Izithunywa Zevangeli Amanxusa Okukhanya Noma Obumnyama?— Ingxenye 5

Isigijimi Esisha SeZwe Elisha

INTSHONALANGA Nenkabazwe yaqala ukubizwa ngokuthi iZwe Elisha ngasekuqaleni kwekhulu le-16. Lapho “litholwa” uColumbus ngo-1492, wathola nokuthi kwakunabantu abase behlala lapho kakade futhi okwase kungamakhulu eminyaka behlala lapho. Kodwa ngokokuqala ngqá, aboMdabu baseMelika bathola ithuba lokunambitha ubuKristu bokuzisholo. Lokhu kwakuyosho ukuthini ngeZwe Elisha?

Kwase kungamakhulu eminyaka iSonto lamaKatolika likulawula cishe ngokuphelele ukuphila kwabantu baseYurophu. Labeka izindinganiso lamisa nemithetho cishe kuzo zonke izici zokuphila kwabantu, kuhlanganise nohulumeni. Lolobumbano lweSonto noHulumeni, ubumbano olwabangela iziMpi Zenkolo, nalo lwalubusa iZwe Elisha.

USidney H. Rooy we-Educación Teológica eBuenos Aires ubhala ukuthi ekupheleni kwekhulu le-15, amakhosi aseSpain ayeqiniseka ukuthi “ubukhosi baseSpain babuyithuluzi elikhethwe ngokwaphezulu ukuze kusindiswe iZwe Elisha.” Isigungu sikapapa sabeka umngcele ongokomfanekiso osuka enyakatho uye eningizimu e-Atlantic ohlukanisa indawo entsha eyayitholwe iSpain nePortugal. Ngo-1494 labohulumeni ababili basayina isivumelwano esahlehlisela lomngcele ngasentshonalanga. Ngakho, lapho iSpain izinza ezingxenyeni eziningi zaseMelika Ephakathi neseNingizimu, iPortugal yathuthela eBrazil, enogu lwasempumalanga olwase lungasempumalanga yomngcele. NgokukaRooy, womabili lamazwe acabanga ukuthi isinqumo sikapapa sasisho ukuthi “ilungelo lokuthatha amazwe lalihambisana nomthwalo wokushumayela ivangeli kwabomdabu.”

Ukunqotshwa KweZwe Elisha

Ohambweni lwakhe lwesibili ngo-1493 uColumbus wayehambisana neqembu lezindela elalikhethelwe ikakhulukazi ukuba liguqule abomdabu. Kusukela ngalesosikhathi kuqhubeke, abaholi bezimpi zenkolo nabapristi abayizithunywa zevangeli baseYurophu babambisana ekunqobeni iZwe Elisha.

Ngo-1519, uHernán Cortés wafinyelela ezweni manje elaziwa ngokuthi iMexico ehambisana nombhishobhi nabanye abapristi. Phakathi neminyaka engu-50, inani lezithunywa zevangeli lase linyukele kwezingu-800. Ezinye ezingu-350 zazisePeru, uFrancisco Pizarro ayefinyelele kuyo ngo-1531.

Izincwadi zikapapa ezakhishwa ngo-1493 zanikeza iziphathimandla zezwe igunya elingokomthetho ezazilifuna emkhankasweni wazo wokunqoba. Zazicabanga ukuthi zingathembela ekusekelweni uNkulunkulu ngoba zazinomuzwa wokuthi ukwakha amakoloni kwakuyintando yakhe. Izikhulu zesonto, zizimisele ukujabulisa iziphathimandla, zabambisana ekuqiniseni ukufaneleka kwesimiso sokwakhiwa kwamakoloni. Eqinisweni, umJesuit wekhulu le-17 okwakuthiwa u-António Vieira, owazalelwa ePortugal kodwa wakhulela eBrazil, wancoma ukwakhiwa kwamakoloni, ethi ivangeli lalingenakushunyayelwa ngaphandle kwako.

Izithunywa zevangeli azizange zibone lutho olungafanele ngokusebenzisa ukwakhiwa kwamakoloni njengendlela yokusakaza inkolo yazo. Nokho, lokhu kwazenza zaba ingxenye ephelele yezwe uJesu athi abalandeli bakhe kwakungafanele babe ingxenye yalo.—Johane 17:16.

Ukuguqula Abantu

NgokukaRooy, ekuqaleni izithunywa zevangeli zeLobukholwa “zaqothula amasiko akudala nokubonakaliswa okuningi kwangaphandle kwenkolo yamaNdiya.” Wanezela: “Nakuba kwakusasetshenziswa ukuphoqelela lapho kudingekile, amaNdiya amaningi aguqulwa ngokuthula ngendlela eqondile eyayisetshenziswa abapristi.”

Yiqiniso, ezinye izithunywa zevangeli zazikholelwa ukuthi ukuphoqelela kwakungafanele neze. Ngokwesibonelo, isithunywa sevangeli saseSpain esasingumpristi ongumlandeli kaSt. Dominic okwakuthiwa uBartolomé de Las Casas samelana nezindlela zonya ezazisetshenziswa. Ngokuphindaphindiwe wanxusela amaNdiya kuhulumeni waseSpain, futhi ngenxa yalesosizathu uhulumeni wamnikeza isiqu esithi “uMvikeli WamaNdiya.” Nokho, imizamo yakhe yabhekana nokusabela okuhlukahlukene. Abanye baye bambiza ngokuthi umlweli wenkolo, umprofethi, inceku kaNkulunkulu, nomboni; abanye baye bambiza ngokuthi imbuka, uhlanya, umvukeli, nomanduleli wobuMarx.

Kamuva umgomo wokuqeda amasiko akudala wayekwa. Lapho abomdabu sebecindezelwe ukuba bamukele ubuKristu, bavunyelwa ukuba balondoloze izinkolelo nemikhuba yabo yobuqaba. Ngakho, “imikhosi eminingi yobuKristu egcinwa amaNdiya angamaSierra asePeru inemikhuba eyizinsalela zezinkolelo zama-Inca ezikhohlakele,” kusho i-Man, Myth & Magic. I-Cambridge History of Latin America ichaza ukuthi amaNdiya aseMexico athatha ebuKristwini “lezozici ezazivumelana nezidingo zawo ezingokomoya nezingokwesiko azixuba nezici zenkolo yokhokho bawo.”

Yiqiniso, kwabhapathizwa amakhulu ezinkulungwane zaboMdabu baseMelika. Kodwa “ubuKristu” abanikezwa bona babunobuzenzisi obukhulu. Kwachithwa isikhathi esincane befundiswa izisekelo zobuKristu okwakufanele bakhele phezu kwazo ukholo oluqinile. I-Cambridge History of Latin America iyaphawula: “Kwakunobufakazi obushaqisayo bokuthi amaNdiya ayamukele ukholo olusha ngentshiseko esobala ngasese ayesadumisa izithombe zawo zakudala.” Eqinisweni, kubikwa ukuthi amanye amaNdiya ayebeka izithombe zobuqaba ngemva kwama-altare “obuKristu” ukuze zisetshenziswe uma “uNkulunkulu wamaKristu” engasabeli. Ayengasheshi nokulahla imikhuba yokuziphatha egxilile njengesithembu.

Amalungu amahlelo obuRoma Katolika awazange ngaso sonke isikhathi aziphathe ngendlela obekungalindeleka ukuba izithunywa zevangeli “ezingamaKristu” ziziphathe ngayo. Lamahlelo ayelwa njalo. AmaJesuit ikakhulukazi ayegxekwa njalo ngenxa yezinkambiso nezenzo zawo. Eqinisweni, ngo-1759 axoshwa eBrazil.

Ukufika kwezithunywa zevangeli ezingamaProthestani akuzange kuzishintshe ngokuphawulekayo izinto. Njengoba izinhlu zezithunywa zevangeli zazanda, kwanda nokuhlukana okuvame ebuKristwini bokuzisholo. AmaKatolika amangalela amaProthestani ngokusekela isimiso sikahulumeni; amaProthestani amangalela amaKatolika ngokusakaza izinkolelo zobuqaba nangokuba necala lokugcina abantu bempofu. Konke lokhu kumangalelana kwakuyiqiniso. Izithunywa zevangeli zeLobukholwa, ezingamaKatolika nezingamaProthestani, zahluleka ukulandela isibonelo sikaJesu.

Ngokwe-Encyclopedia of Religion, kulo lonke iZwe Elisha, “ukuguqulwa kwabantu kwaqhubeka kuyithuluzi lemikhankaso yokwakha amakoloni kohulumeni baseSpain, eFrance, naseNgilandi.” Njengoba iSpain nePortugal zazigxile eLatin America, iFrance neBrithani zagxila kakhulu emazweni kamuva aba yi-United States neCanada.a

Njengalezozithunywa zevangeli zaseLatin America, izithunywa zevangeli zaseFrance nezaseBrithani zaphendukezela izinto eziza kuqala futhi zazigaxa ezindabeni zezombangazwe. Ngakho, i-Encyclopedia of Religion iphawula ukuthi “ekupheleni kwenkathi yeFrance eCanada, izithunywa zevangeli zaziphumelele ukwenza amaNdiya athembeke kuhulumeni waseFrance kunokuba ziwaguqule.”

Ngenxa KaNkulunkulu Noma Ngenxa Yegolide?

Abanye bangase bathi “ukwandiswa kombuso kaNkulunkulu kwakuwumgomo” owawuphishekelwa abaholi bezimpi zenkolo bokuqala. Kodwa lapho iveza iqiniso ngokwengeziwe, i-Cambridge History of Latin America ithi: “Ngaphezu kwakho konke, babefuna igolide.” Kwakucatshangwa ukuthi lapho eseguquliwe, amaNdiya “ngobumnene ayezofaka igolide eliningi.”

Ngaleyondlela ezinye izithunywa zevangeli zeLobukholwa zazenza ngokuzithandela amathuluzi alabo ababenezisusa ezimbi. Omunye wabaseYurophu bokuqala abakuqaphela lokhu kwakunguBartolomé de Las Casas, okukhulunywe ngaye ekuqaleni. I-New Encyclopædia Britannica imcaphuna ebhala okulandelayo ngo-1542: “Isizathu esenza amaKristu abulala futhi abhubhisa inani elikhulu kangaka lemiphefumulo siwukuthi aye ashukunyiswa ukuthanda igolide nesifiso sokuceba ngesikhathi esifushane kakhulu.”

Amaqhawe aseYurophu awazange alethe ukukhanyiselwa okukhulu ngokomoya. Encwadini yakhe ethi Mexico, uJames A. Michener uthi abavuna ubuKristu bathi lapho uCortés ehlasela iMexico, “wathola kuhlala amaqaba awalethela kokubili impucuko nobuKristu.” Nokho, uMichener uthi amaNdiya aseMexico, ngisho nango-900 C.E., “ayengewona amaqaba, kodwa ayekethisa kakhulu ekulondeni impucuko yawo emangalisayo kangangokuba avumela ukugumbuqelwa amaqaba angempela.” ‘Lamaqaba angempela’ ayengabanye okwakuthiwa bangamaKristu.

Umsebenzi Wokulungiselela

Izithunywa zevangeli zeLobukholwa azizange ziyilalele imiyalo kaJesu yokuba ‘zenze abafundi, . . . zibafundise ukugcina konke’ ayekuyalile. (Mathewu 28:19, 20) Abantu ababesanda kuguquka abazange bafundiswe ukubonisa izithelo zomoya kaNkulunkulu. Babengabumbene okholweni olulodwa.

Ngisho nalezozithunywa zevangeli zeLobukholwa ezaziqotho zamane zasakaza ubuKristu bezihlubuki. “Ukukhanya” okwalethwa eZweni Elisha kwakufiphele ngempela. Nokho, ngokusebenzisa iBhayibheli ngezinga elithile, izithunywa zevangeli zeLobukholwa zenza umsebenzi wokulungiselela umkhankaso obalulekile wobuthunywa bevangeli uJesu aprofetha ukuthi wawuyokwenziwa esikhathini sokuphela. (Mathewu 24:14) Kwakuyoba umkhankaso oyingqayizivele, ophumelela kakhulu kunayo yonke emlandweni wobuKristu, ozuzisa abantu bazo zonke izizwe. Funda ngawo kumagazini olandelayo esihlokweni esithi, “Ukwenza Abafundi Beqiniso Namuhla.”

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 21]

Izithunywa zevangeli zafika eNyakatho naseNingizimu Melika zihamba nabaholi bezimpi zenkolo baseYurophu

[Umthombo]

From the book Die Helden der christlichen Kirche