Ikusasa Lenkolo Uma Kubhekwa Isikhathi Sayo Esidlule
Ingxenye 18—ikhulu le-15 kuqhubeke—Lapho “AmaKristu” Ehlangana “Namaqaba”
“Inkolo isenhliziyweni, hhayi emadolweni”—D. W. Jerrold, umlobi wemidlalo yesiNgisi wekhulu le-19 leminyaka
UMSEBENZI wezithunywa zevangeli, owuphawu olwehlukanisayo lwamaKristu akuqala, wawusekuvumelaneni nomyalo kaJesu ‘wokwenza izizwe zonke abafundi’ nokuba ofakazi bakhe “kuze kube sekugcineni komhlaba.”—Mathewu 28:19, 20; IzEnzo 1:8.
Ekhulwini le-15 leminyaka, eLobukholwa laqalisa isimiso somhlaba wonke sokuguqula “amaqaba.” Hlobo luni lwenkolo labantu “abangamaqaba” ababenalo kuze kube ngalesosikhathi? Futhi ingabe noma ikuphi ukuguqulelwa “ebuKristwini” okwalandela kwathinta izinhliziyo zawo noma kwamane nje kwawabangela ukuba aguqe ngamadolo ngokuzithoba?
EAfrika kunamaqembu ezinhlanga alinganiselwa kuma-700 eningizimu yeSahara. Ekuqaleni, ngalunye lwalunenkolo yalo yesizwe, nakuba ukufana kwazo kubonisa ukuthi zinesiqalo esisodwa. EAustralia, eNyakatho naseNingizimu Melika, eziqhingini zasePacific, kunezinye izinkolo eziningi zabomdabu ezitholakalayo.
Abaningi bakholelwa kuNkulunkulu oyedwa ophakeme, nakuba ngokukholelwa konkulunkulu abaningi, besabamukela abanye onkulunkulu abangaphansi—onkulunkulu bomkhaya, besizwe, noma bomphakathi. Okunye ukuhlola okwenziwa ngenkolo yama-Aztec kwabala onkulunkulu abahlukahlukene nabanamagama ahlobene abangaphezu kwama-60.
EAfrika, eNyakatho naseNingizimu Melika, abantu abanezinkolo “ezindala” kakhulu bakholelwa kumuntu onamandla angaphezu kwawemvelo owaziwa ngokuthi uMphambi. Ngezinye izikhathi ochazwa njengomdali wendawo yonke, kanti ngezinye izikhathi njengomhleli wendalo, ngaso sonke isikhathi ubhekwa njengomkhohlisi onobuqili nohahayo, nakuba engenabo ubugovu ngempela. AmaNdiya aseNyakatho Melika okuthiwa amaNavaho athi wamisa ukufa; isizwe samaOglala Lakota sifundisa ukuthi uyingelosi embi eyabangela ukuba abantu bokuqala badingiswe epharadesi ngokubathembisa ukuphila okungcono kwenye indawo. iEncyclopedia of Religion ithi uMphambi ngokuvamile uvela “ezindabeni zendalo,” efeza ingxenye “kankulunkulu owumdali oyimbangi engokomoya.”
Ngokufanayo neBabiloni kanye neGibithe, ezinye izinkolo zabomdabu zifundisa uziqu-zintathu. Incwadi iEskimos ithi uMoya Ovunguzayo, uMoya woLwandle, kanye noMoya waseNyangeni kwakha uziqu-zintathu lowo “owagcina elawula ngokoqobo yonke into esendaweni ezungezile yamaEskimo.”
Abantu—“Abafi Ngokomoya”
URonald M. Berndt waseYunivesithi yaseNtshonalanga Australia usitshela ukuthi aboMdabu baseAustralia bakholelwa ukuthi umjikelezo wokuphila “uyaqhubeka ngemva kokufa, usuka ekuphileni okungokwenyama uya kokungokomoya ngokuphelele, ngesikhathi esifanele kuphindele emjikelezweni ongokwenyama.” Lokhu kusho ukuthi “abantu abafi ngokomoya.”
Ezinye izizwe zaseAfrika zikholelwa ukuthi abantu abavamile baba izipoki ngemva kokufa, kuyilapho abantu abavelele beba amadlozi, afanelwe ukudunyiswa nokunxuswa njengabaholi abangabonakali bomphakathi. NgokukaManus waseMelanesia, isipoki somuntu noma sesihlobo esiseduze siyaqhubeka siqondisa umkhaya waso.
Amanye amaNdiya aseMelika akholelwa ukuthi inani lemiphefumulo lalilinganiselwe, okwenza kwaba nesidingo “sokuphindukuzalwa kokunye ukuphila ngokushintshashintshayo okokuqala kube okomuntu bese kamuva kuba okomoya noma okwesilwane.” iEncyclopedia of Religion iyachaza: “Ukufa komuntu kukhulula umphefumulo ungene esilwaneni noma emoyeni, futhi ukufa kwesilwane kukhulula umphefumulo ungene kumuntu noma emoyeni, kuxhumanise abantu, izilwane, nemimoya emjikelezweni wokwencika kokunye nokunye.”
Khona-ke, abacwaningi bakuqala bamangala ukuthola abazali abangamaEskimo beyekelela ekujeziseni abantwana babo, baze ngisho bababize ngamagama anjengokuthi “mama” noma “mkhulu.” UMlobi uErnest S. Burch, Jnr., uchaza ukuthi lokhu kwakungenxa yokuthi ingane yayethiwe ngesihlobo esiboniswe ibizo elisetshenziswayo, futhi ubaba ongumEskimo ngokwemvelo “wayewenyanya umqondo wokujezisa ugogo wakhe, ngisho nakuba manje ayesegudlukele emzimbeni wendodana yakhe.”
“Ukuphila okungemva kokuphila kwasemhlabeni” kwakuchazwa ezinye izizwe zamaNdiya aseNyakatho Melika njengendawo lapho umuntu eya khona ngemva kokufa, lapho kokubili abantu nezilwane kuya khona ekufeni. Lapho babehlanganiswa nezihlobo zabo ezithandekayo kodwa futhi babehlangana nezitha zabo zangaphambili. Amanye amaNdiya ayebula isikhumba sezinwele sezitha zawo ngemva kokuzibulala, ngokusobala ekholelwa ukuthi lokhu kwakuvimbela izitha zawo ukuba zingangeni ezweni lemimoya.
Ingabe inkolelo eyandile phakathi kwezinkolo zabomdabu yohlobo oluthile lokuphila ngemva kokufa ibonisa eLobukholwa lineqiniso ekufundiseni ukuthi abantu banomphefumulo ongafi? Lutho neze. E-Edene lapho inkolo yeqiniso yaqala khona, uNkulunkulu akazange asho lutho ngokuphila kwangemva kokufa; wanikeza ithemba lokuphila okuphakade okungokuphambene nokufa. Umqondo wokuthi ukufa kuyindlela yokuya ekuphileni okungcono wasungulwa uSathane futhi kamuva wafundiswa eBabiloni.
Izidingo Zabantu Noma Izithakazelo Zaphezulu?
Izinkolo zabomdabu zithambekele ekugxileni ekulondekeni komuntu siqu noma enhlala-kahleni yomphakathi. Khona-ke, ngokuphathelene nenkolo yaboMdabu baseAustralia, uRonald Berndt uyabhala: “Yabonisa izinto ezihlukahlukene ezikhathalelwa abantu ekuphileni kwansuku zonke. Yagxila ebuhlotsheni obungokwenhlalo, izikhathi ezibucayi zokuphila komuntu, nasezindabeni ezingokoqobo zokusinda.”
Izinhlobo zokukhulekela ezaklanyelwa ukubhekana nalezo zidingo zabantu ezinjalo zaziwa ngokuthi ianimism, ubufetish, nobushaman, ezikhona emiphakathini ehlukahlukene ngezinhlanganisela ezihlukahlukene nangamazinga okugxila ahlukahlukene.
lanimism ichaza ukuthi izinto ezingaphili njengezitshalo namatshe ngisho nezenzakalo ezingokwemvelo ezinjengokuduma kwezulu nokuzamazama komhlaba kunokuphila kanye nomoya ohlala ngaphakathi. Ingahlanganisa futhi nomqondo wokuthi kunamathongo anethonya elisizayo noma elilimazayo kwabaphilayo.
Ubufetish buvela egameni lesiPutukezi ngezinye izikhathi elisetshenziselwa ukuchaza izinto okucatshangelwa ukuthi zinamandla angaphezu kwawemvelo ezinikeza abanikazi bazo isivikelo noma usizo. Ngakho abahlola izwe abangamaPutukezi basebenzisa leligama ukuba bachaze imithi nezigqizo abathola abantu baseNtshonalanga Afrika bezisebenzisa enkolweni yabo. Njengoba buhlobene eduze nokukhulekela izithombe, ubufetish buyizinhlobonhlobo eziningi. Ngokwesibonelo, amanye amaNdiya aseMelika, athi izimpaphe zinamandla angaphezu kwawemvelo, azibheka njengezimoto eziphumelelayo “ekundiziseni” imithandazo noma izigijimi eziya ezulwini.
Ubushaman, buvela egameni lesiManchuria samaTungus elisho “lowo owaziyo,” ligxile kumpristi ophulukisa ngemilingo okuthiwa ushaman, ongumuntu ocatshangelwa ukuthi uyakwazi ukuphilisa nokukhuluma nemimoya. Inyanga, umthakathi, umlumbi—nanoma iliphi igama okhetha ukulisebenzisa—uthi uqinisekisa impilo noma ukubuyisela amandla okuzala. Ukwelapha kungase kudinge, njengoba kwenzeka kwezinye izizwe ezihlala emahlathini zaseNingizimu Melika, ukuthi ubhoboze izindebe zakho, ulwelwesi lwamankanka, noma izindlebe, ukuthi upende umzimba wakho, noma ugqoke izinto ezithile zokuzihlobisa. Noma ungase utshelwe ukuba usebenzise izinto ezivuselela amandla kanye nezidakamizwa ezinjengogwayi noma amahlamvu ecoca.
Njengoba zingenayo imfundiso, izinkolo zabomdabu azikwazi ukunikeza ulwazi oluqondile ngoMdali. Futhi ngokuphakamisa izidingo zabantu ngaphezu kwezithakazelo zaphezulu, azimnikezi lokho okumfanele. Ngakho njengoba eLobukholwa laliqalisa umsebenzi walo wezithunywa zevangeli wosuku lwanamuhla, umbuzo wawuwukuthi: Ingabe “amaKristu” ayokwazi yini ukudonsela izinhliziyo “zamaqaba” kuNkulunkulu?
Ekhulwini le-15 leminyaka, iSpain nePortugal kwaqalisa isimiso sokuhlola izwe nokwandisa amakoloni. Njengoba lemibuso yamaKatolika yayithola amazwe amasha, isonto laqalisa ukuguqula izakhamuzi zabomdabu, lazilolongela ukuba zamukele uhulumeni walo omusha “wobuKristu.” Imithetho yobupapa yanikeza amalungelo ezithunywa zevangeli eAfrika naseAsia ukuya ePortugal. Khona-ke, ngemva kokutholwa kweMelika, uPapa Alexander VI wamisa umngcele ocatshangelwayo maphakathi neAtlantic, enikeza iSpain amalungelo kuze kufike entshonalanga kanye nePortugal kuze kufike empumalanga.
Ngalesosikhathi, amaProthestani ayematasa kakhulu nokulondoloza isikhundla sawo ngokumelene nobuKatolika ukuba ayengacabangela ukuguqula abanye, futhi nabashisekeli benguquko bamaProthestani abazange babashukumisele ukuba benze kanjalo. Ngokusobala uLuther noMelanchthon babekholelwa ukuthi isiphelo sezwe sasiseduze kangangokuba kwase kuphuze kakhulu ukuba kungafinyelelwa “amaqaba.”
Nokho, phakathi nekhulu le-17 leminyaka, kwaqala ukuvela inhlangano yamaProthestani eyayibizwa ngokuthi iPietism. Iwumkhiqizo weNguquko, yagcizelela okuhlangenwe nakho komuntu siqu okungokwenkolo ngokwenziwa kwezinto ngendlela engokomthetho futhi yagcizelela ukufundwa kweBhayibheli kanye nokuzibopha okungokwenkolo. “Umbono wayo wokudinga kwabantu ivangeli likaKristu,” njengoba omunye umlobi ayichaza, ekugcineni wasiza ekuthuthukiseni ubuProthestani ukuba bugibele “umkhumbi” womsebenzi wezithunywa zevangeli ngasekupheleni kwekhulu leminyaka le-18.
Kusukela engxenyeni eyodwa kwezinhlanu zenani labantu bomhlaba ngawo-1500, isilinganiso samaKristu okuzisholo sasikhuphuke cishe saba ingxenye yesine ngawo-1800 futhi cishe saba ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu ngawo-1900. Ingxenye yesithathu yomhlaba manje “yayingamaKristu”!
lngabe Ngempela Benza Abafundi AbangamaKristu?
Imikhondo yeqiniso etholakala ezinkolweni zabomdabu ikhinyabezwa izici eziningi zamanga obuBabiloni, kodwa lokhu kuyiqiniso ngokufanayo ngobuKristu bezihlubuki. Ngakho lelifa elivamile elingokwenkolo lenza kwaba lula kakhulu “ngamaqaba” ukuba abe “amaKristu.” Incwadi iMythology of All Races ithi: “Asikho isifunda eMelika esibonakala siye sanikeza izinto eziningi noma ezifana kangaka nezinkonzo kanye nezinto ezingokomfanekiso zamaKristu njengoba kuye kwenza iMayan.” Ukukhulekelwa kwesiphambano kanye nezinye izinto ezifanayo ezinkonzweni “kwaqhubekisela phambili ushintsho olungokwenkolo ngokuphikisana okuncane kakhulu.”
Abantu abaNsundu—cishe iminyaka engama-450 babethunjwa “amaKristu” ngokomthetho futhi balethwe Ezweni Elisha ukuba basebenze njengezigqila—nabo bakwazi ukuba bashintshe inkolo “ngokuphikisana okuncane kakhulu.” Njengoba “amaKristu” ayekhulekela “osanta” abaMhlophe abafile, yini eyayingamelana nokukhulekela “kwamaKristu angamaqaba” imimoya yabaNsundu abangasekho? Ngakho, iEncyclopedia of Religion iyaphawula: “IVoodoo . . . , inkolo eyinhlanganisela eyakhiwe ngokuhlanganiswa kwezinkolo zaseNtshonalanga Afrika, ubulumbi, inkolo yamaKristu, namasiko . . . , iye yaba inkolo yangempela yabantu abaningi baseHaiti, kuhlanganise nalabo abangamaKatolika okuzisholo.”
lConcise Dictionary of the Christian World Mission iyavuma ukuthi ukuguqulwa kweLatin America kanye nePhilippines kwakukhohlisa kakhulu, enezela ngokuthi “namuhla ubuKristu balezifunda buxutshwe nenkolelo-ze kanye nokungazi.” Ngama-Aztec amaMaya, namalnca, “‘ukuguquka’ kwakumane nje kusho ukwenezelwa komunye unkulunkulu konkulunkulu babo abaningi.”
Ngokuphathelene nabantu abakhuluma isiAkan baseGhana naseCôte d’lvoire, uMichelle Gilbert waseMnyuziyamu Womlando Wemvelo wasePeabody uthi: “Inkolo engokwesiko iyaqhubeka ngenxa yokuthi kubantu abaningi ibhekwa njengesimiso esiphumelela kakhulu senkolelo, esiqhubekayo sinikeza izwe injongo.”
UM. F. C. Bourdillon, waseYunivesithi yaseZimbabwe, ukhuluma “ngokuba uvuma zonke okungokwenkolo” phakathi kwamalungu enkolo yesiShona, echaza: “Izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zobuKristu kanye nemikhuba ehlukahlukene engokwesiko konke kunikeza inhlanganisela yokusabela okungokwenkolo umuntu angakhetha kukho, kuxhomeke ezidingweni zakhe zangalesosikhathi.”
Kodwa uma “amaKristu angamaqaba” ephawulwa ngokukhohlisa, ukungabi nalwazi, inkolelo-ze, kanye nokukhulekela onkulunkulu abaningi, uma ebheka izinkolo ezingokwesiko njengezinethonya kakhulu kunobuKristu, uma ecabangela inkolo njengento nje efanelekile noma yokwanelisa izifiso zobugovu, ebavumela ukuba basuke kwenye baye kwenye kuye ngokwezimo, ubungasho yinl ukuthi eLobukholwa liye lenza abafundi beqiniso abangamaKristu?
Uma Bengeslbo Abafundi, Bayini?
Yiqiniso, izithunywa zevangeli zeLobukholwa ziye zamisa amakhulu ezikole ukuze zifundise abangafundile. Ziye zakha izibhedlela zokwelapha abagulayo. Futhi ngokwezinga elithile, ziye zathuthukisa inhlonipho ngeBhayibheli nezimiso zalo.
Kodwa ingabe “amaqaba” aye ondliwa ngokudla okuqinile okungokomoya kweZwi likaNkulunkulu noma ngemvuthuluka nje yobuKristu bezihlubuki? Ingabe izinkolelo kanye nemikhuba “yobuqaba” kuye kwalahlwa noma kuye nje kwembozwa ngengubo “yobuKristu”? Ngamafuphi, ingabe izithunywa zevangeli zeLobukholwa ziye zazuzela uNkulunkulu izinhliziyo noma ingabe zimane nje zaphoqelela ukuba “amaqaba” aguqe phambi kwama-altare “obuKristu”?
Ikholwa eliguqulelwe ebuKristwini bezihlubuki lenezela ezonweni zalo zangaphambili elazenza ngokungazi izono ezintsha zobuKristu bobuzenzisi, ngaleyondlela liphinda kabili umthwalo wokuba necala kwalo. Kanjalo, ngeLobukholwa, amazwi kaJesu afanelekile: “Nihamba ulwandle nomhlaba ukuba nithole nokuba iproselithe lilinye, lithi selaba-njalo nilenze indodana yesihogo ngokuphindiwe kunani.”—Mathewu 23:15.
ELobukholwa liye lahluleka ngokusobala ukuhlangabezana nenselele yokwenza abafundi abangamKristu. Ingabe liye laphumelela kangcono ekuhlangabezaneni nenselele yoshintsho lwezwe? Esihlokweni sethu esilandelayo, isihloko esithi “ELobukholwa Lilwisana Noshintsho Lwezwe” sizowuphendula lowombuzo.
[Isithombe ekhasini 26]
Lezithunywa zevangeli ezingamaKristu eqiniso eDominican Republic zifinyelela inhliziyo, hhayi nje amadolo