Izimbangela Eziyinhloko Zokuthumba
UKUTHUMBA kuye kwaba inhlupho yanamuhla. Kodwa yindaba efanayo nangokubulala, ukudlwengula, ukweba, ukuxhashazwa kwezingane ngisho nokuqothulwa kohlanga. Kungani ukuphila kuye kwaba ingozi kangangokuthi abantu besabe ukuphuma emizini yabo ebusuku?
Izimbangela eziyinhloko zalobu bugebengu obandile, kuhlanganise nokuthumba, zihlangene nezici ezimbi ezijulile emphakathini wabantu. Uke waqaphela ukuthi eminyakeni engaba ngu-2 000 edlule, iBhayibheli lazibikezela lezi zikhathi eziyingozi? Cabangela lokho okwabikezelwa kweyesi-2 Thimothewu 3:2-5.
“Ngoba abantu bayoba abazithandayo, abathandi bemali, abazazisayo, abazidlayo, abahlambalazi, abangalaleli abazali, abangabongiyo, abangathembekile, abangenakho ukusondelana ngokomzwelo okungokwemvelo, abangafuni sivumelwano, abanyundeli, abangenakho ukuzithiba, abanolaka, abangenalo uthando ngobuhle, abakhapheli, abanenkani, abakhukhumele ngokuziqhenya, abathandi bezinjabulo kunokuba abathandi bakaNkulunkulu, benesimo sokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu kodwa bezibonakalisa bengathembekile emandleni ako.”
Kungenzeka uyavuma ukuthi la mazwi alotshwa esikhathini eside esidlule asichaza kahle isimo sanamuhla. Esikhathini sethu izici ezimbi emphakathini wesintu ziye zadlanga ngezinkani. Ngokuphawulekayo, incazelo engenhla yokuziphatha kwabantu okudabukisayo yethulwa ngala mazwi eBhayibhelini: “Ezinsukwini zokugcina kuyofika izikhathi ezibucayi okunzima ukubhekana nazo.” (2 Thimothewu 3:1) Ake sicabangele izici ezimbi ezintathu eziyinhloko emphakathini eziye zaba nengxenye ekwandeni kokuthumba.
Inkinga Ngokugcinwa Komthetho
“Ngenxa yokuba ububi obenziwayo bungahlulelwa masinyane, ngalokho izinhliziyo zamadodana abantu phakathi kwawo zigcwele ukwenza okubi.”—UmShumayeli 8:11.
Amaphoyisa amaningi awanawo amathuluzi anele okubhekana nobugebengu obandayo. Ngakho-ke emazweni amaningi, ukuthumba kuwubugebengu obunemali. Ngo-1996, kwaboshwa amaphesenti amabili kuphela abathumbi baseColombia. EMexico, kwakhokhwa okungenani imali engamaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-1,2 yesihlengo ngo-1997. Abanye abathumbi basePhilippines baye baze bamukela ngisho namasheke lapho kukhokhwa isihlengo.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, inkohlakalo ngaphakathi kwabomthetho ngezinye izikhathi ibhuntshisa imizamo yokulwa nobugebengu ngokuphumelelayo. Izikhulu zamaqembu aphambili alwa nokuthumba eMexico, eColombia nasemazweni ayengama-republic aseSoviet zona ngokwazo ziye zamangalelwa ngokuthumba. Ephawula kumagazini i-Asiaweek, umongameli weSigele SasePhilippines, uBlas Ople, uthi izibalo ezingokomthetho zibonisa ukuthi amaphesenti angu-52 okuthumba okwenziwa ePhilippines kwenziwa amaphoyisa noma amasosha, asasebenza noma asethathé umhlalaphansi. Kuthiwa isikhohlakali somthumbi waseMexico sasivikelwe “abomthetho ngokufumbathisa izikhulu zikamasipala, izikhulu zikahulumeni kanye namaphoyisa nabashushisi.”
Ubumpofu Nokungabi Nabulungisa
“Ngase ngibuye ngabona konke ukucindezela okwenziwa phansi kwelanga; bheka izinyembezi zabacindezelwayo; babengenamduduzi. Ohlangothini lwababacindezelayo kwakukhona amandla.”—UmShumayeli 4:1.
Abantu abaningi namuhla basesimweni esidabukisayo ngokwezimali nangokwenhlalo, futhi ngokuvamile yibo abathumbayo. Ngakho-ke ezweni lapho igebe phakathi kwabampofu nabacebile liqhubeka landa futhi lapho emancane khona amathuba okuthola imali ngokwethembeka, ukuthumba kuyoqhubeka kuyisilingo. Uma nje kusekhona ukucindezelwa, ukuthumba kuyoba yindlela yokuphindisela nokudonsela ukunakekela kulokho okubhekwa njengesimo esingabekezeleleki.
Ubugovu Nokungabi Naluthando
“Uthando lwemali luyimpande yazo zonke izinhlobo zezinto ezilimazayo.” (1 Thimothewu 6:10) “Ngenxa yokwanda kokungabi namthetho uthando lwesibalo esikhulu luyophola.”—Mathewu 24:12.
Phakathi nawo wonke umlando ukuthanda imali kuye kwabangela abantu ukuba benze izinto ezishaqisayo. Futhi mhlawumbe abukho obunye ubugebengu obugaya imali ngobuhlungu, usizi nokuphelelwa ithemba komuntu njengokuthumba. Abaningi bashukunyiswa ukuhaha—ukuthanda imali—ukuba baphathe ngonya futhi bahluphe umuntu abangamazi futhi babangele usizi emkhayeni wakhe amasonto, izinyanga, ngezinye izikhathi iminyaka.
Ngokusobala, unenkinga ngempela umphakathi obeka imali phambili futhi unyathelele phansi izimiso zokulungile kubantu. Ngokungangabazeki, lokho kuwumthombo wazo zonke izinhlobo zobugebengu, kuhlanganise nokuthumba.
Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi sisesikhathini iBhayibheli elisibiza ngokuthi “izinsuku zokugcina”? Uma kunjalo, lokhu kuyosho ukuthini ngomhlaba nangathi? Likhona yini ikhambi lezinkinga ezesabekayo ezibhekene nesintu, kuhlanganise nokuthumba?
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 8]
Akukusha
Emuva ekhulwini le-15 B.C.E., uMthetho kaMose wawuthi abathumbi kumelwe babulawe. (Duteronomi 24:7) UJulius Caesar wathunjwa kwafunwa isihlengo ekhulwini lokuqala B.C.E., kanjalo noRichard I, Onesibindi, inkosi yaseNgilandi, ekhulwini le-12 C.E. Isihlengo esikhulu kunazo zonke esake sakhokhwa kwakungamathani angu-24 egolide nesiliva ama-Inca alinika umnqobi waseSpain uFrancisco Pizarro ukuze akhululelwe induna yawo eyayithunjiwe, u-Atahuallpa, ngo-1533. Naphezu kwalokho abanqobi baseSpain bayiklinya yaze yafa.
[Isithombe ekhasini 9]
Naphezu kokuba khona kwamaphoyisa, ukuthumba kudlangile