Abafundi Babamba Iqhaza Osukwini LoMlando WeSizwe

IZINGCINGO zaqala ukungena endlunkulu yomhlaba yoFakazi BakaJehova eNew York ngoApril ka-1991. Zazivela entsheni eyayenza ukucwaninga ngoFakazi.

Unyaka ngamunye eUnited States, njengengxenye yesimiso soSuku Lomlando Wesizwe, abafundi abasemabangeni asukela kwelesine kuya kweleshumi bangenela imincintiswano exhaswa isikole ehlobene nesihloko sonyaka. Isihloko salonyaka esithi, “Amalungelo Emlandweni,” siphathelene nomkhosi wama-200 selokhu iSiqinisekiso Samalungelo Abantu saseU.S. saba khona. Kwalungiselelwa uhlu lokwaziswa okuphathelene nalendaba ukuze kusizwe abafundi ekukhetheni isihloko abazokwenaba kuso.

Abafundi abathi ababe ngu-500 000 babamba iqhaza ezingxenyeni eziyisikhombisa zalomncintiswano. Okwakuthakazelisa oFakazi BakaJehova kwakuyizindaba ezazibhalwe abathile abasebangeni lesithupha ekugcineni abawina ezifundeni zasemakubo futhi kamuva bamelela izifunda zabo eWashington, D.C.

Amantombazane amabili aneminyaka engu-14 ubudala asePennsylvania, uNicole DiSalvo noGwen Naglak, abangebona oFakazi BakaJehova, akhetha amacala amabili okukhulekelwa kwefulegi ayehilela oFakazi ngawo-1940. Ekucwaningeni kwawo, akhuluma nalabo ababehileleke emacaleni eMinersville School District v. Gobitis naseWest Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette, futhi avakashela indlunkulu yomhlaba yoFakazi BakaJehova ukuze athole okwengeziwe ngezinkolelo zoFakazi.a

Okwashiwo Ngomlomo

UNicole wakhuluma ngesihloko esithi “Isibindi Sokuhlala Phansi.” Walingisa uLillian Gobitas futhi wenza imizwa nesibindi sikaLillian osebudaleni bokuya esikoleni kwaphila njengoba ayelandisa ngesinqumo sikaLillian mathupha sokungakhulekeli ifulege naphezu kokubandlululwa yilabo ayefunda nabo. Wabonisa injabulo uLillian aba nayo lapho ewina isinyathelo ngasinye enqubweni engokomthetho eyaholela eNkantolo Ephakeme ngo-1940. Efaka ijazi elide elimnyama efanekisa umahluleli waseNkantolo Ephakeme, wakhipha isinqumo seNkantolo ngokumelene noNksz Gobitas. Nakuba icala lamlahla, uNicole wabonisa ukuqiniseka kukaLillian kokuthi isinqumo sakhe sasimlungele yena.

Okubhaliwe

Iphepha likaGwen Naglak elithi, “Isizwe Esisodwa Ngaphansi KukaNkulunkulu,” lahlaziya isimo sezwe njengoba sasinjalo ngo-1935 neqiniso lokuthi oFakazi BakaJehova benqaba ukukhulekela ifulege. Umfundi uzwa umphumela walokhu lapho kuqala uWilliam, oneminyaka engu-10, bese kamuva kuba uLillian, oneminyaka engu-12, bexoshwa esikoleni.

Emacaleni asenkantolo alandela ukuxoshwa kwabo ePennsylvania, bonke abehluleli bakhipha isinqumo esivuna umkhaya wakwaGobitas. Nokho, ibhodi lesikole ladlulisela icala eNkantolo Ephakeme. Lapho, ngoJune 3, 1940, iNkantolo yalahla abakwaGobitas. Omunye umphumela waba ukuthi oFakazi BakaJehova baphathwa kabi ngezindlela eziningi kakhulu. Khona-ke uGwen walandelela izehlakalo kwaze kwayofika esinqumweni seNkantolo Ephakeme ngo-1943, lapho iNkantolo yashintsha khona isinqumo sango-1940.

Ekuphetheni, uGwen wabhala: “Ngiyabazisa uLillian noWilliam ngokuba nesibindi sokwenza ababenomuzwa wokuthi kulungile nokulwela izinkolelo zabo. Kimi, yibo abalithanda ngempela izwe labo.”

Umsebenzi Weqembu

Isihloko esithi “Umyalo Waphezulu, Ilungelo Lomthetho-sisekelo,” sasiyisihloko somsebenzi weqembu wabanye abafundi ababili abasebangeni lesithupha, uRobert Young noStacey Wright, baseVirginia, bobabili abangoFakazi BakaJehova. URobert wafanekisa umcosheli wephephandaba owayexoxa noLillian Gobitas, owayefanekiswa uStacey.

URobert noStacey, ngemvume yabazali babo, bathatha uhambo lwamakhilomitha angu-4 000 befuna ukwaziswa komsebenzi wabo. Phakathi kwamanye amaqiniso, ukucwaninga kwabo kwambula ukuthi ukukhulekelwa kwefulege eUnited States kwaqala ngekhulu le-19 leminyaka. Futhi bamangazwa ukuthola ukuthi uGeorge Washington wayemelene nezifungo zomuntu zokwethembeka ezweni lakhe.

Yonke lentsha yawaqaphela ngokugcwele ngokwengeziwe amazwi kaProfesa C. S. Braden, lowo, encwadini yakhe ethi These Also Believe, owathi ngoFakazi BakaJehova: “Baye benza inkonzo ephawulekayo embusweni obusa ngentando yeningi ngokulwela kwabo ukulondoloza lawomalungelo abo, ngoba ekulweni kwabo baye benza okukhulu ekulondolozeni lawomalungelo awo wonke amaqembu amancane eMelika.”

[Umbhalo waphansi]