Ingabe Izingane Kumelwe Zibhapathizwe?

Usana alubonakali neze luyisoni. Nokho injongo yalomcikilisho wakudala ukususa izono. Ummeli wengane ebhapathizwayo uphika uSathane nemisebenzi yakhe kathathu. Bese umpristi ethatha isitsha esincane futhi ethela amanzi esiphongweni somntwana izikhathi ezintathu ngokungajahi, ethi, “Ngiyakubhapathiza egameni likaYise, neleNdodana, neloMoya Ongcwele.”

CISHE sekuyizinkulungwane ezimbili zeminyaka izinsana zibhapathizwa ngomcikilisho ofana nalona. Abazali bangase bawuchaze njengesenzakalo esishukumisa imizwelo. Nokho, ingabe lomkhuba uvela eZwini likaNkulunkulu? Abefundisi bamaKatolika bayavuma ukuthi akunjalo.—Bheka iNew Catholic Encyclopedia, Umqulu 2, ikhasi 69.

Zifundele ngokwakho incwadi yeBhayibheli yeZenzo, futhi ngokushesha uzobona ukuthi phakathi kwamaKristu okuqala, ubhapathizo lwalungolwalabo ababekwazi ‘ukuzwa nokwamukela amazwi’ ngokuqonda futhi ‘baphenduke.’ (IzEnzo 2:14, 22, 38, 41, Douay Version) Izinto usana olungeke lakwazi ukuzenza! Kuyiqiniso, iBhayibheli liyakhuluma ngokubhapathizwa kwendlu yonke, njengaleyo kaKorneliyu.a Kodwa ngisho nalapho, ubhapathizo lwalungolwalabo “ababelizwa izwi”—hhayi izinsana.—IzEnzo 10:44-47.

Isiko LikaNkulunkulu Noma Elabantu?

Yehluleka ukukhomba isibonelo esingokweBhayibheli, iVatican ithi, “Umkhuba wokubhapathiza izinsana ucatshangelwa njengomthetho wesiko elingasenakukhunjulwa.” Kodwa ingabe lelisiko lasungulwa uJesu Kristu? Cha, ngoba ukubhapathizwa kwezinsana akuzange kwenziwe kwaze kwaba isikhathi esithile ngemva kokufa kwabaphostoli. Ekupheleni kwekhulu lesibili leminyaka, uyise wesonto uTertullian wathi, “[Izingane] mazibe amaKristu uma sezimazi uKristu.”

Nokho, umphostoli uPawulu waxwayisa ngokuthi ekugcineni kwakuyoba nesikhathi abantu “abangayikuvuma ngaso isifundiso esiphilayo.” (2 Thimothewu 4:3) Ngemva kokuba abaphostoli sebefile futhi sebengenakukwazi ‘ukuyivimbela,’ imikhuba engeyona engokombhalo yaqala ukungena ekukhulekeleni kobuKristu. (2 Thesalonika 2:6, NW) Phakathi kwayo kwakukhona ukubhapathizwa kwezinsana. Kodwa ukubhapathizwa kwezinsana akuzange kube umthetho kwaze kwaba yikhulu lesihlanu leminyaka. Ngalesosikhathi kwaba khona inkulumo-mpikiswano enamandla eyaliguqula phakade eLobukholwa.

Yaqala lapho indela eyiNgisi egama layo linguPelagius iya eRome. Eshaqwe ukonakala akubona phakathi kwalabo ababizwa ngokuthi bangamaKristu, umfundisi wazimisela ukushukumisela abantu “emzamweni owengeziwe wokuziphatha okuhle.” UPelagius wathi, umuntu ngeke athi ubuthakathaka bakhe bubangelwa ‘isono sokuqala.’ “Konke okuhle nakho konke okubi . . . kwenziwa yithi, asizalwa nakho.” Ngokushesha imfundiso kaPelagius yaba sematheni kweLobukholwa.

Kodwa akuqhubekanga isikhathi eside. Abaholi besonto babheka lokhu kulahlwa ‘kwesono sokuqala’ njengokungahambisani nemfundiso yesonto. Futhi ngokungaqondile uPelagius wasiza abamelene naye ngokumelela lokho okwakuwumkhuba ovamile ngalesosikhathi—ukubhapathizwa kwezinsana. Umbhishobhi ogama lakhe linguAugustine wakubona lokhu kungavumelani neze. ‘Uma izinsana kumelwe zibhapathizwe,’ kusho uAugustine, ‘kuthiwani ngalabo abangabhapathiziwe?’ Isiphetho esasibonakala sinengqondo sasiwukuthi abanjalo babeyohlushwa umlilo wesihogo ngoba babengabhapathiziwe. Selivezwe ngokusobala leliphuzu, uAugustine wahlasela kabuhlungu: Njengoba ngempela izinsana ezingabhapathiziwe zithola isiqalekiso, singaba yini esinye isizathu salokhu ngaphandle ‘kwesono sokuqala’?

Imfundiso kaPelagius yaphela. Ummeli wesonto eCarhage ngokulandelayo wamemezela ukuthi izimfundiso zikaPelagius ziyashayisana nemfundiso yesonto. ‘Isono sokuqala’ saba ingxenye enkulu yobuKatolika njengokuvuma izono. Futhi isonto manje lase lithonyelwe enkambweni yokukhuthaza ukuguqulwa kwabantu abaningi—ngokuvamile okuphoqelelwayo—ukuze kusindiswe abantu ‘emlilweni wesihogo.’ Ukubhapathizwa kwezinsana kwasuka ekubeni isiko elivamile kwaba ithuluzi lensindiso elamukelekayo, okuyithuluzi ubuProthestani obabuyolizuza njengefa.

‘Emngceleni Wesihogo’

Imfundiso ka-Augustine yavusa imibuzo enzima ngokudumazayo: UNkulunkulu wothando angazibangela kanjani izingane ezingenacala ukuba zihlupheke esihogweni? Ingabe izingane ezingabhapathiziwe zemukela isijeziso esifanayo njengezoni ezindala? Akubanga lula ngabefundisi ukunikeza izimpendulo. Umpristi ongumKatolika uVincent Wilkin uthi: “Abanye baye bathi izinsana ezingabhapathiziwe ziya emalangabini agqamukayo esihogo, abanye babekholelwa ukuthi zazingashiswa amalangabi kodwa zazihlushwa isimo sokunganethezeki kwangempela; abanye babethi ukunganethezeki kuyinto engenakwenzeka esihogweni . . . Abanye babethi ziya epharadesi lasemhlabeni.”b

Nokho, imfundiso edume kunayo yonke iye yabonakala iwukuthi imiphefumulo yezinsana ezingabhapathiziwe ibekwa elimbo. Leligama ngokwezwi nezwi lisho “umphetho” (njengomphetho noma umthungo wengubo) futhi lichaza indawo okuthiwa imi emaphethelweni esihogo. Kubefundisi, ilimbo iwumqondo omuhle kakhulu. Okungenani inciphisa umqondo owesabekayo wezinsana ezihluphekayo.

Kodwa njenganoma imuphi umqondo owenziwe umuntu, ilimbo inezinkinga zayo. Kungani kungakhulunywa ngayo emBhalweni? Izingane zingaphuma yini elimbo? Futhi kakade kungani izingane ezilungile kumelwe ziye lapho? Ngokuqondakalayo, isonto liveza iphuzu lokuthi ilimbo “ayiyona imfundiso yamaKatolika engokomthetho.”c—New Catholic Encyclopedia.

Inkulumo-mpikiswano Iyaphakama Futhi

Emakhulwini eminyaka amaKatolika abelokhu ebambelele ngokuyisisekelo embonweni ka-Augustine futhi izingane zawo ‘zazivikeleka ekuyeni elimbo’ ngokubhapathizwa. Nokho, kusukela ngawo-1950 kuye kwaba nokuvuselelwa okusobala kwenkulumo-mpikiswano ngokubhapathizwa kwezinsana. Izazi zamaKatolika ziye zaqala ukuveza ukungabaza okungathi sina ngokuthi lomkhuba ungokweBhayibheli. Abanye bayakuvuma ukuthi abanakuyemukela imiqondo yesihogo somlilo sika-Augustine noma ilimbo.

Nokho, okokuqala abaholi benkolo abavelele benqaba ukuvuma. Ngo-1951 uPapa Pius XII wakhuluma neqembu lababelethisi. Egcizelela inkulumo yokuthi “isimo somusa ngesikhathi sokufa sidingeke ngempela ukuze kutholakale insindiso,” wakhuthaza ababelethisi ukuba bafeze umcikilisho wobhapathizo bona ngokwabo uma kubonakala sengathi umntwana uzofa. “Ngakho-ke ningehluleki ukufeza lenkonzo yomusa,” ekhuthaza. Ngokufanayo, ngo-1958 iVatican yakhipha isixwayiso esinamandla sokuthi “izinsana kumelwe zibhapathizwe ngokushesha ngangokunokwenzeka.”

Nokho, kwaphakama impikiswano futhi ngemva komkhandlu odumile weVatican II. Ngesenzo esimangalisayo, isonto lazama ukwanelisa kokubili ababambelele nabangabambelele emasikweni esonto. ‘Ubhapathizo ludingeke ngokuphelele ukuze kutholakale insindiso,’ kusho umkhandlu. Nokho, ngokuqinisekile insindiso yayinokwenzeka futhi nangalabo “abangalazi ivangeli likaKristu kungengenxa yephutha labo.”d

Liphenya futhi, isonto labuyekeza umcikilisho wokubhapathizwa kwezinsana. Phakathi kwezinye izinto, abapristi manje baba nokuzikhethela kokwenqaba ukubhapathiza uma abazali bengane behluleka ukuthembisa ukuthi bazoyikhulisa njengomKatolika. Ingabe ekugcineni isonto lase liyilahlile imfundiso ka-Augustine? Abanye bacabanga kanjalo futhi baqala ukungabaza isidingo sokubhapathizwa kwezinsana.

Khona-ke iVatican yakhipha ethi “Instruction on Infant Baptism,” eyayithi: “Ayikho . . . enye indlela iSonto eliyaziyo yokuqinisekisa ukungena kwezingane enjabulweni yaphakade ngaphandle kokubhapathizwa.” Ababhishobhi kwathiwa kumelwe “bababuyisele emkhubeni oyisiko labo . . . abase bewushiyile.” Kodwa kuthiwani ngezingane ezifa zingabhapathiziwe? “ISonto lingamane lizishiyele emseni kaNkulunkulu.”

Ukubhapathizwa Kwezinsana Kanye Nengane Yakho

Ngokungangabazeki, yonke lento iwadida ngempela amaKatolika aqotho. Nokho, abanye bangase babe nomuzwa wokuthi, nakuba ingabekelwa eceleni imfundiso yamaKatolika, ubhapathizo okungenani lunikeza ingane isiqalo esihle ngokwenkolo. Kodwa ingabe kunjalo? Omunye umama ongumKatolika wathi: “Nginezingane ezimbili ezisencane kakhulu, zombili zabhapathizwa ziyizinsana, futhi angiboni lutho oluwumusa kuzo, kodwa kungokuphambene ngokuphelele ngempela.”

Ukubhapathiza ingane encane akuyisizi ekuvezeni ukholo. Eqinisweni, kwephula umthetho kaJesu: “Ngalokho hambani nenze . . . abafundi, nibabhapathize.” (Mathewu 28:19) Ubhapathizo alusho lutho uma umuntu engemdala ngokwanele ukuba abe umfundi. Kuyiqiniso, ‘kunesiko elingasakhumbuleki’ lokubhapathizwa kwezinsana. Kodwa uJesu akazange yini abasole labo ‘ababenza izwi likaNkulunkulu ize ngenxa yesiko labo?’—Mathewu 15:6.

Ngokomphumela, iBhayibheli likhuthaza abazali ukuba baqeqeshe izingane zabo ngezinto ezingokomoya “kusukela ebuntwaneni.” (2 Thimothewu 3:14-17) Ngalokho oFakazi BakaJehova basithatha ngokungathi sína iseluleko seBhayibheli sokukhulisa izingane zabo “ngokuyala nangokuqondisa kweNkosi.” (Efesu 6:4) Ngokuvamile lokhu kwenziwa ngokuqhuba isimiso sasikhathi sonke sesifundo seBhayibheli somkhaya. Labobazali bafundisa izingane zabo ukuba zibe khona futhi zihlanganyele emihlanganweni yobuKristu. (Heberu 10:24, 25) Bakhuthaza izingane zabo ukuba zenze “ukuvuma kwasobala” kokholo lwazo. (Roma 10:10, NW) Ngesikhathi esifanele, izingane zabo zingase zishukunyiselwe ukuba zenze ukuzinikezela kwazo siqu kuJehova uNkulunkulu nokuba zikubonise ngobhapathizo lwamanzi. Lokhu kungokomBhalo futhi kunenjongo futhi kwanelisa kakhulu kunokubukela umcikilisho owenziwa osaneni olungaqondi.

Uma ingane yomKristu ifa ngaphambi kokubhapathizwa, abazali akumelwe basabe ukuthi iyasha esihogweni noma ihleli elimbo. IBhayibheli lifundisa ukuthi abafileyo abazi lutho. (UmShumayeli 9:5, 10) Ngalokho abazali bangaduduzeka ngesithembiso sikaJesu sokuthi “isikhathi siyeza, lapho bonke abasemathuneni beyakulizwa izwi layo [baphume]” benethemba lokuphila epharadesi elibuyiselwe. (Johane 5:28, 29; Luka 23:43) Lelithemba elisekelwe eBhayibhelini liduduza kakhulu kunamasiko abantu aguquguqukayo—futhi axakayo.

Footnotes

[Ishadi ekhasini 7]

Amaphuzu Avelele Ngomlando Wokubhapathizwa Kwezinsana

Usuku (C.E) Izenzakalo