Nte Devil Odu?

“Ama odu ini ke mbụk Ufọkabasi Christian emi devil, Beelzebub m̀mê Satan, kpa ọbọn̄ idiọkn̄kpọ, ekedide ata owo oro okopde odudu ukem nte ‘Abasi’ okopde mfịn ọnọ ibat owo oro akade-ka iso ndisụhọde; devil ekedi edibotn̄kpọ oro ekenyenede idem eke owo ye idem eke unam oro mme Jew ye mme akpa Christian ẹketịbide ẹdi nte ntak kaban̄a idiọkido oro akakande mmọ okụk. Ke ukperedem mme Christian ẹma ẹdifiọk ẹte ke emi ekedi owo n̄ke oro isọn̄ ndomokiet mîdụhe ndiwụt ke enye edi ata owo ẹnyụn̄ ẹtop enye ẹduọk ke ndịbe.”—“All in the Mind—A Farewell to God,” emi Ludovic Kennedy ewetde.

NTE ewetn̄wed ye okotmbụk n̄kpọntịbe oro Ludovic Kennedy ọdọhọde, ke ediwak isua owo ndomokiet ke Christendom ikeyịkke nte ke Devil edi ata owo. Utu ke oro, nte Prọfesọ Norman Cohn esịnde enye, ke ndusụk ini mme Christian “ẹma ẹsinen̄ede ẹkere ẹban̄a odudu Satan ye mme demon esie.” (Europe’s Inner Demons) Idịghe mme ikpîkpu usụhọde owo oro ẹkedide mme ọkọi kpọt ẹkesikere ẹban̄a. Ke uwụtn̄kpọ, edinịm ke akpanikọ oro nte ke Devil esiforo unam man ada usụn̄ ke idiọkn̄kpọ ye mbubiam edinam “ikọtọn̄ọke ke n̄ke ata ediwak mbon oro mîfiọkke n̄wed, edi ke edide isio, mbon oro ererimbot adade nte nta mme ọfiọkn̄wed ẹketọn̄ọ,” ntre ke Prọfesọ Cohn ọdọhọ. “Nta mme ọfiọkn̄wed” emi—esịnede mme ọkwọrọ ederi oro ẹdide mme ọfiọkn̄wed—ẹkedi ntak ẹkesobode mme ifọt ke Europe ọtọn̄ọde ke ọyọhọ isua ikie 15 esịm ọyọhọ isua ikie 17, ke ini ẹdọhọde nte ufọkabasi ye ukara ẹketụhọrede ẹnyụn̄ ẹwotde n̄kpọ nte owo 50,000 oro ẹkedoride ikọ ẹte ke ẹdi mme ifọt.

Idịghe n̄kpọ n̄kpaidem nte ediwak owo mînyịmeke se mmọ ẹdade nte idiọk nsunsu ekikere aban̄ade Devil. Idem ko ke edem ke 1726, Daniel Defoe ama asak edinịm ke akpanikọ oro nte ke Devil edi enyene-ndịk idiọk unam “oro enyenede mba n̄kpekpem, mme nnụk, ikpat oro asiahade iba, anyan isịm, edeme emi enyenede mfa, ye n̄kpọ ntre.” Enye ama ọdọhọ ete ke mme utọ ekikere oro ẹkedi “n̄kpri n̄kpọ oro mîsịneke ifiọk,” ẹtode “mbon oro ẹkpepde nte devil etiede ye mme andiwet mbiet devil” oro “ẹkedade mme ekikere mmọ kaban̄a nte devil etiede ẹbian̄a mme ọkọi.”

Ndi afo ekere ntre? Nte afo emenyịme ete ke “devil enen̄ede edi se owo etịbide ndida nnam ntak unam idiọk esie an̄wan̄a”? Ikọ oro odu ke The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, ndien ediwak mbon oro ẹdọhọde nte idide Christian ẹkere ntre. Jeffrey Burton Russell ọdọhọ ete ke mme ekpep ukpepn̄kpọ ido ukpono Christendom, ke ofụri ofụri, “ẹse Devil ye mme demon nte mme nsunsu ekikere.”

 Edi, ye ndusụk owo, Devil enen̄ede edi ata owo. Mmọ ẹnọ ekikere ẹte ke anaedi owo oro enyenede odudu emi akande odudu owo odu, kpa idiọk odudu oro edide ntak kpukpru idiọkn̄kpọ oro ẹyọhọde mbụk owo. Russell ọdọhọ ete: “Ọkpọsọn̄ ndịk oro odude ke ọyọhọ isua ikie edịp” ọnọ ntak kiet oro anamde “ẹsọsọp ẹfiak ẹnịm ke Devil odu, ke ẹma ẹketre ndinịm ke anyan ini.” Nte ewetn̄wed oro Don Lewis ọdọhọde, ediwak ke otu mme ọfiọkn̄wed eyomfịn oro “ẹkesakde-sak” mme nsunsu ukpepn̄kpọ ye ndịk “mme ete ete mmọ oro ẹkedide mme ọkọi” ke “ẹfiak ẹyak idiọk ekikere aban̄ade odudu oro akande eke owo akara mmọ.”—Religious Superstition Through the Ages.

Nso, ndien, idi akpanikọ ke n̄kpọ emi? Nte Devil edi nditen̄ nsunsu ekikere? Mîdịghe nte enye edi owo oro owo mîkpadaha mfefere mfefere idem ke ọyọhọ isua ikie 21 emi?

[Ndise ke page 4]

Nte ẹwụtde ke mbuwed Gustave Doré, n̄kani nsunsu ekikere ẹkewụt Devil nte enyenede idem eke owo ye idem eke unam

[Ebiet Ẹdade N̄kpọ Ẹto]

The Judecca—Lucifer/The Doré Illustrations For Dante’s Divine Comedy/Dover Publications Inc.