Umbono WeBhayibheli

Ingabe Ukudla Inyama Akulungile?

“BHEKANI, NGIYANINIKA YONKE IMIFINO ETHELA IMBEWU, ESEMHLABENI WONKE, NEMITHI YONKE OKUKUYO IZITHELO ZOMUTHI OVEZA IMBEWU, KUBE-NGUKUDLA KWENU.”—Genesise 1:29.

USUJATA oneminyaka engu-18 ubudala, ozalwa emkhayeni wamaHindu odla imifino kuphela, wavumelana ngokunganqikazi nomyalo kaNkulunkulu wokudla awunikeza umuntu wokuqala, u-Adamu. Kodwa ngokushesha wazibuza: “Khona-ke, kungani abantu bebulala izilwane bese bezidla kuyilapho ziziningi kangaka ezinye izinto abangazidla?”

Abantu abaningi emhlabeni wonke bazizwa ngendlela efanayo. Amakhulu ezigidi eMpumalanga awayidli inyama. Ngaphezu kwalokho, liyanda inani labantu abadla imifino kuphela eNtshonalanga. E-United States kuphela, abantu abangaba izigidi ezingu-12,4 bathi badla imifino kuphela, bayizigidi ezingaba ntathu kunababesho eminyakeni eyishumi edlule.

Kungani abantu abaningi kangaka bekhetha ukungayidli inyama? Yimuphi umbono ofanele ngokuphila kwezilwane? Ingabe ukudla inyama kubonisa ukungakuhloniphi ukuphila? Uma kucatshangelwa lokho okushiwo kuGenesise 1:29, ingabe akulungile ukudla inyama? Okokuqala, cabangela isizathu esenza ukuba abanye bangayidli inyama.

Kungani Abanye Bengayidli Inyama?

Ukudla okudliwa uSujata kuhilela izinkolelo zakhe ezingokwenkolo. Uyachaza: “Ngakhula ngingumHindu, ngikholelwa emfundisweni yokuphindukuzalwa. Njengoba umphefumulo womuntu ungabuya usuyisilwane, ngizibheka njengolingana nezilwane. Ngakho-ke kubonakala kungalungile ukuzibulala ukuze ngithole ukudla.” Ezinye izinkolo nazo zikhuthaza ukudla imifino kuphela.

Izici ezingezona izinkolelo ezingokwenkolo nazo ziyakuthonya ukudla okukhethwa abantu. Ngokwesibonelo, uDkt. Neal Barnard ulibeka ngembaba: “Okuwukuphela kwezizathu ezenza kudliwe inyama ukuthi kuwumkhuba nokungabi nalwazi.” Ukuma kwakhe okuqinile kusekelwe emibonweni yakhe ngokuphathelene nezingozi ezingokwempilo zokudla inyama, njengesifo senhliziyo nomdlavuza.a

E-United States, kuthiwa landa ngokushesha iqembu lentsha edla imifino kuphela. Kanti esinye isizathu salokhu ukukhathalela izilwane. “Intsha iyazithanda izilwane,” kusho uTracy Reiman we-People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. “Lapho iqala ukuzwa ukuthi kwenzekani ezilwaneni ngaphambi kokuba zibulawe ukuze zidliwe, kumane kwandise uzwela lwayo.”

Abantu abaningi abakhathalela indawo ezungezile nabo bayakuqonda ukuhlobana okuphakathi kokudla abakudlayo nokudingeka okukhulu kwezinto ezingokwemvelo ekukhuliseni izilwane eziba ukudla. Ngokwesibonelo, kudingeka amalitha amanzi angaba ngu-3300 ukuze kwenziwe ikhilogremu elilodwa lenyama yenkomo namalitha angu-3100 ngekhilogremu elilodwa lenyama yenkukhu. Kwabanye, lokhu-ke kuba isizathu sokuba bagweme inyama.

Kuthiwani ngawe? Ingabe kufanele uyeke ukudla inyama? Ngaphambi kokuba uphendule lowo mbuzo, cabangela omunye umbono. Njengoba kutholakala kumaHubo 50:10, 11, uJehova uNkulunkulu, uMenzi wezinto zonke, uthi: “Zingezami zonke izilwane zehlathi, nezinkomo zasezintabeni eziyizinkulungwane. Ngiyazazi zonke izinyoni zasezintabeni, nezilwane zasendle zaziwa yimi.” Njengoba zonke izilwane empeleni zingezikaNkulunkulu, kubalulekile ukuqonda indlela uMdali azizwa ngayo ngokuphila kwezilwane nokuzidla komuntu.

Ingabe Ukubulala Izilwane Akulungile?

Abanye, njengoSujata, abacabanga ukuthi izilwane ziyalingana nomuntu banomuzwa oqinile wokuthi ukubulala isilwane nganoma iyiphi injongo akulungile—ukuzibulala ukuze zidliwe kubi nakakhulu. Nokho, imiBhalo ibonisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyahlukanisa phakathi kokuphila kwezilwane nokuphila komuntu futhi uvumela ukubulawa kwezilwane ngenxa yezizathu ezihlukahlukene. Ngokwesibonelo, kwa-Israyeli isilwane sasibulawa lapho sisongela ukuphila komuntu noma kwemfuyo yomuntu.—Eksodusi 21:28, 29; 1 Samuweli 17:34-36.

Kusukela ezikhathini zasendulo, uNkulunkulu wayekwamukela ukunikela ngezilwane njengemihlatshelo ekukhulekeleni. (Genesise 4:2-5; 8:20, 21) Futhi wayala ama-Israyeli ukuba akhumbule ukuFuduka kwawo eGibithe ngokugubha iPhasika minyaka yonke, okwakuhilela ukwenza umhlatshelo wewundlu noma wembuzi nokudla inyama yayo. (Eksodusi 12:3-9) Futhi ngaphansi koMthetho kaMose, kwakukhona neminye imikhosi yokunikela ngezilwane.

Efunda iBhayibheli okokuqala ngqá, owesifazane ongumHindu oneminyaka engu-70 ubudala wawuthola ungemuhle umqondo wokwenza imihlatshelo ngezilwane. Kodwa njengoba ayethuthuka olwazini lwemiBhalo, wabona ukuthi imihlatshelo eyayifunwa uNkulunkulu yayinenjongo. Yayibhekisela phambili emhlatshelweni kaJesu Kristu, owawuyogcwalisa imfuneko engokomthetho yokuthethelelwa kwezono. (Heberu 8:3-5; 10:1-10; 1 Johane 2:1, 2) Ezimweni eziningi imihlatshelo yayiba nawukudla kwabapristi futhi ngezinye izikhathi ibe ukudla kwabakhulekeli. (Levitikusi 7:11-21; 19:5-8) UNkulunkulu, okungezakhe zonke izinto eziphilayo, wayengalimisa ngokufanele ilungiselelo elinjalo ngenjongo ethile. Lapho uJesu esefile, imihlatshelo yezilwane yayingasafuneki ekukhulekeleni.—Kolose 2:13-17; Heberu 10:1-12.

Ukudla Izilwane

Nokho, kuthiwani ngokubulala izilwane ukuze zidliwe? Kuyiqiniso ukuthi ekuqaleni umuntu wayedla imifino kuphela. Kodwa kamuva uJehova wanezela inyama yezilwane. Eminyakeni engaba ngu-4000 edlule—ezinsukwini zikaNowa olungile—uJehova wabangela uzamcolo wembulunga yonke futhi waphelisa ububi obabukhona ngaleso sikhathi emhlabeni. UNowa, umkhaya wakhe nezilwane eziphilayo azifaka emkhunjini basinda eSikhukhuleni. Ngemva kokuphuma kwabo emkhunjini, uJehova ngokokuqala ngqá wathi: “Zonke izilwane eziphilayo ziyakuba-ngukudla kwenu; ngiyaninika konke kube-njengemifino eluhlaza.” (Genesise 9:3) Nokho, ngesikhathi esifanayo, uNkulunkulu wanikeza lomthetho: “Ochitha igazi lomuntu, igazi lakhe liyakuchithwa ngabantu, ngokuba uNkulunkulu wamenza umuntu ngomfanekiso wakhe.” (Genesise 9:6) Ngokusobala, uNkulunkulu akazange abeke izilwane ezingeni elifanayo nabantu.

Eqinisweni, inkolelo kaSujata ngezilwane yayisekelwe ekukholelweni kwakhe emfundisweni yokuphindukuzalwa. Ngokuqondene nalokhu iBhayibheli lichaza ukuthi nakuba abantu nezilwane kuyimiphefumulo, umphefumulo uyafa. (Genesise 2:7; Hezekeli 18:4, 20; IzEnzo 3:23; IsAmbulo 16:3) Njengemiphefumulo, kokubili abantu nezilwane kuyafa bese kungabi bikho. (UmShumayeli 3:19, 20) Nokho, abantu banethemba elihle lovuko ezweni elisha likaNkulunkulu.b (Luka 23:43; IzEnzo 24:15) Nalokhu kubonisa ukuthi izilwane azilingani nabantu.

USujata wayefuna ukwazi: “Nokho, kungani kwashintshwa ukudla?” Ngokusobala isimo sezulu emhlabeni sase sishintshe kakhulu ngenxa yeSikhukhula. Ukuthi uJehova wanezela inyama ekudleni komuntu ngoba ayelungiselela izidingo zezizukulwane zesikhathi esizayo ezaziyophila ezindaweni lapho imifino yayiyoba ingcosana khona, iBhayibheli alisho. Kodwa uSujata wakwamukela ukuthi uMnikazi wezinto zonke eziphilayo wayenelungelo lokwenza ushintsho.

Ukubonisa Inhlonipho Ngokuphila Kwezilwane

Nokho, uSujata wazibuza, ‘Akufanele yini sibonise inhlonipho okungenani ngokuphila kwezilwane?’ Yebo, kufanele. Futhi uMdali wezinto zonke uye wasitshela ukuthi lokhu singakwenza kanjani. Umyalo wakhe okuGenesise 9:4 uthi: “Kepha inyama okukuyo umphefumulo wayo, okungukuthi igazi layo, aniyikuyidla.” Kungani kwenqatshelwe ukudla igazi? IBhayibheli lithi: “Ngokuba umphefumulo [ukuphila] womzimba usegazini.” (Levitikusi 17:10, 11) UJehova uye wanquma: ‘Ulithulule emhlabeni njengamanzi igazi lesilwane esibulewe.’—Duteronomi 12:16, 24.

Lokhu akusho ukuthi ilungiselelo lokudla inyama liyimvume yokuzitika ngokuchitha igazi lezilwane okungadingekile ukuze umuntu azijabulise ngokuzingela noma ukuze abonise isibindi anaso. Ngokusobala uNimrode wayenza lokhu. IBhayibheli limchaza ngokuthi ‘iphisi elinamandla eliphikisana noJehova.’ (Genesise 10:9, NW) Ngisho nanamuhla, abanye bangase bafune ukuzijabulisa ngokuzingela nokubulala izilwane. Kodwa umoya onjalo uhambisana nokukushaya indiva ukuphila kwezilwane, futhi uNkulunkulu akakuvumeli.c

Ukuba Nozwela Ngezilwane

Namuhla abanye abantu abadla imifino kuphela bakhathazeke ngobuqotho ngokuphathwa kwezilwane ezimbonini zenyama zanamuhla. “Ibhizinisi lezolimo alinasithakazelo emizwelweni engokwemvelo yezilwane,” kusho i-Vegetarian Handbook. Lencwadi iyaphawula: “Njengoba zikhuliselwa ezindaweni ezisondelene futhi nezingezona ezingokwemvelo, izilwane namuhla zixhashazwa kakhulu kunanini ngaphambili.”

Nakuba ukudla izilwane kungamelene nentando kaNkulunkulu, ukuphathwa kabi kwazo kumelene nayo. “Olungileyo uyakunaka ukuphila kwesilwane sakhe,” kusho iBhayibheli kuzAga 12:10. Futhi uMthetho kaMose wawuyala ukuba zinakekelwe kahle izilwane.—Eksodusi 23:4, 5; Duteronomi 22:10; 25:4.

Ingabe UmKristu Kufanele Adle Imifino Kuphela?

Njengoba kubonisiwe ngaphambili, indaba yokudla imifino kuphela—noma ukuqhubeka uyidla—iyisinqumo somuntu siqu ngokuphelele. Ngenxa yempilo, ezomnotho, indawo ezungezile, noma ukuba nozwela ngezilwane, umuntu angase akhethe ukudla imifino kuphela. Kodwa kumelwe abheke ukukhetha kwakhe njengenye yezindlela zokudla. Akufanele agxeke labo abakhetha ukudla inyama, njengoba nodla inyama kungafanele alahle umuntu odla imifino kuphela. Ukudla inyama noma ukungayidli akumenzi umuntu abe ngcono. (Roma 14:1-17) Futhi akufanele ukudla umuntu akudlayo kube yinto eyinhloko ekuphileni kwakhe. UJesu wathi: “Umuntu akumelwe aphile ngesinkwa sodwa, kodwa ngawo wonke amazwi aphuma emlonyeni kaJehova.”—Mathewu 4:4.

Ngokuphathelene nokuphathwa ngonya kwezilwane nokusaphazwa kwengcebo yomhlaba, uJehova uye wathembisa ukuphelisa lesi simiso esonakele nesihahayo futhi esikhundleni saso alethe izwe elisha elenziwe nguye. (IHubo 37:10, 11; Mathewu 6:9, 10; 2 Petru 3:13) Kulelozwe elisha, umuntu nezilwane bayohlala ngokuthula kuze kube phakade, futhi uJehova ‘uyosuthisa ukufisa kwakho konke okuphilayo.’—IHubo 145:16; Isaya 65:25.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 18]

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