Imbono YeBhayibhile

Ngaba AmaKristu Afanele Awathiye Amafanasini?

NGOWE-1969 kulwimi lwesiNgesi kwayilwa igama elichaza uloyiko olungekho ngqiqweni okanye ukucekisa amafanasini. Eli gama lithi “homophobia.” Iilwimi ezininzi azinalo igama elinjalo, ukanti kangangamawaka eminyaka, abantu bezizwe neelwimi ezininzi baye bayibonakalisa ngokuphandle intiyo ngamafanasini.

Noko ke, kumaxesha akutshanje, ubufanasini buye bakhuthazwa ngokubanzi njengenye nje indlela yokubonisa iimvakalelo zikabani zesini. Umbhali-mbali uJerry Z. Muller kutshanje wabhala “ngemfuneko enkulu yokwamkelwa nokuhlonelwa ngokubanzi kobufanasini.” Wathi amafanasini “aye amanyana ngakumbi ekuqhwabelen’ izandla esi senzo sawo aza afuna nabanye benze okufanayo.” Oku kuxhaphakile ingakumbi kumazwe aseNtshona. Noko ke, kwiindawo ezininzi ehlabathini, kwanakumazwe ekuthiwa akhululekile, abaninzi basenokuqhubeka bebugxeka baze babucekise ubufanasini.

Amafanasini nabo kurhanelwa ukuba ngamafanasini basoloko besiba zizisulu zokugculelwa, ukuhlaselwa nogonyamelo. Kwaneenkokeli zonqulo ziye zayibonakalisa intiyo enjalo. Ezinye ziye zaqalisa iimfazwana ezingacacanga namafanasini. Ngokomzekelo, khawucinge ngamagqabaza awenziwa ngubhishophu weCawa yobuOthodoki yamaGrike nawasasazwa kutshanje ngesiGrike kunomathotholo wesizwe. Wathi: “UThixo uya kuwatshisa ngonaphakade amafanasini kwisihogo esidangazela umlilo. Izijwili eziphuma kwimilomo yawo emdaka ziya kuhlala zisitsho ngonaphakade. Imizimba yawo egwenxa iya kufumana intuthumbo enganyamezelekiyo.” Ngaba oku kuyinyaniso ngokwenene? UThixo uwajonga njani amafanasini?

Imbono KaThixo

IBhayibhile ayibhekiseli ngokukhethekileyo kumafanasini njengeqela elifanele licekiswe okanye lithiywe ngamaKristu. Ngaphezu koko, ayifundisi ukuba uThixo uya kohlwaya amafanasini—okanye nasiphi na kwizidalwa zakhe—ngokuwatshisa ngonaphakade kwisihogo somlilo.—Thelekisa eyabaseRoma 6:23.

Noko ke, iZibhalo zichaza imilinganiselo yokuziphatha yoMdali wethu, esoloko ingqubana nemilinganiselo yokuziphatha yanamhlanje. Izenzo zobufanasini, iintlobano zesini phakathi kwabantu besini esahlukeneyo abangatshatanga nokuba neentlobano zesini nezilwanyana zonke ezo zinto ziyagwetywa yiBhayibhile. (Eksodus 22:19; Efese 5:3-5) UThixo wayitshabalalisa iSodom neGomora ngenxa yezenzo zesini ezilolo hlobo.—Genesis 13:13; 18:20; 19:4, 5, 24, 25.

Ngokuphathelele izenzo zobufanasini, iLizwi likaThixo ngokuphandle lithi: “Ngamasikizi lawo.” (Levitikus 18:22) UMthetho kaThixo kuSirayeli wabethelela ukuba: “Indoda esukuba iyilala indoda njengokuba kulalwa umfazi, abo benze amasikizi; mababulawe bafe bobabini.” (Levitikus 20:13) Kwakuza kusetyenziswa isohlwayo esifanayo nakwabo baba neentlobano zesini nezilwanyana, abenza umbulo nabakrexezayo.—Levitikus 20:10-12, 14-17.

Umpostile uPawulos waphefumlelwa ukuba achaze izenzo zobufanasini ‘njengeminqweno yesini elihlazo’ ‘nanjengokwahlukileyo kwimvelo.’ Ubhala athi: “Kungenxa yoko le nto uThixo wabanikela kwiminqweno yesini elihlazo, kuba kokubini amabhinqa abo akutshintsha ukusebenza kwawo kwemvelo kwaba kokwahlukileyo kwimvelo; yaye ngokunjalo kwanamadoda akushiya ukusebenza kwemvelo kwamabhinqa aza atshisekelana ngamandla, amadoda ekhanuka amadoda, esebenza oko kungamanyala yaye ezamkelela imbuyekezo ezeleyo, eyayiwafanele ngenxa yemposiso yawo. Yaye kanye njengoko babengakholiswa kukumgqala uThixo ngolwazi oluchanileyo, uThixo wabanikela kwimo yengqondo engakholekileyo, ukuze benze izinto ezingafanelekanga.”—Roma 1:26-28.

IZibhalo azinikeli zingxengxezo, zinganiki mnyinyiva kungekho nanto ziyishiya ingacacanga; izenzo zobufanasini, ukrexezo, uhenyuzo, zonke ezo zinto zingamasikizi emehlweni kaThixo. Ngokuvisisana noko amaKristu okwenyaniso akayingxengi imbono yeBhayibhile ngokuphathelele ‘iminqweno yesini elihlazo’ ukuze nje athandwe ngakumbi okanye amkeleke ngakumbi kwibutho labantu lanamhlanje. Akavumelani nawo nawuphi na umbutho ozinikele ekukhuthazeni ubufanasini njengendlela eqhelekileyo yobomi.

“Kuthiyeni Okubi”

IBhayibhile iyabongoza: “Bathandi bakaYehova, kuthiyeni okubi.” (INdumiso 97:10) Ngenxa yoko, kulindeleke ukuba amaKristu athiye nasiphi na isenzo esingqubana nemithetho kaYehova. Abanye abantu basenokubuthiy’ egazini okanye babucekise ubufanasini kunazo naziphi na ezinye iindlela zokuziphatha okubi, bebujonga ubufanasini njengesini esigqwethekileyo esingesosamvelo. Noko ke, ngaba amaKristu afanele abathiye abantu abenza izinto ezinjalo?

Umdumisi uyasikhanyisela ngalo mbandela kwiNdumiso 139:21, 22: “Andinakubathiya na abakuthiyayo, Yehova, ndikruquke ngabasukela phezulu kuwe? Ndibathiya ngentiyo ephelelisileyo, kum mna baziintshaba.” Ukunyaniseka kwethu kuYehova nakwimigaqo yakhe kuya kusenza sibacekise abo bamvukela ngabom uYehova nabazenza iintshaba zikaThixo. USathana needemon baphakathi kweentshaba ezaziwayo zikaThixo. Nabanye abantu baye bawela kolu didi. Kodwa, kusenokuba nzima gqitha ngomKristu ukubabona abantu abanjalo ngokubajonga nje ngaphandle. Asinakuzibona iintliziyo. (Yeremiya 17:9, 10) Bekuya kuba yinto ephosakeleyo ukuqikelela ukuba ubani ulutshaba lukaThixo olungenakuguquka ngenxa yokuba esenza okubi. Kwiimeko ezininzi abenzi bobubi abayazi imilinganiselo kaThixo.

Ngenxa yoko, ngokuqhelekileyo, amaKristu akakhawulezi ukuthiya abanye abantu. Kwanokuba alucaphukela ngokugqithiseleyo uhlobo oluthile lokuphila, akakhangeli thuba lokwenzakalisa abanye, engabi nolunya okanye afukam’ intiyo ngakubo. Kunoko iBhayibhile iluleka amaKristu ukuba ‘abe noxolo nabantu bonke.’—Roma 12:9, 17-19.

“UThixo Akakhethi Buso”

UYehova uya kumxolela umntu oguquka ngokunyanisekileyo, enoba ebeziphethe kakubi kangakanani. Abukho ubungqina bokuba uYehova ukujonga okunye ukuziphatha okubi kungaphezulu kokunye. “UThixo akakhethi buso.” (IZenzo 10:34, 35) Ngokomzekelo, khawucinge ngemeko yebandla lenkulungwane yokuqala laseKorinte. Umpostile uPawulos walibhalela oku: “Abahenyuzi, nabanquli-zithixo, nabakrexezi, namadoda agcinelwe iinjongo ezingezozamvelo, namadoda alala namadoda, namasela, nabantu ababawayo, namanxila, nabatshabhisi, nabaphangi abayi kubudla ilifa ubukumkani bukaThixo.” Wandula ke uPawulos wavuma ukuba abanye ababesakuba ngabahenyuzi, abakrexezi namasela baye bamkelwa ebandleni lamaKristu laseKorinte. Wathi: “Ukanti oko koko bambi kuni babekuko. Kodwa niye nahlanjwa nahlambuluka, kodwa niye nangcwaliswa, kodwa niye navakaliswa ningamalungisa egameni leNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu nangomoya kaThixo wethu.”—1 Korinte 6:9-11.

Kambe ke, uYehova akakunyamezeli ukwaphulwa ngokuqhubekayo nangokuzingisileyo kwemilinganiselo yakhe efezekileyo yokuziphatha. Ngokuqinisekileyo ukuthiyile ukungakhathalelwa ngabom kwemigaqo yakhe. Noko ke, usoloko elivula ithuba lokwenza uxolelwaniso. (INdumiso 86:5; Isaya 55:7) Ngokuvisisana noku, amaKristu akawazondi, awagculele, okanye awakhathaze amafanasini okanye naye nabani na. AmaKristu okwenyaniso abajonga abanye abantu njengabafundi bakaKristu bangomso, ebaphatha ngentlonelo nangesidima. IBhayibhile ithi: “Oku kuhle yaye kwamkelekile emehlweni oMsindisi wethu, uThixo, othanda ukuba zonke iintlobo zabantu zisindiswe zize zifikelele elwazini oluchanileyo lwenyaniso.”—1 Timoti 2:3, 4.

AmaKristu Ayabamkela Abo Baguqukayo

Ngokuphindaphindiweyo, iBhayibhile ithi uThixo uyaxolela. Imchaza ‘njengoThixo wokuxolela, onobabalo, onemfesane, ozeka kade umsindo, omninzi ngenceba.’ (Nehemiya 9:17; Hezekile 33:11; 2 Petros 3:9) IBhayibhile yongezelela ngokuthi imfanise nobawo okumzekeliso kaYesu wonyana wolahleko, owalitya walisulel’ entloko ilifa lakhe, ephila ubomi bokuzibhubhisa kwilizwe elikude. Lo bawo wayelindele ukwamkela unyana wakhe kwakhona ngezandla ezifudumeleyo xa unyana wakhe ekugqibeleni wabuyela ezingqondweni, waguquka waza wabuyela kowabo.—Luka 15:11-24.

Ewe, umenzi wobubi unokuguquka. IZibhalo ziyakuvuma oku ngokukhuthaza abantu ukuba bahlube ubuntu obudala baze bambathe obutsha baze ‘benziwe batsha kumandla aqhuba ingqondo.’ (Efese 4:22-24) Abo benza okubi, kuquka amafanasini, banokwenza iinguqulelo ezinkulu kwindlela yabo yokucinga neyokuziphatha, ibe eneneni abaninzi baye baphumelela ekwenzeni olu tshintsho.a UYesu washumayela kwabo banjalo; ibe xa babebonisa inguquko, wabamkela.—Mateyu 21:31, 32.

AmaKristu ayabamkela abantu abaguqukileyo abasuka kuzo zonke iinkalo zobomi. Emva kokuba beshiye zonke izenzo zokuziphatha okubi, enoba beziyintoni na, bonke banokungenelwa ngokupheleleyo ekuxolelweni nguThixo ngenxa yokuba “ulungile uYehova kubo bonke, imfesane yakhe ikuzo zonke izenzo zakhe.”—INdumiso 145:9.

AmaKristu azimisele ukubaxhasa ngokomoya, abo basawa bevuka besilwa notyekelo lobufanasini. Oku kuvisisana noko kwaboniswa yindlela uThixo awabonakalisa ngayo uthando, kuba iBhayibhile ithi: “UThixo uncomela uthando lwakhe kuthi ngokuthi, ngoxa sasisengaboni, uKristu wasifela.”—Roma 5:8.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 14]

AmaKristu akayingxengi imbono yeBhayibhile ngobufanasini

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 13]

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