Icawa Isengxakini KuMzantsi NoMbindi Merika—Kutheni Izigidi Ziyishiya?

UKUSUKA kumda osemantla weMexico ukuya kwincam esemazantsi eChile, phantse akukho nokuba ibenye idolophana okanye isixeko esikuMzantsi noMbindi Merika esingenayo icawa yamaRoma Katolika kwindawo ephambili yeevenkile. Sekunjalo, uJoseph E. Davis, umalathisi wocwangciso weziko elixhasa iinkqubo zamaKatolika, wavuma ukuba, “kwenzeka inguqulelo enkulu kuMbindi noMzantsi Merika.” Wakwavuma ukuba uMzantsi noMbindi Merika, ummandla owawuphantsi kwempembelelo yeCawa yamaRoma Katolika ngaphezu kweenkulungwane ezintathu, ngoku usemgubasini weenguqulelo eziphawulekayo.

Akuyonto nto ifihlakeleyo ukuba ukongama kweCawa yamaKatolika kuyaphela ngokukhawuleza. Kutshanje, inani lamaKatolika akhutheleyo lithelekelelwa kuphela kwi-15 ekhulwini kwinani labantu abakuMzantsi noMbindi Merika. I-1991 Britannica Book of the Year yanikela le ngxelo: “OoBhishophu bamaRoma Katolika kunye nopopu bavakalisa uloyiko lokuba uMzantsi noMbindi Merika ngokwembali oyindawo yamaKatolika ulunikel’ umva ngesantya esiyingozi ukholo lwakudala.” Kutheni kusenzeka oku? Kutheni abaninzi kangaka belishiya ibandla lamaKatolika? Kwenzeke ntoni kwabo baphumayo?

Uphando Lonobangela

Iinkokeli zamaKatolika zithi iingxaki zazo zibangelwa kukwanda “kwamahlelo.” Umfundisi waseYurophu osebenza eBolivia wakhalaza esithi: “Icawa ifana nomthi omandla awo atshatyalaliswa ngamahlelo afana nokhula.”

EArgentina, nyaka ngamnye kunikelwa ingxelo yokuba kubakho iicawa ezintsha ezili-140, ezifak’ isandla kwiingxelo zokuhla kwamalungu eCawa yamaKatolika ukusuka kuma-90 ukuya kuma-60 okanye kuma-70 ekhulwini ukususela phakathi kwiiminyaka yee-1970. ETijuana, eMexico, i-10 ekhulwini kwizigidi ezibini zabemi ziyishiyile zaza zaya kwiicawa ezingama-327 ezingezizo ezobuKatolika ezilapho. Iphephancwadi iTime lanikela le ngxelo: “Okumangalisayo kukuba phantse ngokuqinisekileyo kubakho amaProtestanti aseBrazil angakumbi ecaweni ngeentsuku zangeCawa kunamaKatolika.” Akumangalisi ukuba, njengoko elinye iphephandaba lathi, xa “iikhadinali zoMzantsi noMbindi Merika zahlangana nepopu kwiSixeko seVatican ukuya kuxubusha ngemibandela emibini ebaluleke ngokwenene kwicawa namhlanje,” enye yazo “yayiyingxaki yamahlelo.”

Kwintlanganiso noobhishophu baseMexico, upopu wathi impumelelo yeecawa ezininzi ezintsha “ibangelwa bubudikidiki nokungabi namdla koonyana becawa abangekho kubizo lobuvangeli.” Kutheni “oonyana becawa” bengenamdla wokwanelisa iintswelo zokomoya zabemi boMzantsi noMbindi Merika ngoxa kukho abaninzi kubo abayihlonelayo iBhayibhile? Inqaku lomhleli kwiÚltima Hora, yaseLa Paz, eBolivia, licacisa oku: “Icawa ingenelele ehlabathini ukusa kumlinganiselo wokuba suku ngalunye ibonakala ngathi iqhubela phambili ekutyesheleni ummandla wayo. Akufanele kusimangalise ukufumanisa ukuba, njengoko enyanisweni kusenzeka, abefundisi baziingcali zesociology, baziingcali zezoqoqosho, bangabacholacholi beendaba okanye abezobupolitika kunoba babe ngabefundisi.”

Ngaba Kukho Abezobupolitika Abangakumbi Kunabashumayeli?

Ukugxuphuleka kweecawa kwezobupolitika ebudeni beminyaka yee-1970 neyee-1980 ngokungathandabuzekiyo kuye kwafak’ isandla kwintiyo uninzi lwabemi boMzantsi noMbindi Merika abaye banayo ngobuKatolika. Uhlolisiso olwapapashwa ngowe-1985 lwafumanisa oku kulandelayo ngokuphathelele iMaryknoll, uMbutho waseMerika wamaKatolika wabaVangeli Basemzini, onabavangeli bawo abaninzi kuMzantsi noMbindi Merika: “IMaryknoll iye ngempumelelo yazisa isigidimi sikaMarx noLenin semvukelo yogonyamelo ukuba samkelwe ngabantu kanye ngenxa yokuba saye savunyelwa ukuba sisebenze njengesixhobo seCawa yamaKatolika. Isigidimi sawo asifikelelanga kumhambi wecawa oqhelekileyo nje kuphela, kodwa sifikelele kwanakubaqulunqi bemithetho abaphambili baseMerika.”

Kwakhona qwalasela oko kubizwa ngokuthi yimfazwe yenkohlakalo ekwathi kuyo, ngokumangalisayo kwathinjwa kwaza kwabulawa abantu baseArgentina abasusela kwi-10 000 ukuya kwabangama-30 000 kungathethwanga tyala ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yee-1970. Inqaku lomhleli kwiNational Catholic Reporter, phantsi komxholo othi “Izandla ZeCawa Zizel’ Igazi EArgentina,” lathi: “Oko kwenzeke eArgentina kufana nqwa nendlela eyayiqhuba ngayo icawa yamaKatolika kwiJamani yobuNazi, kwakhona siphakamisa umbuzo wokuba ngaba igunya libaluleke ngakumbi ecaweni kuneVangeli engqinela inyaniso.”

Umnqweno wecawa wokuba negunya koorhulumente behlabathi uyibonisa ngokucacileyo ukuba ayisosihlobo sikaThixo. IBhayibhile ithi: “Aniqondi na ukuba ukwenza ihlabathi umhlobo wenu kukwenza uThixo utshaba lwenu? Nabani na okhetha ukuba sisihlobo sehlabathi uzenza utshaba lukaThixo.” (Yakobi 4:4, ngokweJerusalem Bible yamaKatolika) Ngoko, akumangalisi ukuba abaninzi babe abakhangeli kwiCawa yamaKatolika ukuze bafumane ulwalathiso lokomoya. Kodwa kwenzeka ntoni kubantu abaye bashiya ibandla lamaKatolika?

Izimvu Ezingenamalusi

Bafana nabantu abashiywa kwesinomhlwa ziinkokeli zokomoya zenkulungwane yokuqala zobuYuda. IBhayibhile ithi uYesu “waba nemfesane ngabo kuba babebandezelekile bedakumbile, njengezimvu ezingenamalusi.” (Mateyu 9:36, JB) Abaninzi bayishiyile iCawa yamaKatolika baza baya kwiicawa ezibizwa ngokuba ziicawa zevangeli. Ngaba ezi ziye zanenkathalo engakumbi ngezi zimvu zilahlekileyo? Ngaba amaProtestanti atyekele ngakumbi koko uYesu wakuchazayo ngabalandeli bakhe bokwenyaniso: ‘Abangabo abehlabathi njengokuba nam ndingenguye owehlabathi’?—Yohane 17:14.

Iicawa ezininzi ezingezozamaKatolika zizama ukuzibonakalisa njengeziyithobelayo iBhayibhile kunokuba zibe ngabalandeli bezithethe zonqulo. Ngokufuthi oku kukuhanahanisa nje kuphela. Iimfundiso ezisisiseko zeentlangano zamaProtestanti zifana gqitha nezo zeCawa yamaKatolika kangangokuba abaninzi abaphawulayo banokuthetha iqhalo laseAndes elithi: “Es la misma cholita con otra pollera” (Ikwangulaa mfazana womIndiya unxibe nje umbhinqo owahlukileyo).

Ngokomzekelo, phantse onke amaqela amaProtestanti afundisa ukuba uThixo unguBathathu Emnye, kodwa le asiyomfundiso yeBhayibhile. IThe Encyclopedia of Religion iyavuma: “Abahlalutyi nabafundi ngezakwalizwi namhlanje bayavumelana ukuba iBhayibhile yesiHebhere ayinayo imfundiso kaBathathu Emnye . . . KwaneTestamente Entsha ayinayo imfundiso ecacileyo kaBathathu Emnye.”a

Ngokucacileyo amaProtestanti amanyene neli hlabathi kunye nezinto zalo zobupolitika ngokufanayo namaKatolika. IEncyclopedia of Latin America ithi: “UbuProtestanti kuMzantsi noMbindi Merika buye bavuma ukusetyenziswa . . . ngabezobupolitika abathi balwela amalungelo abantu. Abefundisi bomthonyama ngokufuthi baba ngabameli babaxhasi bezobupolitika yaye balungiselela iivoti ukuze urhulumente enzele iicawa zabo inceba.” ILatin American Research Review ithi: “UbuProtestanti bazimanyanisa nezobupolitika eGuatemala ukususela ekufikeni kwabo okokuqala kwelo zwe,” yongezelela ngelithi “buye baba sisixhobo sokudlulisela ebantwini indlela yokuziphatha entlalweni nakwezobupolitika njengohlobo oluthile lonqulo.”

Ukuba nenxaxheba kwamaProtestanti kwezobupolitika ngokufuthi kuye kwakhokelela ekungeneleleni kwamaProtestanti emfazweni. Ongasekhoyo uHarry Emerson Fosdick, owaziwa njengomnye wabona befundisi bamaProtestanti banempembelelo kwimbali yaseMerika, wavuma ngelithi: “Imbali yethu yaseNtshona ibe yeyemfazwe emva kwenye. Siye sakhulisa amadoda emfazwe, saqeqesha amadoda emfazwe; siye sazukisa imfazwe; siye senza abaphumi-mkhosi bangamagorha ethu kwanasezicaweni zethu simise iindwe zasemkhosini . . . Ngobumbaxa sidumise uMthetheli Woxolo saza kwathina sazukisa iimfazwe.”

Ufanele Wenze Ntoni?

Emva kokuchaza unqulo lobuxoki njengehenyukazi lokomfuziselo elikrexeza noorhulumente bomhlaba, incwadi yeBhayibhile yeSityhilelo ithi: “Phumani, bantu bam, mkani kuyo, ukuze ningabi nesabelo kulwaphulo-mthetho lwayo nokuze ningafumani izibetho ezifana nezayo.”—ISityhilelo 18:4, JB.

Abaninzi bayaqonda ukuba kukho ukonakala okuninzi ecaweni, sekunjalo bayathandabuza ukuyishiya kuba iCawa yamaRoma inembali yamandulo. Noko ke, khumbula ukuba inkqubo yonqulo yobuYuda yayindala kakhulu; ukanti uThixo wawalahla amaYuda njengabantu bakhe abanyuliweyo xa bakreqayo kwiimfundiso zakhe zokwenyaniso. Abakhonzi abathembekileyo bakaThixo babushiya ubuYuda xa baqondayo ukuba uThixo ngoku wayesebenzisa ibandla lamaKristu endaweni yabo. Unokuliqonda njani ibandla lokwenyaniso lamaKristu namhlanje?

Phantse isigidi sabemi boMbindi noMzantsi Merika siye saba ngamaNgqina kaYehova kumashumi amabini eminyaka adlulileyo. Kutheni beye benza le nguqulelo? Iphephandaba laseMartínez de la Torre, eVeracruz, eMexico, lawuhlolisisa lo mbuzo. Lathi: “Aba bafundi beBhayibhile babunjwe phantse ngabali-100 ekhulwini ababesakuba kwiinkonzo ezahlukahlukeneyo, uninzi lwabo ingamaKatolika, abaye baphawula ukukhukuliswa kwecawa zezobupolitika nokwamkela nokukholiswa kwayo zizinto ezingavumelani nezibhalo ezifana nozwelonke, ukuziphatha kakubi nogonyamelo. Kubo ibe ngumthombo wolwaneliseko ukulandela imigaqo yokuziphatha yeZibhalo ngaphandle kokubhenela kunqulo-zithixo okanye kwizithethe ezinemvelaphi engaziwayo. Oku kuye kwabanika umanyano lokholo oludunyiswayo olubonakala lubenza bahluke naphi na apho bafumaneka khona.”

Elinye iphephandaba lakuMzantsi Merika likubeka ngale ndlela oku: “AmaNgqina kaYehova angabantu abakhutheleyo, abanyanisekileyo naboyika uThixo. Angabantu ababambelele kwimigaqo yangaphambili nabathanda izithethe ibe unqulo lwawo lusekelwe kwiimfundiso zeBhayibhile.” Siyakumema ukuba ufundisise iBhayibhile namaNgqina kaYehova naphi na apho uhlala khona. Uya kufumanisa ukuba ithemba lawo nendlela yawo yobomi zisekelwe eBhayibhileni. Ewe, uya kufunda indlela yokunqula uThixo “ngomoya nangenyaniso.”—Yohane 4:23, 24.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Isicangca esikwiphepha 21]

AMANGQINA KAYEHOVA KWAMANYE AMAZWE AKUMZANTSI NOMBINDI MERIKA

1971 1992

Ilizwe Abavakalisi Abavakalisi

IArgentina 20 750 96 780

IBolivia 1 276 8 868

IBrazil 72 269 335 039

IChile 8 231 44 067

IColombia 8 275 55 215

ICosta Rica 3 271 14 018

IDominican Republic 4 106 15 418

IEcuador 3 323 22 763

IEl Salvador 2 181 20 374

IGuadeloupe 1 705 6 830

IGuatemala 2 604 13 479

IHonduras 1 432 6 583

IMexico 54 384 354 023

IPanama 2 013 7 732

IParaguay 901 4 115

IPeru 5 384 43 429

IPuerto Rico 8 511 25 315

IUruguay 3 370 8 683

IVenezuela 8 170 60 444

ISIMBUKU 212 156 1 143 175