Kwenzekeni Ngesihogo Somlilo?

IGAMA elithi “isihogo” likwenza ucabange ngani? Ingabe isihogo usibona siyindawo engokoqobo yomlilo nesibabule, yokuhlushwa okungapheli nobuhlungu? Noma mhlawumbe ingabe sifanekisela isimo esithile?

Sekungamakhulu eminyaka abaholi benkolo beLobukholwa benombono wokuthi isiphetho esiqinisekile sezoni yisihogo somlilo sokuhlushwa okubuhlungu. Lo mbono usathandwa nakwezinye izinkolo eziningi. I-U.S.News & World Report ithi: “UbuKristu kungenzeka buye benza isihogo saba igama elaziwa kakhulu, kodwa abubodwa kule mfundiso. Cishe zonke izinkolo ezinkulu zomhlaba nezithile ezincane zinohlobo oluthile losongo lokujeziswa kabuhlungu ngemva kokuphila.” AmaHindu, amaBuddha, amaSulumane, amaJain, namaTao akholelwa ohlotsheni oluthile lwesihogo.

Kodwa isihogo sesibhekwa nangenye indlela namuhla. Umagazini oshiwo ekuqaleni uthi: “Nakuba besebaningi abakholelwa embonweni ovamile wesihogo somlilo, sekuqala ukuvela imibono yesimanje yokuthi ukulahlwa kwaphakade kuwukushiywa uwedwa okungathandeki neze, okusikisela ukuthi kungenzeka isihogo asishisi kangako.”

Iphephabhuku lamaJesuit i-Civiltà Cattolica lithi: “Kuyadukisa . . . ukucabanga ukuthi uNkulunkulu usebenzisa amademoni ukuze ahluphe abantu abalahliwe ngendlela esabekayo enjengokubashisa.” Lanezela: “Isihogo asiyona indawo kodwa siyisimo, isimo somuntu ozwa ubuhlungu bokuhlukaniswa noNkulunkulu.” Ngo-1999 uPapa John Paul II wathi: “Kunokuba sibe yindawo, isihogo sisho isimo salabo abazihlukanisa ngokuzithandela nangokuphelele noNkulunkulu, umthombo wakho konke ukuphila nenjabulo.” Ngokuqondene nemibono yesihogo esivuthayo, wathi: “Ibonisa ukukhungatheka ngokuphelele nobuze bokuphila ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu.” Isazi-mlando sesonto uMartin Marty sathi ukube upapa wayechaze isihogo ‘njengamalangabi nodeveli ogqoke ezibomvu ophethe imfoloko, abantu bebengeke babe nendaba naso.’

Nakwamanye amahlelo kwenzeka izinguquko ezifanayo. Umbiko wekhomishane yezimfundiso zeSonto LaseSheshi wathi: “Isihogo asiyona indawo yokuhlushwa phakade, kodwa siwukukhethwa kokugcina nokungenakushintshwa kwalokho okuphikisana noNkulunkulu ngokuphelele nangokungaguquki kangangokuthi isiphetho siwukungabi bikho nakancane.”

Ikhathekizimu yeSonto Likamoya lase-United States ichaza isihogo ngokuthi “ukufa kwaphakade ngenxa yokulahla kwethu uNkulunkulu.” I-U.S.News & World Report ithi inani elandayo labantu lithuthukisa umbono wokuthi: “Isigcino sababi ukubhujiswa, hhayi ukuhlupheka phakade. . . . Ligomela ngokuthi labo abagcina  bemlahlile uNkulunkulu bayomane basuswe ‘ngomlilo oqothulayo’ wesihogo.”

Nakuba ukuthambekela kwanamuhla kuwukuwubalekela umqondo womlilo nesibabule, abaningi basanamathele enkolelweni yokuthi isihogo siyindawo yokuhlushwa engokoqobo. U-Albert Mohler waseSouthern Baptist Theological Seminary eseLouisville, eKentucky, e-U.S.A., uthi: “UmBhalo ukhuluma ngokucacile ngesihogo njengesiyindawo engokoqobo yokuhlushwa emlilweni.” Futhi umbiko othi The Nature of Hell, owakhishwa yiKhomishane Yomfelandawonye Wobuvangeli uthi: “Isihogo siyisenzakalo esizwakalayo sokulahlwa nokuhlushwa.” Uyanezela: “Esihogweni kunamazinga okujeziswa nokuhlushwa kuye ngobukhulu bezono [umuntu] azenzé emhlabeni.”

Siyaphinda siyabuza, ingabe isihogo siyindawo evuthayo yokuhlushwa phakade noma yokubhujiswa? Noma ingabe simane siyisimo sokuhlukaniswa noNkulunkulu? Siyini ngempela isihogo?

[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 4]

Umlando Omfushane Wesihogo Somlilo

AMAKRISTU okuzisholo aqala nini ukukholelwa esihogweni somlilo? Ngemva kakhulu kwesikhathi sikaJesu Kristu nabaphostoli bakhe. I-Encyclopædia Universalis yesiFulentshi ithi: “I-Apocalypse of Peter (yekhulu lesibili C.E.) kwakuyincwadi yokuqala [eqanjiwe] yamaKristu eyachaza ukujeziswa nokuhlushwa kwezoni esihogweni.”

Nokho, oFata beSonto bokuqala babengavumelani ngesihogo. UJustin Martyr, uClement wase-Alexandria, uTertullian, noCyprian babekholelwa ukuthi isihogo siyindawo evuthayo. U-Origen nesazi semfundiso yenkolo uGregory waseNyssa babebheka isihogo njengendawo yokuhlukaniswa noNkulunkulu—yokuhlupheka okungokomoya. Kodwa u-Augustine waseHippo wayekholelwa ukuthi ukuhlupheka esihogweni kungokomoya kube futhi kungokoqobo—umbono owamukelwa. UProfesa J.N.D. Kelly wabhala: “Ngekhulu lesihlanu yase yande yonke indawo imfundiso enokhahlo yokuthi izoni ngeke zilithole elinye ithuba ngemva kwalokhu kuphila nokuthi umlilo oyoziqothula awusoze wacinywa.”

Ngekhulu le-16, abashisekeli bezinguquko bobuProthestani abanjengoMartin Luther noJohn Calvin babebheka isihogo njengesifanekisela ukuhlukaniswa noNkulunkulu phakade. Kodwa umqondo wesihogo esiyindawo yokuhlushwa waphinde wavela phakathi namakhulu amabili eminyaka alandela. Umshumayeli ongumProthestani uJonathan Edwards wayevame ukwesabisa amaMelika Angababusi Bamakoloni ngokuchaza isihogo sicace bhá.

Kodwa ngokushesha nge-mva kwalokho, amalangabi esihogo aqala ukulotha, ancipha. I-U.S.News & World Report ithi: “Ikhulu lama-20 lacishe laba ukuphela kwesihogo.”

[Izithombe]

UJustin Martyr wayekholelwa ukuthi isihogo siyindawo evuthayo

U-Augustine waseHippo wafundisa ukuthi ukuhlupheka esihogweni kungokomoya futhi kungokoqobo