INkantolo Ephakeme YasePhilippines Isekela

Inkululeko Yokukhulekela

Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! ePhilippines

NGO-JUNE 7, 1993, njengoba izinkulungwane zezingane zesikole zasePhilippines zazibuyela emakilasini azo, oFakazi BakaJehova phakathi kwazo babejabule kakhulu. Kungani? Ngoba ngo-March 1, 1993, ngaphambi nje kokuphela konyaka wesikole ongaphambi kwalowo, iNkantolo Ephakeme yasePhilippines yahoxisa isinqumo seNkantolo Ephakeme sango-1959 futhi yasekela ilungelo lezingane zoFakazi BakaJehova lokungalikhulekeli ifulege, ukuphindaphinda isifungo sokwethembeka kuhulumeni, nokuhlabelela ingoma yesizwe.

Yini eyaholela ekushintsheni kwalesisimo? Futhi kunamiphi imiphumela kubo bonke abathandi benkululeko ePhilippines ngenxa yalesisinqumo?

Isizathu Sokuba OFakazi BakaJehova Bangalikhulekeli Ifulege

OFakazi BakaJehova bakholelwa ukuthi ukukhulekela ifulege, ukuhlabelela ingoma yesizwe, nokuphindaphinda isifungo sokwethembeka kuhulumeni kuyizenzo ezingokwenkolo. Unembeza wabo oqeqeshwe ngeBhayibheli awubavumeli ukuba bahlanganyele ezenzweni ezinjalo zokukhulekela. (Mathewu 4:10; IzEnzo 5:29) Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi bahlala kuliphi izwe, lokhu ukuma kwabo, belingisa uJesu Kristu, owathi abalandeli bakhe babengayikuba “ingxenye yezwe, njengoba [naye ayengeyona] ingxenye yezwe.”—Johane 17:16.

Ngesikhathi esifanayo, oFakazi BakaJehova babonisa inhlonipho ngohulumeni abaphila ngaphansi kwabo futhi bakholelwa ukuthi bayilungiselelo elivunyelwa uNkulunkulu. Ngakho, bangaphansi kwesibopho sokulalela imithetho yezwe, bakhokhe intela, futhi banikeze iziphathimandla inhlonipho efanele. Abasoze bahlanganyele nanini kunoma yikuphi ukuvukela noma yimuphi uhulumeni.a

Izizathu Zesinqumo SeNkantolo Ephakeme

Yiziphi izizathu ezanikezwa yiNkantolo Ephakeme yamanje zokuhoxisa isinqumo esakhishwa ngo-1959 ecaleni lika-Gerona v. Secretary of Education? Isinqumo sika-1993 esabhalwa uMahluleli uGriño-Aquino sathi: “Umqondo wokuthi umuntu angase aphoqelelwe ukukhulekela ifulege, ahlabelele ingoma yesizwe, nokuphindaphinda isifungo sokushisekela izwe, phakathi nomkhosi wokukhulekelwa kwefulege ngenxa yokwesaba isijeziso sokuxoshwa emsebenzini wakhe noma esikoleni, awamukeleki kunembeza wesizukulwane samanje sabantu basePhilippines abakhuliswa ngemibono esekelwe eMthethweni Wamalungelo oqinisekisa amalungelo abo enkululeko yokuveza umbono nenkululeko yokuqhuba umsebenzi nokukhulekela okungokwenkolo.”

INkantolo yaphawula ukuthi nakuba oFakazi BakaJehova “bengahlanganyeli emkhosini ophoqelelwe wokukhulekela ifulege, abahileleki ‘ezenzweni ezibonwa abanye’ noma ukuziphatha okungacasula omakhelwane babo abakholelwa ekubonakaliseni ukuthanda kwabo izwe ngokugcina umkhosi wefulege.” INkantolo yaphawula ngokuqhubekayo: “Bama ngenhlonipho phakathi nomkhosi wokukhulekela ifulege ukuze babonise inhlonipho yabo ngelungelo lalabo abakhetha ukuhlanganyela kulezizinqubo ezingathi sína. . . . Njengoba bengahlanganyeli ekuziphatheni okuphazamisayo, abukho ubufakazi obuvumela ukuxoshwa kwabo.”

INkantolo yamanje yaphinde yabhekana nesibikezelo esenziwa esinqumweni secala lika-Gerona sokuthi uma oFakazi BakaJehova bevunyelwa ukukhululeka emfunekweni yokukhulekela ifulege, “umkhosi wefulege uzoba yisidala noma mhlawumbe uqhutshwe unabantu abambalwa kakhulu abahlanganyela kuwo, futhi kuyofika isikhathi lapho siyoba nezakhamuzi ezingafundiswanga nokungagxiliswanga futhi kwafakwa kuzo inhlonipho ngefulege nokuthanda izwe, ukwazisa ngamaqhawe esizwe, nokushisekela izwe—isimo esidabukisayo, ngisho nesibucayi, futhi konke lokhu ngenxa yokuthi ingxenye encane yezingane zesikole yamisa intando yayo, yafuna ukukhululwa futhi yakunikezwa.”

Isinqumo seNkantolo sika-1993 saphendula lokhu ngokuthi: “Isimo esabikezelwa ngokwesabisayo yiNkantolo ecaleni lika-Gerona . . . asikaveli. Asikholelwa ukuthi ngokukhulula oFakazi BakaJehova ekukhulekeleni ifulege, ukuhlabelela ingoma yesizwe nokuphindaphinda isifungo sokushisekela izwe, leliqembu elingokwenkolo esivumayo ukuthi lakhiwa ‘ingxenye encane yezingane zesikole’ liyobangela isiyaluyalu endaweni yakithi futhi ngokungalindelekile liveze isizwe ‘esingafundiswanga nokungagxiliswanga futhi kwafakwa kuso inhlonipho ngefulege, ukushisekela izwe, ukuthanda izwe nokwazisa ngamaqhawe esizwe.’”

Ekugcineni leNkantolo yamanje yabhekisela ekukhulumeleni kukaMnu. Justice Robert Jackson weNkantolo Ephakeme yase-U.S. ecaleni lika-1943 lika-Barnette athi kulo: “Ukukholelwa ukuthi ukushisekela izwe ngeke kuchume uma imikhosi yokushisekela izwe ingeyokuzithandela futhi yenziwa ngenkululeko kunokuba ibe umkhuba ophoqelelwe kuwukwenza ukulinganisela okungafanele kokukhanga kwezinhlangano zethu ezingqondweni ezikhululekile. . . . Inkululeko yokuba ngohlukile ayigcini ezintweni ezingakhathazi kakhulu. Lokho bekuyoba inkululeko yokuzikhohlisa. Ubunjalo bayo bufakazelwa yilungelo lokuba ngohlukile uma kuziwa ezintweni ezithinta inhliziyo yomphakathi okhona.”

Ngemva kokuba kuvezwe lamaphuzu amahle omthetho, isinqumo esihlangene seNkantolo yasePhilippines sasiwukuthi: “Imithetho yokuxoshwa ekhishwe abamangaleli ngokumelene nabamangalelwa IYAQEDWA FUTHI IBEKELWA ECELENI. Isinqumo sesikhashana sokuhoxisa isinqumo [ngokumelene neziphathimandla zesikole] esakhishwa yileNkantolo simiswa ngokungaguquki.”

UMahluleli oyisekela u-Isagani Cruz wanezela lokhu kuphawula embonweni osekelayo: “Ngokombono wami wokuzithoba, icala lika-Gerona lalisekelwe embonweni oyiphutha. INkantolo eyalithetha ngokusobala yayihlupheka ngaphansi kombono wokuthi uHulumeni wayenelungelo lokunquma ukuthi yini engokwenkolo nengeyona engokwenkolo nokuyala umuntu ukuthi ikuphi angakukhulekela nalokho angenakukukhulekela. . . . Ekufuneni ukuba abamangalelwa abakhona lapha bahlanganyele emkhosini wefulege, uHulumeni uye wamemezela ngegunya ukuthi abeqi mthetho weBhayibheli ngokukhulekela ifulege. Kimina lokhu kuwukugxambukela ngokungafanele ezinkolelweni zabo ezingokwenkolo, ezibatshela okuphambene. UHulumeni akanakubachazela iBhayibheli. Akanamandla kulendaba.”

Okushiwo Yilokhu Kubathandi Benkululeko

Bonke abathandi benkululeko ngokuqinisekile bayajabula ngalesinqumo esisekela ilungelo lokuzikhethela ngokukhululekile endabeni yenkolo nakulokho okushiwo unembeza womuntu, kuyilapho ngesikhathi esifanayo bezithoba egunyeni elilinganiselwe likahulumeni. (Roma 13:1, 2) Lapho evikela amalungelo abantu ngabanye, uHulumeni akavuli ithuba lokuba khona kwesiyaluyalu, kodwa kunalokho, ukhonza endimeni eyashiwo umphostoli uPawulu kumaRoma 13:5, 6, lapho ethi khona: ‘Kuswelekile ukuwuthobela, . . . ngenxa kanembeza. Ngokuba ngenxa yalokho nikhipha intela; ngokuba bayizikhonzi zikaNkulunkulu ezikhuthalela khona lokho.’

OFakazi BakaJehova ePhilippines bayasihlonipha isimiso somthetho sabahluleli beNkantolo Ephakeme futhi bayaqaphela ukuthi udumo olukhulu kumelwe lunikezwe uMdali wethu, uJehova uNkulunkulu.

[Umbhalo waphansi]