Kwenzekani Emasontweni?

KUNEZINTO eziningi ezifanayo emasikweni abantu baseLatin America, kusuka eMexico esenyakatho kuya eChile eseningizimu. Abantu abadala baseLatin America bangakhumbula isikhathi lapho kwakunesonto elilodwa kuphela, lamaRoma Katolika. Ngekhulu le-16, abanqobi baseSpain baphoqelela leyo nkolo ngezikhali. Izwe elaliphethe ikoloni laseBrazil kwakuyiPortugal yamaRoma Katolika. Kwaphela iminyaka engu-400 iSonto LamaKatolika lisekela ohulumeni abaphethe ukuze lixhaswe kwezomnotho futhi liqashelwe njengenkolo engokomthetho.

Nokho, ngawo-1960 abanye abapristi bamaKatolika baqaphela ukuthi ukusekela iqembu elibusayo kwakuholela ekubeni bangasekelwa umphakathi. Baqala imikhankaso yokusekela abampofu, ikakhulu ngokugqugquzela lokho okwakwaziwa ngokuthi imfundiso yenkolo yokulwela inkululeko. Le nhlangano yenkolo yokulwela inkululeko yaqala eLatin America njengomkhankaso wokumelana nobuphofu amaKatolika amaningi ayezithola ephila ngaphansi kwabo.

Naphezu kwemizamo yabefundisi yokuzigaxa ezindabeni zomphakathi zezombangazwe, izigidi ziye zayishiya inkolo yamaKatolika zayozama amanye amasonto. Sezande kakhulu izinkolo ezinezinkonzo ezihlanganisa ukushaya izandla nomculo ovusa usinga noma ofana nomculo wekhonsathi ye-rock. UDuncan Green, encwadini yakhe ethi Faces of Latin America, uthi: “Inhlangano yabavangeli eLatin America ihlukene yaba amaSonto angenakubalwa ahlukahlukene. Ngokuvamile ngalinye lala masonto ahlukanayo liholwa umfundisi oyedwa. Uma ibandla likhula, ngokuvamile liyahlukana kube namanye amaSonto amasha.”

IYurophu Ifulathela Amasonto

Phakathi neminyaka engaphezu kuka-1 600, amazwe amaningi aseYurophu ayebuswa ohulumeni abathi bangamaKristu. Ingabe inkolo iyachuma manje eYurophu njengoba singena ekhulwini lama-21? Ngo-2002 isazi sezokuhlalisana kwabantu uSteve Bruce, encwadini yaso ethi God is Dead—Secularization in the West, sathi ngeBrithani: “Ngekhulu le-19 cishe yonke imishado yayiqhutshwa ngendlela engokwenkolo.” Kodwa, ngawo-1971, imishado engamaphesenti angu-60 kuphela yabantu baseBrithani eyayiqhutshwa ngendlela engokwenkolo. Ngo-2000 yayingamaphesenti angu-31 kuphela.

Ekhuluma ngalo mkhuba omusha, umlobeli wezenkolo kuyi-Daily Telegraph yaseLondon wabhala: “Wonke amasonto amakhulu ayaqhubeka encipha, kusukela kwelaseSheshi nelamaRoma Katolika kuya kwelaseWeseli nalelo okuthiwa i-United Reformed Church.” Maqondana nomunye umbiko lo mlobeli wathi: “AmaSonto aseBrithani ayobe esephele nyá ngo-2040 futhi kuyobe sekuya abantu abangamaphesenti amabili nje kuphela enkonzweni yangeSonto.” Kuye kwashiwo okufanayo ngezinkolo zaseNetherlands.

Umbiko we-Dutch Social and Cultural Planning Office waphawula: “Kula mashumi eminyaka amuva, izwe lakithi kubonakala liye layichilizela eceleni inkolo. Kulindeleke ukuthi ngo-2020, amaphesenti angu-72 ezakhamuzi ayobe engenayo nhlobo inkolo azihlanganisa nayo.” Umthombo wezindaba waseJalimane uthi: “Liyanda inani lamaJalimane aphendukela ebuthakathini nasekulumbeni ukuze athole induduzo ngaphambili ayeyithola emasontweni, emisebenzini nasemkhayeni. . . . Amasonto kulo lonke leli zwe ayaphoqeleka ukuba avalwe ngenxa yokuntuleka kwamalungu ebandla.”

Labo abasaya esontweni eYurophu ngokuvamile abayi ngenjongo yokuthola ukuthi yini uNkulunkulu ayifunayo kubo. Omunye umbiko ovela e-Italy uthi: “AmaNtaliyane avumelanisa inkolo nendlela yawo yokuphila.” Esinye isazi sezokuhlalisana kwabantu kulelo zwe sithi: “Uma upapa ekhuluma, sithatha lokho okuvumelana nathi.” Kungashiwo okufanayo ngamaKatolika aseSpain, lapho intshiseko yenkolo ithathelwe indawo umoya wokuthanda izinto ezibonakalayo nokufuna ipharadesi lezomnotho—manje hhayi kusasa.

Le mikhuba iphambene ngokuphelele nobuKristu obafundiswa futhi baqhutshwa uKristu nabalandeli bakhe. UJesu akazange amise inkolo owawungakhetha kuyo izinto ozithandayo bese ulahla lezo ongazithandi. Wathi: “Uma umuntu efuna ukungilandela, makazidele athathe isigxobo sakhe sokuhlushwa usuku nosuku angilandele njalo.” UJesu wafundisa abantu ukuthi indlela yokuphila kwamaKristu ihilela ukuzidela nomzamo womuntu siqu.—Luka 9:23.

Ukukhangisa Ngenkolo ENyakatho Melika

Ngokungafani nesimo saseCanada—lapho izingqapheli ziphawula khona ukuthi abantu abayethembi inkolo—abantu base-United States bazibheka njengezibalulekile izindaba eziphathelene nenkolo. Ngokwezinye izinkampani ezinkulu ezihlola imibono yabantu, okungenani abantu abangamaphesenti angu-40 okwaxoxwa nabo bathi bayaya esontweni masonto onke, nakuba ukubalwa kwabantu ngokoqobo kubonisa ukuthi kuya abangamaphesenti acishe abe ngu-20. Amaphesenti angaphezu kuka-60 athi akholelwa ukuthi iBhayibheli liyiZwi likaNkulunkulu. Nokho, ukushisekela kwabo inkolo ethile kungase kube okwesikhashana. Abantu abaningi abaya esontweni e-United States bazishintshashintsha kalula nje izinkolo. Uma umshumayeli engasadumile noma engasenathonya elingako, ngokushesha angalahlekelwa amalungu ebandla—futhi ngokuvamile alahlekelwe nayimali eningi kakhulu!

Amanye amasonto ahlola izindlela zebhizinisi ukuze afunde ukuthi angayithuthukisa kanjani indlela ‘yokukhangisa’ ngezinkonzo zawo zesonto. Amabandla akhokha izinkulungwane zamaRandi ukuze aqashe izinkampani ezinikeza amasonto amacebiso. Omunye umbiko maqondana nalezo zinkampani uthi umfundisi othile ogculisekile wathi: “Kwaba isu elihle kakhulu lokutshala imali.” Amasonto amakhulu, anamalungu abalelwa ezinkulungwaneni, enza kahle kakhulu kwezomnotho kangangokuthi akhanga imithombo enyathelisa ngezamabhizinisi, njenge-Wall Street Journal ne-Economist. Lab’ omagazini babika ukuthi kula masonto amakhulu ‘ungakwazi ukuthola konke okudingayo ngaphansi kophahla olulodwa ukuze unakekele izidingo ezingokwenyama nezingokomoya.’ Izikhungo zamasonto zingase zihlanganise izindawo zokudlela, amathilomu, izindawo zokuzilungisa, ama-sauna nezindawo zemidlalo. Izinto ezikhanga abantu zihlanganisa imidlalo yaseshashalazini, ukuvakasha kosaziwayo nomculo wamuva. Kodwa bafundisani abashumayeli?

Akumangalisi ukuthi isihloko esithandwayo ‘yivangeli lokuchuma.’ Amakholwa atshelwa ukuthi ayoceba futhi abe nempilo uma enikela kakhulu esontweni. Uma kuziwa endabeni yokuziphatha, uNkulunkulu ngokuvamile uvezwa njengomuntu obekezelayo. Isazi sezokuhlalisana kwabantu sithi: “Amasonto aseMelika ayelapha awahluleli muntu.” Izinkolo ezithandwayo zivame ukugxila emacebisweni okuthi umuntu angazisiza kanjani ukuze athuthuke ekuphileni. Bayanda abantu abazizwa bekhululekile ngokungabi ingxenye yenhlangano yenkolo ehleliwe, lapho zingaphathwa nakuphathwa khona izimfundiso ezibhekwa njengezihlukanisayo. Nokho, kuhlale kukhulunywa ngokucacile nangokukhethekile ngezindaba zezombusazwe. Izibonelo zamuva nje zibe yimbangela yokuphoxeka kwabanye abefundisi.

Ingabe inkolo iyavuselelwa eNyakatho Melika? Ngo-2005, umagazini i-Newsweek wabika ngokuthandwa “kwezinkonzo ezinabantu abaklabalasayo, abaqulekayo nabagidayo,” kanye neminye imikhuba yenkolo, kodwa waphawula: “Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yini eqhubekayo lapha, akukona neze ukwanda kwabantu abaya esontweni.” Ngokwenhlolo-vo eyenziwa kubuzwa abantu ukuthi bakhonza kuyiphi inkolo, lwanda ngokushesha uhlu lwabathi abasonti. Amabandla athile anda ngenxa nje yokuthi amanye ayawohloka. Kuthiwa “imihlambi” yabantu izishiya phansi izinkolo ezinkulu ezisadla ngoludala kanye nemicikilisho yazo, umculo wogubhu nemijiva yabefundisi.

Engxoxweni yethu emfushane, sibone amasonto ehlukana phakathi eLatin America, elahlekelwa amalungu ebandla eYurophu, futhi ezama ukuba asekelwe ngokuba nezinhlelo zokuzijabulisa e-United States. Yiqiniso, kunokuningi okungakhulunywanga ngakho kule mikhuba emisha, kodwa isithombe esisitholayo yileso samasonto ashikashikana nendaba yokuzenza athandwe. Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi ubuKristu buyawohloka?

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 6]

‘INKOLO ISIFANA NEBHIZINISI LEZITOLO EZINKULU’

Umqondisi we-National Vocation Service of the French Catholic Church wacashunwa ethi: “Sibona inkolo isifana nebhizinisi lezitolo ezinkulu. Abantu bayafika bezothenga, futhi lapho bethola inkolo abangavumelani nayo bayahamba baye kwenye indawo.” Ekuhloleni kwakhe inkolo yaseYurophu, uProfesa Grace Davie we-Exeter University yaseBrithani wathi: “Abantu bamane ‘bazikhethele bese behlanganisa abakufunayo’ kulokho abakuthola kulezi zinkolo ezihlukahlukene. Inkolo, njengezinye izinto eziningi, isiyindaba yokuzikhethela lokho okuvumelana nendlela yomuntu yokuphila nezinto azithandayo.”

[Isithombe ekhasini 4, 5]

Umbhalo osemnyango wesonto, eNaples e-Italy

[Umthombo]

©Doug Scott/age fotostock

[Isithombe ekhasini 4, 5]

EMexico, abaningi bayishiyile inkolo yobuKatolika