Indima Yenkolo Ezimpini Zabantu
“AKUKAZE kube nabantu abangenalo uhlobo oluthile lwenkolo,” kusho i-World Book Encyclopedia (uhlelo luka-1970). Nokho, izazimlando uWill no-Ariel Durant babhala: “Impi ingenye yezinto ezingapheli emlandweni.” Ingabe lezinto ezimbili ezingapheli, impi nenkolo, zihlobene ngandlelathile?
Ngempela, kuwo wonke umlando, impi nenkolo bekulokhu kungamathe nolimi. ULionel Casson wachaza encwadini ethi Ancient Egypt ngeGibithe, omunye wemibuso yomhlaba yokuqala emlandweni: “Onkulunkulu babedunyiswa ngakho konke ukunqoba kwezempi; futhi behahela ingcebo eyengeziwe, abapristi bashiseka njengofaro ukuba banqobe amanye amazwe.”
Ngokufanayo, umfundisi u-W. B. Wright wathi nge-Asiriya, omunye umbuso wokuqala womhlaba: “Ukulwa kwakuyindaba yesizwe, futhi abapristi babengabashoshozeli bempi abaqhubekayo. Babesekelwa ikakhulu ngempango ezuzwe ekunqobeni.”
Ngokuphathelene nalokho akubiza ngokuthi “iYurophu yamaqaba,” uGerald Simons wabhala: “Umphakathi wabo wawungenazo izinto eziyimicikilisho, wawuhlelelwe umsebenzi owodwa, impi.” Futhi inkolo yayihilelekile. “Izinganekwane eziningi zilandisa ngemikhonto eyayinamademoni, noma eyayisebenza njengamanxusa onkulunkulu,” kuphawula uSimons.
Nokho, isimo sasingesifanayo eMbusweni waseRoma, owawubhekwa njengophucuke kakhulu. “AmaRoma akhuliswa ngomqondo wempi,” kuchaza uMoses Hadas encwadini i-Imperial Rome. Amasosha amaRoma ayeya empini ephethe amafulegi ayenezifanekiselo zonkulunkulu bawo. Enye i-encyclopedia yaphawula: “Kwakungekhona okungavamile ukuba ujenene akhiphe umyalo wokuba kuphonswe ifulegi lesizwe ezitheni, ukuze afake ugqozi lokuhlasela emasosheni akhe ngokuwashukumisela ukuba afune ukubuyisa lokho kuwona mhlawumbe okwakuyinto engcwele kakhulu umhlaba onayo.”
Impi Nalabo Abathi BangamaKristu
Ukuba khona kweLobukholwa emhlabeni akuzange kuzishintshe izinto. Empeleni, u-Anne Fremantle wabhala encwadini ethi Age of Faith: “Kuzo zonke izimpi abantu abake bazilwa, azikho eziye zaliwa ngentshiseko engaphezu kwalezo ebeziliwa ngenxa yokholo. Futhi phakathi ‘kwalezimpi ezingcwele,’ azikho ebezichitha igazi kakhulu nezaqhubeka isikhathi eside njengeziMpi Ezingcwele zamaKristu zeNkathi Ephakathi.”
Ngokumangalisayo, ngisho nanamuhla kuncane okushintshile. Umagazini i-Time wabika: “Ukulwa nokufa ngaphansi kwamafulege enkolo kuyaqhubeka ngobudlova obungapheli. E-Ulster amaProthestani namaRoma Katolika abulalana ngokungenangqondo ezimpini ezibonakala zingapheli. Ama-Arabhu namaIsrayeli abukele ngokwesaba umbango wendawo, impucuko kanye nenkolo.” Ngaphandle kwalokho, ukungafani kwezindinganiso zokuhle nokubi kanye nezingokwenkolo kuye kwabangela ukubulawa kwabantu abaningi emazweni ayengama-republic aseYugoslavia, nasemazweni ase-Asia.
Ngokungakholakali, labo abathi bangamaKristu ngokuvamile balwa namalungu enkolo yabo siqu. Ngaleyondlela, amaKatolika abulala amaKatolika ezinkundleni zempi. Isazi-mlando esingumKatolika u-E. I. Watkin wavuma: “Nakuba ukuvuma kungase kube buhlungu, ngenxa yezithakazelo zokuthuthuka okungokomoya okungamanga noma ukuthembeka kokukhohlisa ngeke siliphike noma singalinaki iqiniso elingokomlando lokuthi abaBhishobhi baye basekela ngokuqhubekayo zonke izimpi eziviviswa uhulumeni wezwe lakubo. Asikho nesisodwa isenzakalo engisaziyo lapho ingqungquthela yabefundisi besizwe yalahla khona impi njengengalungile . . . Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uyini umbono ongokomthetho, umqondo wokuthi ‘njalo izwe lakithi alinacala’ ubulokhu uyisaga esilandelwa ngezenzo abaBhishobhi bamaKatolika ngesikhathi sempi.”
Nokho, leso akusona isaga samaKatolika kuphela. Uhlelo lomhleli kwethi Sun yaseVancouver, eCanada, lwaphawula: “UbuProthestani abunakuwabalekela nangayiphi indlela lamandla obuzwe ahlukanisayo. Ukuthi isonto lilandele ifulege kuwukonakala mhlawumbe kwayo yonke inkolo . . . Iyiphi impi eyake yaliwa lapho kungazange kushiwo khona ukuthi uNkulunkulu usohlangothini ngalunye lwamaqembu alwayo?”
Ngokusobala ayikho neyodwa! Umfundisi ongumProthestani uHarry Emerson Fosdick wavuma: “Ngisho nasemasontweni ethu siye sabeka amafulege empi . . . Ngolunye uhlangothi lomlomo wethu siye sadumisa iNkosi Yokuthula futhi ngolunye siye saphakamisa impi.” Futhi umhleli uMike Royko wathi amaKristu awakaze “akuzonde ukulwa izimpi namanye amaKristu.” Wachaza: “Ukube ayekuzonda, eziningi zezimpi ezisabeka kakhulu eYurophu ngabe azizange zenzeke.” Eziphawulekayo phakathi kwazo kwakuyiMpi Yeminyaka Engamashumi Amathathu eJalimane phakathi kwamaProthestani namaKatolika.
Ngokuqinisekile, amaqiniso asobala. Inkolo ibilokhu ingumsekeli, futhi ngezinye izikhathi, ngisho nomgqugquzeli wezimpi. Ngenxa yalokho, abaningi baye bazindla ngalemibuzo: Ingabe uNkulunkulu ngempela usekela esinye isizwe kunesinye ngesikhathi sempi? Ingabe uthatha uhlangothi lapho izizwe zilwa? Ingabe siyoke sibe khona isikhathi lapho impi ingeke isaba khona?
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 3]
Phakathi kwezitha, amasosha aseRoma aphonsa amafulege esizwe anezifanekiselo zonkulunkulu bawo