Isayensi NeBhayibheli—Ingabe Kuyangqubuzana Ngempela?

IMBEWU yodweshu olwaba khona phakathi kukaGalileo neSonto LamaKatolika yatshaleka emakhulwini eminyaka bengakazalwa nokuzalwa oCopernicus noGalileo. Umbono wokuthi umhlaba uyinkaba yesimiso sonozungezilanga endaweni yonke wamukelwa amaGreki asendulo futhi isazi sefilosofi u-Aristotle (384 kuya ku-322 B.C.E.) nesazi sezinkanyezi nokuhlolwa kwazo uPtolemy (wekhulu lesibili C.E.) bawenza waduma lo mbono.a

Lokho u-Aristotle ayekukholelwa ngendawo yonke ezungezile kwathonywa ukucabanga kwesazi sefilosofi nezibalo esingumGreki uPythagoras (wekhulu lesithupha B.C.E.). Njengoba amukela umbono kaPythagoras wokuthi isiyingi nembulunga kuyizinto ezibulungene zaphelela, u-Aristotle wayekholelwa ukuthi amazulu ayizimbulunga ezingaphakathi kwezinye izimbulunga njengo-anyanisi. Wayekholelwa ukuthi ungqimba ngalunye lwenziwe ngekristalu, bese umhlaba uba senkabeni. Izinkanyezi zona zazihamba zizungeza, zithola amandla okuhamba esiyingini esingaphandle, lapho kukhona khona amandla angaphezu kwavamile. U-Aristotle wayekholelwa nawukuthi ilanga nezinye izinto ezisemkhathini zazingenakuthonywa izinguquko futhi zingenamachashaza.

Umbono ka-Aristotle wawungasekelwe kuyisayensi, kodwa kuyifilosofi. Wayenomuzwa wokuthi ngeke kuzwakale kunengqondo ukuthi umhlaba uyahamba. Wakuphika nokuthi kukhona isibhakabhaka noma umkhathi ngoba wayekholelwa ukuthi uma umhlaba ubujikeleza ubungakhuhlana nezinye izinto, futhi ubungama ngqí uma kungekho lutho oluwugingqayo. Ngenxa yokuthi umbono ka-Aristotle wezwakala unengqondo ngokwalokho okwakwaziwa ngaleso sikhathi, abantu banamathela kuwo cishe iminyaka engu-2 000. Ngisho sekuyophela ikhulu le-16, isazi sefilosofi esingumFulentshi, uJean Bodin, sisenalowo mbono owawamukelwa kabanzi, sathi: “Akekho umuntu ophile kahle engqondweni, noma umuntu onolwazana oluncane lwesayensi, ongake acabange ukuthi lo mhlaba osinda kangaka futhi ongenakunyakaziswa . . . , uhamba . . . emzileni wawo uzungeze ilanga; ngoba uma umhlaba ungake unyakaze kancane, singabona amadolobha namadolobhana, izinqaba nezintaba kuwela phansi.”

ISonto Lamukela Umbono Ka-Aristotle

Enye into eyaholela engxabanweni phakathi kukaGalileo nesonto yenzeka ngekhulu le-13 futhi yayihilela isikhulu samaKatolika uThomas Aquinas (1225 kuya ku-1274). U-Aquinas wayemhlonipha kakhulu u-Aristotle, embiza ngokuthi iSikhulu Sefilosofi. U-Aquinas washikashikeka iminyaka emihlanu ezama ukuhlanganisa ifilosofi ka-Aristotle nemfundiso yesonto. Encwadini yakhe ethi Galileo’s Mistake, uWade Rowland uthi ngenkathi kaGalileo “imfundiso yesonto ka-Aquinas eyayixube imfundiso ka-Aristotle yayisiyimfundiso eyisisekelo enganakuphikiswa eSontweni LaseRoma.” Ungakhohlwa futhi ukuthi ngalezo zinsuku babengekho ngempela abantu abasemkhakheni wezesayensi. Imfundo ngokuyinhloko yayiphethwe isonto. Abantu ababephethe izindaba zenkolo nezesayensi kwakungabantu ababodwa.

Yilesi simo esaba umhlahla-ndlela wodweshu phakathi kwesonto noGalileo. Ngisho nangaphambi kokuba acwaninge izinkanyezi, uGalileo wayebhale incwajana ngokuhamba kwezinto. Leyo ncwajana yayenza kungabazeke izinto eziningi ezazishiwo yilo Aristotle ohlonishwayo. Nokho, kwaba ukuwumelela ngokuqinile kuka-Galileo umbono othi ilanga eliyinkaba yonozungezilanga nokugomela kwakhe ngokuthi lo mbono uvumelana nemiBhalo okwenza waqula icala eNkantolo Yamacala Ezihlubuki ngo-1633.

Ezivikela, waqinisekisa ukuthi unokholo oluqinile eBhayibhelini ngoba liyiZwi eliphefumulelwe uNkulunkulu. Wathi futhi imiBhalo yayibhalelwe abantu abavamile futhi izikhombo zemiBhalo ezibonakala zikhuluma ngokuhamba kwelanga akufanele zithathwe njengoba zinjalo. Nokho, konke akusho kwafana nokuthela amanzi edadeni. Ngenxa yokuthi uGalileo wayengahambisani nokuchazwa kwemiBhalo ngokusekelwe kuyifilosofi yamaGreki, wahlulelwa kabi! ISonto LamaKatolika lize lavuma ngo-1992 ukuthi lamahlulela kabi uGalileo.

Izifundo Esizitholayo

Singafundani kulokhu? Singafunda ukuthi uGalileo wayengalwi neBhayibheli. Kunalokho, wayengabaza izimfundiso zesonto. Omunye umbhali wezincwadi zenkolo wathi: “Kubonakala sengathi isifundo okufanele sifundwe kuGalileo akusona esokuthi iSonto lanamathela kakhulu emaqinisweni eBhayibheli; kodwa ukuthi alizange linamathele kuwo ngokwanele.” Ngokuvumela ifilosofi yamaGreki ukuba ithonye imfundiso yenkolo, isonto lakhetha ukwamukela inkolelo eyayivamile kunokuba lilandele izimfundiso zeBhayibheli.

Konke lokhu kusikhumbuza isixwayiso seBhayibheli: “Xwayani: mhlawumbe kungase kube khona oyomuka nani njengezisulu zakhe ngefilosofi nangenkohliso eyize ngokwesiko labantu, ngokwezinto zokucathula zezwe hhayi ngokukaKristu.”—Kolose 2:8.

Nanamuhla, abaningi kweLobukholwa bayaqhubeka bebambelele emibonweni nakumafilosofi angqubuzana neBhayibheli. Esinye isibonelo salokhu inkolelo kaDarwin yokuziphendukela kwemvelo eLobukholwa eliye layikholelwa esikhundleni sokukholelwa lokho okulandiswa uGenesise mayelana nendalo. Lokhu kukhetha kwamasonto empeleni kwenza uDarwin waba u-Aristotle wanamuhla futhi kwenza inkolelo yokuziphendukela kwemvelo yaba isisekelo sokholo lwawo.b

Isayensi Eyiqiniso Ivumelana NeBhayibheli

Lokho osekushiwo akufanele neze kwenze umuntu angabe esafuna nokuzwa ngesayensi. Empeleni, neBhayibheli ngokwalo lithi masifunde endalweni kaNkulunkulu sibone nezimfanelo zaKhe ezimangalisayo. (Isaya 40:26; Roma 1:20) Yebo, iBhayibheli alisho ukuthi lifundisa isayensi. Kunalokho, lisitshela ngezindinganiso zikaNkulunkulu, ngezici zobuntu bakhe esingeke sizifunde endalweni iyodwa, nangenjongo yakhe ngabantu. (IHubo 19:7-11; 2 Thimothewu 3:16) Noma kunjalo, lapho kwenzeka iBhayibheli likhuluma ngendalo, lihlala linembile. NoGalileo ngokwakhe wathi: “Kokubili imiBhalo Engcwele nendalo kwavela ngoMlomo kaNkulunkulu . . . [ImiBhalo nendalo] yizinto ezimbili ezingenakuphikisana.” Cabangela izibonelo ezilandelayo.

Into ebaluleke ngaphezu kokuhamba kwezinkanyezi nonozungezilanga ukuthi yonke into ekuyo yonke indawo ilawulwa imithetho, njengomthetho wamandla adonsela phansi. Umuntu wakudala owake wakhuluma ngemithetho yendalo kwakunguPythagoras, owayekholelwa ukuthi indawo yonke ungayichaza ngezinombolo. Eminyakeni engu- 2 000 kamuva, uGalileo, uKepler, noNewton bagcina bekwazile ukufakazela ukuthi izinto zilawulwa imithetho ethile enengqondo.

Indawo yokuqala okukhulunywa kuyo ngomthetho wemvelo isencwadini kaJobe. Cishe ngo-1600 B.C.E., uNkulunkulu wabuza uJobe: “Uyazazi yini izimiso [noma, imithetho] zamazulu?” (Jobe 38:33) Njengoba yabhalwa ngekhulu le-7 B.C.E., incwadi kaJeremiya ithi uJehova unguMdali “wezimiso zenyanga nezinkanyezi” kanye ‘nezimiso zezulu nomhlaba.’ (Jeremiya 31:35; 33:25) Ngokwala mazwi, umhlaziyi weBhayibheli uG. Rawlinson wathi: “Ukusebenza kwemithetho endalweni kufakazelwa kakhulu abalobi [beBhayibheli] njengoba kufakazelwa nayisayensi yanamuhla.”

Uma sibhekisela kuPythagoras, lokho okwashiwo encwadini kaJobe kwashiwo eminyakeni eyinkulungwane ngaphambi kukaPythagoras. Khumbula ukuthi umgomo weBhayibheli awukona nje ukumane uveze amaqiniso aphathelene nendalo kodwa ngokuyinhloko ukugcizelela ezingqondweni zethu ukuthi uJehova unguMdali wazo zonke izinto—umuntu onamandla okusungula imithetho yendalo.—Jobe 38:4, 12; 42:1, 2.

Esinye isibonelo esingacabanga ngaso esomjikelezo wamanzi. Ngamazwi alula nje, amanzi ayahwamuka olwandle, akhe amafu esibhakabhakeni, ehlele emhlabeni futhi agcine esebuyele olwandle. Izincwadi ezindala kakhulu ezingahlobene nalokhu nezakhuluma ngalo mjikelezo zisukela ekhulwini lesine B.C.E. Nokho, iBhayibheli lakhuluma ngalokhu emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka ngaphambili. Ngokwesibonelo, ngekhulu le-11 B.C.E., iNkosi uSolomoni yakwa-Israyeli yabhala: “Yonke imifula iyangena [olwandle], kepha ulwandle alugcwali; endaweni eya kuyo imifula, ibuye iye khona njalo.”—UmShumayeli 1:7, IBhayibheli lesiZulu elivamile.

Ngokufanayo, cishe ngo-800 B.C.E. umprofethi u-Amose, umelusi nesisebenzi sasepulazini esiphansi, wabhala ukuthi uJehova nguye “obiza amanzi olwandle, ukuze awathulule phezu kobuso bomhlaba.” (Amose 5:8) Bengasebenzisi amagama axakile, bobabili uSolomoni no-Amose bawuchaza ngokunembile umjikelezo wamanzi, bewuqhamukela ngezindlela ezingafani.

IBhayibheli likhuluma nangokuthi uNkulunkulu ‘ulengise umhlaba phezu kweze,’ noma njengoba iBhayibheli lesiZulu elivamile lisho, “uwuphanyeke phezu kweze.” (Jobe 26:7) Uma kucatshangelwa ulwazi olwalukhona ngo-1600 B.C.E. cishe ngesikhathi kukhulunywa la mazwi, kwakuyodingeka kube umuntu ovelele ongagomela ngokuthi into ewugqinsi ingalenga nje emoyeni kungekho lutho oluyisekelayo. Njengoba kushiwo ngaphambili, ngisho no-Aristotle waphika ukuthi kukhona isibhakabhaka, futhi yena waphila eminyakeni engu-1 200 ngemva kwalokhu!

Akukuhlabi yini umxhwele ukuthi iBhayibheli likhuluma linembe kangaka—yize labhalwa ngesikhathi kunemibono eyiphutha eyayithathwa ngokuthi inengqondo? Kubantu abacabangayo, lobu obunye ubufakazi bokuthi iBhayibheli liphefumulelwe uNkulunkulu. Ngakho, siyobe sihlakaniphile uma singaluthwa nje inoma iziphi izimfundiso ezingqubuzana neZwi likaNkulunkulu. Njengoba umlando usubonise kaninginingi, amafilosofi abantu, ngisho nalawo afika nongqondongqondo, ayafika adlule, kodwa “izwi likaJehova lihlala phakade.”—1 Petru 1:25.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 6]

Ukucabanga Kwamaprothestani

Abaholi beNguquko YamaProthestani nabo bayiphikisa inkolelo yokuthi yilanga eliyinkaba esimisweni sonozungezilanga. Abanye balaba baholi babengoMartin Luther (1483 kuya ku-1546), uPhilipp Melanchthon (1497 kuya ku-1560), noJohn Calvin (1509 kuya ku-1564). Ekhuluma ngoCopernicus, uLuther wathi: “Lesi siphukuphuku sifuna ukushintsha sonke isimiso sesayensi yezinkanyezi.”

Laba baHoli BeNguquko basekela iphuzu labo kulokho okushiwo imiBhalo ethile, njengendaba ekuJoshuwa isahluko 10, ethi ilanga nenyanga ‘kwama kwanganyakaza.’c Kungani abaHoli BeNguquko bakhetha ukubambelela kule nkolelo? Incwadi ethi Galileo’s Mistake ichaza ukuthi nakuba iNguquko YamaProthestani yakwazi ukugqashula ejokeni lopapa, ayikwazanga “ukuphuma ngokuphelele egunyeni” lika-Aristotle noThomas Aquinas, ababenemibono “eyamukelwa amaKatolika namaProthestani ngendlela efanayo.”

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe]

ULuther

UCalvin

[Umthombo]

From the book Servetus and Calvin, 1877

[Isithombe ekhasini 4]

U-Aristotle

[Umthombo]

From the book A General History for Colleges and High Schools, 1900

[Isithombe ekhasini 5]

UThomas Aquinas

[Umthombo]

From the book Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, 1855

[Isithombe ekhasini 6]

U-Isaac Newton

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Eminyakeni engaphezu kwengu-3 000 edlule, iBhayibheli lachaza umjikelezo wamanzi