Oko Sinokukufunda Kwimbali—Ngobutyebi Nemilinganiselo Yokuziphatha

NGOAPRILI 7, 1630, abantu abamalunga namakhulu amane bahamba ngeenqanawa ezine besuka eNgilani besiya eMerika. Abaninzi kubo babefunde gqitha abanye bengoosomashishini abaphumeleleyo. Bambi babengamalungu epalamente. Imeko yoqoqosho yelizwe labo yayidodobala, isenziwa mandundu yiMfazwe Yeminyaka Engamashumi Amathathu eyayiseYurophu (1618-48). Ngoko bezama ukufumana amadlelo aluhlaza, bashiya izindlu, amashishini nezalamane zabo.

Noko ke, abo bantu yayingengobantu nje abafuna ubutyebi sekumnyam’ entla. YayingamaPuritan anenzondelelo, awayebaleka intshutshiso yonqulo.a Eyona njongo yawo yayikukuseka ibutho labantu abahlonel’ uThixo ukuze wona nenzala yawo aziqwebele ubutyebi bezinto eziphathekayo ngaphandle kokulalanisa kwimilinganiselo yeBhayibhile. Kamsinya emva kokuba efike eSalem, eMassachusetts, athabatha umhlaba omncinane ongaselunxwemeni. Elo khaya lawo litsha alibiza ngokuba yiBoston.

Ingxaki Yokulungelelana

UJohn Winthrop, inkokeli nerhuluneli yawo, wenza konke okusemandleni akhe ukukhuthaza ubutyebi nokuziphath’ okuhle. Wayefuna abantu babe nemali nemilinganiselo emihle yokuziphatha. Kodwa kwakunzima ukuba ezi zinto zihambe kunye. Elindele ukucelw’ umngeni, wathetha wophela namaqabane akhe ngendima yokuba zizityebi kwabantu abahlonel’ uThixo.

Njengezinye iinkokeli zamaPuritan, uWinthrop wayekholelwa ukuba akukho nto iphosakeleyo ngokufuna ukuba sisityebi. Wayesithi, injongo eyintloko yokuba sisityebi kukunceda abanye. Ngenxa yoko, okukhona ubani esiba sisityebi kokukhona eya kuba luncedo ngakumbi. Umbhali-mbali uPatricia O’Toole uthi, “AmaPuritan ayengakuthandi ukuncokola ngobutyebi. Ukuba nobutyebi kwakubonisa intsikelelo kaThixo ukanti kukwayinto enokwenza ubani awele ngokulula esonweni sokuba nekratshi . . . nakwizono zenyama.”

UWinthrop wabongoza abantu ukuba balungelelane baze bazeyise ukuze baphephe izono ezibangelwa bubutyebi nokuphila ubomi obutofotofo. Noko ke, kungekudala, umnqweno wabalandeli bakhe wathanda ukungqubana nemigudu yakhe yokubanyanzela ukuba bahlonel’ uThixo baze bathandane. Abo babemvukela baqalisa ukungavumelani noko babekugqala njengokuzifaka ngentloko kukaWinthrop kwimicimbi yabo. Bambi bakhuthaza ukuba konyulwe abantu abathile abaza kuba nenxaxheba ekwenzeni izigqibo. Abanye bakhetha ukufudukela eConnecticut ukuze benze izinto ngendlela abafuna ngayo.

UO’Toole uthi, “Eyona nto yayiphambili kubomi bamaPuritan aseMassachusetts yayikukufumana amathuba okuzuza ubutyebi nedemokhrasi, ize iphoswe kwelokulibala ingcamango kaWinthrop yokusebenzisa ubutyebi ekuncedeni abanye.” UWinthrop wafa ngowe-1649 eneminyaka engama-61 ubudala, phantse sele engenayo nepeni emdaka. Nangona abo wafika nabo baphumelelayo phezu kwabo nje ubunzima, uWinthrop akazange akubone ukuzaliseka kwephupha lakhe.

Iphulo Lokufuna Ubomi Obubhetele Lisaqhubeka

YayingengoJohn Winthrop kuphela owayenomdla kwihlabathi elibhetele. Abantu abangamakhulu amawaka nyaka ngamnye bashiya iAfrika, uMzantsi-mpuma weAsia, iMpuma Yurophu neLatin America, benethemba lokufumana ubomi obubhetele. Abanye babo baphenjelelwa ziincwadi ezininzi ezintsha, iingqungquthela neeWeb sites ezenziwa nyaka ngamnye ezithembisa ukuchaza imfihlelo yokuba sisityebi. Licacile elokuba, abantu abaninzi basazama ukuba nemali eninzi, ngethemba lokuba abayi kuyityeshela imilinganiselo yokuziphatha.

Eneneni, ukuza kuthi ga ngoku imiphumo iye yaba yedanisayo. Abo bafuna ubutyebi badla ngokuyityeshela imilinganiselo yokuziphatha maxa wambi nokholo ngenxa yobutyebi. Ngoko ke, usenokuzibuza: “Ngaba umntu unokuba ngumKristu wokwenyaniso aze kwangaxeshanye abe sisityebi? Ngaba baya kuze babekho abantu abazizityebi abaphila ngemilinganiselo ephakamileyo yokuziphatha?” IBhayibhile iyayiphendula loo mibuzo, njengoko inqaku elilandelayo liza kubonisa.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 3]

Boats: The Complete Encyclopedia of Illustration/J. G. Heck; Winthrop: Brown Brothers