Izilwanyana—Yiba Nembono Elungeleleneyo Ngazo

NJENGOKO kuye kwaboniswa ngaphambili, abantu banikwa imbopheleleko yokunyamekela umhlaba nazo zonke izilwanyana ezikuwo. IBhayibhile ithi: “Yonke into [uThixo] uyibeke phantsi kweenyawo zakhe: amathole neenkabi zeenkomo, zonke, kwanamarhamcwa asendle, iintaka zezulu neentlanzi zolwandle.”—INdumiso 8:6-8; 115:16.

Ibalulekile indlela abantu abayiphumeza ngayo imbopheleleko yabo yokunyamekela izilwanyana. ILizwi likaThixo lithi: “Ilungisa liyawunyamekela umphefumlo wesilwanyana sasekhaya.” (IMizekeliso 12:10) Eneneni, imithetho uThixo awayinika amaSirayeli yayigxininisa ukuba abantu bafanele bazithande izilwanyana. (Duteronomi 22:4, 10; 25:4) Xa bephumeza le mbopheleleko yabo, abantu babedla ngokuhlala nazo kumakhaya abo izilwanyana kuquka ezasendle.—Genesis 1:24.

Noko ke, kuhle ukukhumbula ukuba iBhayibhile ithi kukho umahluko phakathi kwabantu nezilwanyana. Ngabantu abenziwe ‘ngokomfanekiso kaThixo nabafana naye,’ hayi izilwanyana. (Genesis 1:26) Yaye nangona izilwanyana zadalelwa ukuba ziphile ixesha nje elifutshane, abantu babeza kuphila ngonaphakade emhlabeni. (Genesis 3:22, 23; INdumiso 37:29) UYesu Kristu wathi ukuze siphile “ubomi obungunaphakade,” sifanele sibe nokholo nolwazi ngoThixo—zinto ezo zingakwaziyo ukuzenza izilwanyana. (Yohane 3:36; 17:3) Ngapha koko, iBhayibhile ithi abantu abangafanelwanga luvuko bafana ‘nezilwanyana ezingaqiqiyo, ezizalelwe ukubanjwa nokutshatyalaliswa.’—2 Petros 2:9-12.

Zadalelwa Abantu

UThixo wazidalela abantu izilwanyana. Zinokubanceda ekwenzeni umsebenzi wabo yaye zinokuba ngabahlobo babantu. Zikwabubungqina bokuba uThixo unothando nobulumko. Ngokuqinisekileyo, kuyachulumancisa ukubona ubuhle bezilwanyana nokufunda ngoMdali xa sibona ubulumko bazo obulawulwa lithuku. (INdumiso 104:24; IMizekeliso 30:24-28; Roma 1:20) Omnye wemizekelo emininzi yobo bulumko unokubonwa kwizinambuzane. Iyamangalisa indlela ezinxibelelana ngayo iinyosi nendlela ezilulandela ngayo ulwalathiso xa zifuna ukutya—singasathethi ke ngendlela enobugocigoci ezibenza ngayo ubusi.

Izilwanyana zinokuba kukutya kwabantu. Ekuqaleni, uThixo walungiselela ukuba abantu batye imifuno kuphela. Kodwa kamva, kwiminyaka enokuba li-1 600—emva koMkhukula womhla kaNowa—uThixo wathi: “Zonke izinambuzane eziphilileyo mazibe kukutya kuni. Njengotyani obuluhlaza, ndizinikela zonke kuni.” (Genesis 1:29; 9:3) Ngaloo ndlela, uThixo wanika abantu ilungelo lokutya izilwanyana. Nangona ekuqaleni uThixo engazange ayiquke inyama njengokutya kwabantu, ngokucacileyo eli lungiselelo laliza kuba yingenelo kubo.

Iingxaki Eziphathelele Izilwanyana

Kubonakala ngathi ukutyhubela imbali, izilwanyana zazingafane zihlale kumakhaya abantu, yaye oku kusenjalo kwiindawo ezininzi ehlabathini. Noko ke, kutshanje njengoko abantu befudukela ezixekweni yaye besiba nemali, iye ixhaphaka into yokuba abantu babe nezilwanyana kumakhaya abo. Oku kuye kwadala iingxaki kumazwe ahambele phambili.

Kwizilwanyana zasekhaya ekuqikelelwa ukuba zingama-500 ezigidi, ezimalunga nama-40 ekhulwini zifumaneka eUnited States. Kwelo, kukho izinja ezingama-59 ezigidi neekati ezingama-75 ezigidi. Sekunjalo, izinja neekati ezifumaneka kumzi ngamnye eLondon naseParis zingaphezu kwezo zifumaneka kwisiXeko saseNew York!

Kwiminyaka yakutshanje eParis kuye kwafunwa oomatshini abangama-70 ababizwa ngokuba ziicaninettes ukuze kutshayelwe ilindle lezinja ecaleni kwendlela. EParis kukho izinja ezimalunga nama-250 000 yaye kuqikelelwa ukuba suku ngalunye ilindle lazo liba ziitoni ezingama-25, ngaphantsi kwesiqingatha selo litshayelwa ziicaninettes. Kuthiwa nyaka ngamnye kwelo, bangamakhulu abantu abenzakaliswa kukutyibilika kwilindle lezinja bade baye kulala esibhedlele.

Enye ingxaki ngazo kukuba zibangela ingxolo. Abanye abantu bayakwazi ukunyamezela imikhwa emibi yezinja zabo kodwa abakwazi ukuyinyamezela xa isenziwa ngabantu. Ngokutsho kwePet Care Forum, “abantu abanezinja ezithanda ukukhonkotha bayakwazi ukunyamezela ingxolo yazo.” Ngokomzekelo, abanye abazinqandi xa zikhonkotha zingayeki, nokuba loo ngxolo sele iphazamisa incoko ebalulekileyo.

Kwelinye icala, inja isenokonwaba xa ikunye nomniniyo kodwa idale umonakalo omkhulu ekuhlaleni xa engekho. Liyinyaniso elokuba, abantu basenokuzithanda izilwanyana zabo phezu kwazo nje ezo ngxaki, kodwa umntu osebenza ebusuku okanye umama ozama ukulalisa usana lwakhe usenokucatshukiswa kakhulu yiloo ngxolo. Ngapha koko, izinja ezikruqukileyo zinokudala umonakalo omkhulu yaye maxa wambi zinokuba nochuku.

Enye ingxaki ngezilwanyana ezixekweni sisantya ezanda ngaso. Kuqikelelwa ukuba minyaka le eUnited States kuzalwa izinja ezili-17 lezigidi neekati ezingama-30 ezigidi. Izigidi zazo ziphelela kumaziko okugcina izilwanyana, apho kuqikelelwa ukuba nyaka ngamnye kwelo lizwe kuphela izigidi ezine ukusa kwezithandathu—ziyabulawa.

Yintoni ebangela ukuba zibe ninzi kangaka izilwanyana ezisiwa kula maziko? Idla ngokuba kukuphela kothando ngesilwanyana. Umbundlwana othandekayo okanye intshontsho lekati elihle liyakhula libe sisilwanyana esifuna ukunyanyekelwa. Kodwa kusenokungabikho mntu unexesha okanye umonde wokudlala okanye wokuqeqesha eso silwanyana. UGqr. Jonica Newby ongumbhali nesazi ngezilwanyana uthi: “Ngokwahlukileyo kwingcamango eqhelekileyo, uphando olwenziwe ehlabathini lonke lubonisa ukuba isiqingatha sezinja ezisiwa kumaziko okugcina izilwanyana asizozinja zilahliweyo, kodwa zisiwa ngabaninizo abadinwe kukukhonkotha kwazo, ukonakalisa okanye ukudlamka kwazo.”

Ingxelo ephathelele ubuninzi bezilwanyana iyishwankathela ngolu hlobo le meko: “Izilwanyana ziyathandwa yaye ziyanyanyekelwa xa zisencinane, kodwa zithi zakukhula zibe yinto engenamsebenzi efanele kukulahlwa. Ukungazikhathaleli ngolo hlobo izilwanyana kuyaphikisana nendlela esakhuliswa ngayo.”

Iinkalo Ezibalulekileyo Ezifuna Ingqalelo

Ukuba nesilwanyana, ingakumbi esixekweni ngumbandela ofuna ukucingisiswa nzulu. Izilwanyana zifuna ukuzilolonga mihla le ukuze zihlale zisempilweni. I-“National People and Pets Survey” eyenziwa eOstreliya yathi: “Ukuze zihlale zisempilweni emzimbeni nasengqondweni, izinja kufuneka zihamba-hambe zize zizilolonge. Izinja ezingazilolongi ngokwaneleyo zinokuba yingxaki.” Sekunjalo, abantu abaninzi babuya bediniwe emsebenzini kangangokuba abakwazi ukuhamba-hamba nezinja zabo ezifuna ukuphungula amandla ezinawo.

Ngoko abantu abacinga ngokuba nezilwanyana kumakhaya abo bafanele bazibuze le mibuzo: ‘Ngaba ndiza kukwazi ukunika isilwanyana sam ingqalelo eyaneleyo? Ngaba izinto endixakeke zizo ziza kubangela ukuba ndingabi naxesha lokunyamekela isilwanyana? Ngaba ndiza kuba nalo ixesha lokuhamba-hamba okanye lokudlala nesilwanyana sam? Ukuba inja yam ifuna uqeqesho oluthile, ngaba ndikulungele ukuyiqeqesha okanye ukuyisa kwindawo eza kuqeqeshwa kuyo? Ngaba ukuba nesilwanyana kuza kubangela ukuba ndingabi nalo ixesha lokwenza izinto ezibalulekileyo?’

Enye into abafanele bacinge ngayo kukuba ukuba nesilwanyana kunokubiza imali eninzi. Uhlolisiso olwenziwa kubantu abanezilwanyana kumakhaya abo lwabonisa ukuba iindleko zokunyamekelainja eUnited States li-R1 407, ukanti ezokunyamekela ikati ngama-R746 ngonyaka. Ukanti ezo ndleko aziquki ukutya nezinye izinto eziyimfuneko. Ukongezelela, kwezinye iindawo kukho neendleko zokubhalisa isilwanyana sakho.

Ukulungelelana Kulucelomngeni

UMdali wethu ufanele ukuba uyavuya xa ebona ukuba siyazithanda yaye siyazinyamekela izilwanyana zakhe. Ngoko ngaba ubungayi kuvuma ukuba yinto embi ukuziphatha kakubi izilwanyana? Sekunjalo, xa abanye abantu befuna ukuzonwabisa, bayavuma ukuba izilwanyana, njengeenkunzi zenkomo, izinja neenkuku zilwe zenzakalisane de ezinye zazo zife. Ngelishwa, abantu abasoloko beziphatha kakuhle izilwanyana ngendlela awayecebe ngayo uThixo.

Kwelinye icala, abanye abantu baxabise izilwanyana ukodlula izinto ezibalulekileyo. Eneneni, xa uthando ngezilwanyana lungekho ngqiqweni, ubomi besilwanyana bunokude bubonakale bubaluleke ukodlula ubomi babantu. Ngokomzekelo, kuthiwa xa kwakusitsha esinye isibhedlele sezilwanyana, abanye abaninizo ababengxange ngaphandle “batyhudisa kwiqela labacimi-mlilo besithi bafuna ukufa nezilwanyana zabo abazithandayo.”

Kakade ke, kusenokuba yinto ebuhlungu ukubona isilwanyana osithandayo sisifa. Kodwa le nkalo ifuna ulungelelwano. Njengoko kuye kwaboniswa ngaphambili, izilwanyana azizange zidalwe ngokomfanekiso kaThixo, zingazange zidalelwe nokuphila ngonaphakade njengabantu. Ngokuphathelele indlela uThixo awabadala ngayo abantu, iBhayibhile ithi: “Kwanexesha elingenammiselo ulibeke ezintliziyweni zabo.” Kodwa izilwanyana akazidalanga ngolo hlobo.—INtshumayeli 3:11.

Ngoko iBhayibhile ayitsho ukuba kuphosakele ukubulala izilwanyana—kaloku ngoku sele zikukutya kwizigidi zabantu. Kodwa kuthekani ngokubulala isilwanyana—mhlawumbi esingcungcuthekiswa kukugula? Hayi indlela ekunokuba nzima nekunokuba buhlungu ngayo ukwenza eso sigqibo! Sekunjalo, umntu usenokugqiba kwelokuba ukubulala isilwanyana sakhe asithandayo ngendlela ekhawulezileyo engaz’ ukusingcungcuthekisa kubhetele kunokusinika amayeza abiza imali eninzi aza kusenza siphile ixesha elidana kodwa singcungcutheke—nto leyo enokubangela intsapho ilahlekelwe nayimali eninzi.

UThixo uyabathanda abantu; ngaba asifanelanga nathi sizithande izilwanyana ekubeni esinike imbopheleleko yokuzinyamekela? Abo bazithandayo badla ngokuba ngabahlobo bazo kanye njengoko wayefuna kube njalo uMdali wethu. Inqaku lokugqibela kolu ngcelele liza kunaba ngalo mbandela.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

Kutheni izigidi zezilwanyana zibulawa kumaziko okugcina izilwanyana nyaka ngamnye?

[Inkcazelo]

© Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 16, 17]

Abantu, ingakumbi abo bahlala ezixekweni bafanele baqonde ukuba ukuba nesilwanyana kubandakanya izinto ezininzi

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

UMdali wethu uyonwaba xa siziphatha ngobubele izilwanyana