Ikusasa Lenkolo Uma Kubhekwa Isikhathi Sayo Esidlule
Ingxenye 22—1900 kuqhubeke—Inkolo Yamanga Iyavuna!
“Isihluthulelo sekusasa lesizwe sixhomeke esikhathini saso esidlule.” UArthur Bryant, isazimlando esiyiNgisi sekhulu lama-20 leminyaka
IBABILONI ELIKHULU yilokho iBhayibheli elikubiza ngokuthi umbuso wezwe wenkolo yamanga, ilifanisa nesizwe sasendulo saseBabiloni. (IsAmbulo 18:2) Okwenzeka kulowombuso wakudala akwembuli lutho enhle ngegama lawo namuhla. Ngobusuku obubodwa ngo-539 B.C.E., iBabiloni lawela ezandleni zamaMede namaPheresiya ngaphansi kukaKoresi oMkhulu. Ngemva kokuphambukisa amanzi oMfula iEwufrathe, owawugeleza udlula ngasemzini, amabutho ahlaselayo akwazi ukuhamba ngaphandle kokuvinjelwa osebeni lomfula.
UJehova uNkulunkulu neNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu, inkosi engaphezu kukaKoresi, bayofinyelela ukunqoba okufanayo phezu kweBabiloni Elikhulu elingathembekile. IBhayibheli lilichaza njengeliyisifebe esikhulu esihlezi phezu kwamanzi amaningi, abonisa ukusekela elikwamukela “kubantu nezixuku nezizwe nezilimi.” Kodwa ngaphambi kokubhujiswa, lokusekelwa, ‘njengomfula omkhulu iEwufrathe,’ kumelwe ‘kushe amanzi awo, ukuze indlela ilungiselwe amakhosi avela empumalanga.’—IsAmbulo 16:12; 17:1, 15.
Ubufakazi bokuthi inqubo enjalo yokonyiswa kwamanzi iyaqhubeka namuhla buyoba obunosizo ekuvezeni obala inkolo yamanga. Ingabe kunobufakazi obukhona?
Ithemba Eliqhakazile Liyafiphala
Njengoba kwakuqalisa ikhulu lama-20 leminyaka, yilowo nalowomuntu wesithathu emhlabeni wayethi ungumKristu. Ithemba lesikhathi esizayo leLobukholwa laliqhakazile. Ngo-1900, umvangeli nowazuza umklomelo weNobel uJohn R. Mott waveza imfundiso yokulindela izinto ezingcono kakhulu, enyathelisa incwadi eyayinesihloko esithi The Evangelization of the World in This Generation.
Kodwa “ikhulu lama-20 leminyaka,” kuvuma iWorld Christian Encyclopedia, “liye lazibonakalisa lihluke ngokushaqisayo kulezinto ezilindelekile.” Ichaza ukuthi “akukho namunye ngo-1900 owayelindele ukuwohloka okukhulu ebuKristwini okwalandela ngokushesha eNtshonalanga Yurophu ngenxa yemisebenzi eyayikhiphela inkolo ngaphandle, eRashiya futhi kamuva eMpumalanga Yurophu ngenxa yobuKhomanisi, futhi naseMelika eseNingizimu neseNyakatho ngenxa yezinto ezibonakalayo,” ithi lezi kanye nezinye “izinkolombumbulu” zaqubuka “zisuka enanini elincane kakhulu ngo-1900, elingu-0,2% lembulunga yonke, . . . kuya ku-20,8% lembulunga yonke ngo-1980.”
“Lokuwohloka okukhulu kakhulu” kuye kwashiya amasonto aseNtshonalanga Yurophu ekhala ibhungane ngokoqobo. Kusukela ngo-1970 iSonto laseLuthela kuyiFederal Republic yaseJalimane liye lalahlekelwa amalungu alo angaphezu kwamaphesenti ayi-12. Amasonto aseNetherlands angaphezu kwengxenye eyodwa kwezintathu aye avalwa, amanye aphendulwe aba izindlu zokugcina izimpahla ezithengiswayo, izindawo zokudlela, amakamelo okuhlala, ngisho nezindawo zedisco. Futhi eBrithani cishe yilelo nalelosonto elilodwa kwayisishiyagalombili aseSheshi elalikhona eminyakeni engama-30 edlule alisasetshenziswa. Akumangalisi ukuthi umfundisi owayekhuluma ngonyaka odlule emhlanganweni wezazi zemfundiso yenkolo nabafundisi bamaProthestani aseYurophu wakhononda ngokuthi “‘okwakuwubuKristu baseNtshonalanga’ akusenakuzibiza ngokuthi kuwubuKristu. . . . IYurophu iye yaba insimu yezithunywa zevangeli.”
Nokho, lenkinga idlula imingcele yeLobukholwa neYurophu. Ngokwesibonelo, kulinganiselwa ukuthi emhlabeni wonke, ubuBuddha bulahlekelwa abantu abayizi-900 000 ngonyaka abaphendukela enkolelweni yokungabibikho kukaNkulunkulu.
Ukuntuleka Kwezisebenzi
“Ukuze uvuse umuzi vusa kuqala abapristi bawo,” kweluleka isaga sabantu baseJapane. Kodwa baphi abapristi? Eminyakeni eyishumi ngaphambi kuka-1983, inani labapristi bamaKatolika emhlabeni wonke lehla ngamaphesenti ayi-7. Futhi eminyakeni eyi-15, izindela zehla ngamaphesenti angama-33. Okwamanje, ithemba lokubuyiselwa lifiphele. Esikhathini esingaphansi kweminyaka engama-20, ukungenela imfundo ezikoleni zenkolo zamaKatolika eUnited States kwehla kusuka ezi-48 992 kuya ezi-11 262.
Imithetho yamaKatolika nayo iyantengantenga. Ngesinye isikhathi, iNhlangano kaJesu, eyasungulwa eParis ngo-1534 ulgnatius waseLoyola, yaqondisa imfundo ngokoqobo emazweni amaningi. Amalungu ayo, aziwa kakhulu ngokuthi amaJesuit, ahola emsebenzini wobuthunywa bevangeli. Kodwa kusukela ngo-1965, amalungu aye ehla ngesilinganiso esingaphezu kwengxenye eyodwa kwezine.
Okubi kakhulu ukuthi izisebenzi ziyancipha; okubi nangaphezulu ukuthi eziningi zazo azisenakwethenjwa. Inani labapristi nezindela eziphikisa inkambiso engokomthetho yesonto endabeni yokungashadi, ukulawula inzalo, kanye nendima yabesifazane engokwenkolo liyanda. Lokhu kwaboniswa ngoJanuary 1989 lapho izazi zemfundiso yenkolo eziyi-163 zamaKatolika aseYurophu zikhipha incwadi elotshiwe eyayizofundwa umphakathi—ngoMay 1 yayisayinwe abangaphezu kwama-500 abengeziwe—begxeka iVatican ngokuvumela ukugunyazwa kwezinto ngaphandle kokucabangela abantu nokusebenzisa kabi amandla.
Izigidi kweLobukholwa ziye zafa ngokomoya, zaba izisulu zokungondleki okungokomoya. Indoda esontayo yaseU.S. yakuvuma kakhulu lokhu lapho ikhononda ngokuthi: “Isonto [liye laba] isitolo esikhulu esisakaza ukudla okungokomoya okungenamsoco kubantu abadlula ngendlela. Intshumayelo yomfundisi ayihlukile ‘kokukhethekile kwalelisonto,’ okunikezwa amakhasimende ngokwehliselwa kokuzibopha.”
Kusukela ngo-1965, ubulungu bamahlelo amahlanu amakhulu amaProthestani aseUnited States buye behla ngamaphesenti angama-20 nababhalisela ukufunda kumaSonto-sikole baye behla ngamaphesenti angaphezu kwama-50. “Akukhona nje kuphela ukuthi amahlelo angokwesiko ahluleka ukudlulisa isigijimi sawo,” kubhala umagazini iTime, kodwa “ayaqhubeka engaqiniseki ngokuthi siyini ngempela lesosigijimi.” Kuyamangalisa ukuthi ngokubhekwa kwendlala enjalo engokomoya, amaphephabhuku amaningi esonto aye ayeka ukunyatheliswa. Kakade maphakathi nawo-1970, elinye lawo lasho ngokudabuka: “Isikhathi sikamagazini wesonto . . . sidlulile.”
Umhlambi Ongenasithakazelo Nongasabeli
Ekhulwini le-18 leminyaka, isazi sezokuphathwa kwezwe esiyiNgisi uEdmund Burke waqaphela ukuthi “ayikho into ebulala kakhulu enkolweni njengokungabi nasithakazelo.” Ukuba ubesaphila namuhla, ubeyothola abaningi abashisekeli benkolo abangenasithakazelo.
Ngokwesibonelo, lapho kuxoxwa nawo eminyakeni ethile edlule, amaphesenti angama-44 amaLuthela eUnited States athi awanakukhuluma ngokholo lwawo emikhayeni engasonti uma abelusi bawo bewacela ukuba enze kanjalo. Ukuhlola kwamuva kakhulu kwabonisa ukuthi amaKatolika aseU.S. angaphezu kwezingxenye ezintathu kwezine anomuzwa wokuthi ukungavumelani nopapa, ngisho nasezindabeni zokuziphatha, akubenzi bangakufanelekeli ukuba ngamaKatolika amahle.
EJapane, amaphesenti angama-79 ezakhamuzi athi ukuba umuntu wenkolo kubalulekile. Kodwa njengoba ngokweReligions of Modern Man, eqinisweni kuyingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu ethi ingeyenkolo ethile, kusobala ukuthi abaningi abanaso ngempela isithakazelo sokulandelela.
Abantu abadala abangenasithakazelo enkolweni abanabo abantwana abashisekayo nabasabelayo. Ukuhlolwa kwabaneminyaka eyi-11 kuya kweyi-16 ubudala okwenziwa umqondisi weNhlangano Yesayensi Yokusebenza Kwengqondo Yomuntu eYunivesithi yaseBonn, eJalimane, kwembula ukuthi ngaphezulu kakhulu kunanini ngaphambili, intsha ifuna ubuntu eyolandela isibonelo sokuziphatha kwabo. Kodwa lapho ibuzwa ukuthi obani abafeza indima yokuba yizibonelo zayo, intsha ayikwazanga ngisho nakanye ukuphawula abaholi besonto.
Ithonya Elingokombangazwe Liyabuna
Inkolo ehleliwe ayisalilawuli ithonya elingokombangazwe njengoba yake yenza. Ngokwesibonelo, iVatican iye yahluleka ngisho nasemazweni obuKatolika ayinhloko ukuvimbela ukunqunywa kwemithetho endabeni yokukhishwa kwezisu, idivosi, kanye nenkululeko yokukhulekela ngokusobala eyizondayo. Ngokufanayo, izimo zayiphoqa iVatican ukuba ivume esivumelwaneni sango-1984 phakathi kukapapa nohulumeni esaphuca ubuKatolika udumo lwabo njengenkolo yombuso yaseltaly!
Lokho inkolo yamanga eyayikufinyelele ngokucindezela kokuyenga kwezombangazwe manje izama ukukufeza ngezinhlangano eziphikisayo zomphakathi eziholwa abefundisi bazo abavelele, njengombhishobhi omkhulu waseSheshi uDesmond Tutu waseNingizimu Afrika.
Sima Singamathe Nolimi
Umhlangano wango-1910 wezinhlangano zezithunywa zevangeli zamaProthestani e-Edinburgh, eScotland, waveza inhlangano yamasonto yomhlaba wonke yanamuhla. Muva nje lenhlangano iye yaqiniswa emzamweni wokuthuthukisa ukubambisana okungokwenkolo nokuqondana okuseduze komunye nomunye, kuvumela “inkolo yobuKristu” ukuba ikhulume ngezwi elilodwa.
Inhlangano yenkolo yomhlaba wonke ihlukene izinhlobo eziningi. Isinyathelo esiphawulekayo sathathwa ngo-1948 eAmsterdam lapho kwakhiwa uMkhandlu WamaSonto Womhlaba. Ekuqaleni wawakhiwe amasonto amaProthestani, aseSheshi, nawobuOrthodox acishe abe yi-150, manje lomkhandlu uqhosha ngokuba nenani eliphindwe kabili kunalelo.
Nakuba lingelona ilungu loMkhandlu WamaSonto Womhlaba, iSonto lamaRoma Katolika libonakala ligobela amadlangala ngakulolohlangothi. Ngo-1984 endlunkulu yomkhandlu waseSwiss, uPapa uJohn Paul wahlanganyela nonobhala ophethe womkhandlu osathatha umhlalaphansi ekuholeni inkonzo yomthandazo wamasonto omhlaba wonke. Futhi ngoMay 1989, amaKatolika ayephakathi kwabantu besonto baseYurophu abangaphezu kwama-700 abahlangana eBasel, eSwitzerland, kulokho elinye iphephandaba elakubiza ngokuthi “isenzakalo esikhulu kakhulu sendikimba yamasonto omhlaba wonke selokhu iNguquko yaba khona.”
Kusukela maphakathi nawo-1930, lokhu kuzithandela ukuhlehla kuye kwaba okuphawuleka kakhulu ngenxa yokwamukelwa okwandayo kombono wokuthi zonke izinkolo “zobuKristu” zinobunye obuyifa ezibuphiwe uNkulunkulu. ‘Njengobufakazi’ bobunye obuzuzwe ngefa, uMkhandlu Wamasonto Womhlaba ugcizelela ukuthi wonke amalungu awo amukele imfundiso kaZiquzintathu, ebheka “uJesu Kristu njengoNkulunkulu noMsindisi.”
ELobukholwa liye futhi laphishekela izingxoxo nezinkolo ezingezona ezobuKristu. Ngokwe-Encyclopedia of Religion, lokhu kwenziwa ngenjongo yokuthola ukuhlehla okungenzeka “phakathi kwesimo sengqondo segunya elilodwa eliphakeme lemfundiso engokwenkolo, okusho ukuthi uma inkolo eyodwa iyiqiniso azikho ezinye izinkolo ezinelungelo lokuba khona ngempela, nengxubevange yezinkolelo nemikhuba, okusho ukuthi akukho mehluko omkhulu phakathi kwezinkolo ongavusa impikiswano nokuthi ukuzihlanganisa zonke kungadala inkolo entsha yesikhathi esizayo.”
Eqinisweni, inkolo yamanga injengentambo eyakhiwe imicu eminingi, yonke edonsela ezindaweni ezihlukene. Lokhu kuyisandulela senhlekelele, ngenxa yokuthi amazwi kaJesu kusafanele abonakaliswe engamanga: “Yilowo nalowombuso owahlukene wodwa uyachitheka, nalowomuzi nokuba indlu eyahlukene yodwa ingeme.”—Mathewu 12:25.
Yamukela Okuyiqiniso, Wenqabe Okungamanga!
Abanye abantu bangase bakhethe ukungabunaki lobufakazi. Kodwa ukulindela okungcono kakhulu okungenasisekelo kuyingozi. “Izizukulwane ngezizukulwane amasonto aye ahlala enethemba lokuthi izinto ziyoba ngcono kakhulu ngokuzenzakalelayo,” kwaphawula iTimes yaseLondon ngo-October 1988. Yenezela: “Naphezu kokuncipha kancane kancane okungapheli emalungwini esonto eBrithani, bekunomzamo omncane kakhulu osekelwe ngaphakathi emasontweni wokukuchaza noma wokukuvimbela, noma wokuqondisa izinkambiso ngokuvumelana.” Khona-ke ngokunengqondo yaphetha ngokuthi: “Noma iyiphi inhlangano yezentengiselwano ethola ukwehliswa okunganqamuki kwezinto zayo ezidayiswayo ibingazilungiselela inhlekelele ezolandela noma ithathe izinyathelo ukuze ithuthukise umkhiqizo wayo kanye nezindlela zayo zokuthengisa.”
Akukho okubonisa ukuthi inkolo yamanga “iyothatha izinyathelo ukuze ithuthukise umkhiqizo nezindlela zayo zokuthengisa.” Okuwukuphela kwesisekelo sokulindela izinto ezingcono kakhulu ngabantu abesaba uNkulunkulu sixhomeke ekuphendukeleni enkolweni eyodwa yeqiniso, emifula yayo egelezayo yamanzi angokomoya engekho engozini yokusha. Ngokuphathelene nenkolo yamanga, “Isikhathi Sokulungisa Izindaba Siseduze!” Funda okwengeziwe esihlokweni esilandelayo.
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OFakazi BakaJehova: Amanzi Abo Awashi
“Njengoba kancane kancane izinkolo ezingokwesiko zincipha, amasonto namathempeli azo encishelwa ngamalungu ngaso sonke isikhathi, oFakazi BakaJehova bathola ukwanda kwamalungu futhi bathola ngisho nezakhiwo ezazingezamasonto kanye nezinye izakhiwo ezintsha lapho beqoqela khona amalungu abo amasha.”—Le Petit Journal, iphephandaba laseCanada.
“Eltaly kunabacishe babe izinkulungwane ezingama-45 . . . Namuhla lelihlelo linomagazini bangempeia, abamnandi nabathakazelisayo (bacetshiswe ngezihloko nezindaba ezivela kuwo wonke umhlaba), linyathelisa izincwadi ezincane ezifike ngesikhathi futhi liphendula izazi zeBhayibheli ezingochwepheshe abakhulu zamaKatolika, lisakaza amaBhayibheli ahunyushwe esuselwa esiHeberwini ngokuqondile... Ngalezindlela, oFakazi baye baba ngisho nempumelelo enkulu kakhulu.”—Famiglia Mese, umagazini waseItaly wamaKatolika (owabhalwa ngo-1975; ngoApril 1989, inani ioFakazi BakaJehova eltaly liye lakhula laba izi-169 646.)
“[OFakazi BakaJehova] babhapathiza amakhulu kuyilapho thina sibhapathiza ababili noma abathathu.w—The Evangelist, ithuluzi elingokomthetho Labasakazi Bamapheshana Evangeli. (OFakazi BakaJehova babhapathiza abantu abayizi-69 649 ngo-1962 lapho kwakushiwo lamazwi; ngo-1988 inani loFakazi abasha ababhapathizwa laliyizi-239 268.
“Ngo-1962 ngaqeda ukuhlola oFakazi BakaJehova ngalokhu kuphawula: ‘Ukuthi iNhlangano Yezwe Elisha iyonyamalala ngokushesha kuyangabazisa.’ . . . KunoFakazi abaphindwe ngaphezu kwezikhathi ezimbili namuhla (1979) kunangalesosikhathi. Zonke izimpawu zibonisa ukuthi iNhlangano yeWatchtower iyophindeka kabili futhi ngokwesilinganiso phakathi neminyaka eyishumi ezayo.”—UWilliam J. Whalen, kuyiU.S Catholic. (OFakazi abayizi-989 192 bango-1962 banda baba izi-3 592 654 ngo-1988.)
Kusukela ngo-1970 inani loFakazi BakaJehova eFederal Republic yaseJalimane (naseNtshonalanga Berlin) liye landa ngamaphesenti angama-38. Eminyakeni engama-30 edlule, inani lamabandla oFakazi BakaJehova eNetherlands liye landa lisukela e-161 kuya ema-317, futhi eBrithani lisukela ema-825 kuya e-1 257, lenza kwaba nendingeko yokwakhiwa kwamaHholo oMbuso amasha amaningi kuwo womabili lamazwe.—Qhathanisa nesigaba 3 ngaphansi kwesihlokwana esithi “Ithemba Eliqhakazile Liyafiphala.”
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Inkolo ayisanakwa mgempela kulobudididi nokuphuthuma kwezwe lanamuhla