhulunywe ngayo: abangaqiniseki ngokwenzekayo ngemva kokufa; abaqinisekayo ukuthi kukhona ukuphila okuthile ngemva kokufa; noma abaqinisekayo ukuthi lokhu kuphila ukuphela kwakho. Noma ngabe yikuphi, sikumema ukuba ucabangele isihloko esilandelayo ngokucophelela. Bona ukuthi ungabuthola yini kuso ubufakazi beBhayibheli obugculisayo bokuthi kunethemba elihle kakhulu lokuphila okujabulisayo ngemva kokufa, indlela okuyofika ngayo, nokuthi kuyoba nini, futhi kuphi.