Ukuqondisisa Izindaba

“Asihambi Ngokubona”

Ukuhlola kwamuva kwesayensi kuye kwaqinisekisa ukuthi iNdwangu YaseTurin iwumgunyathi wekhulu leminyaka le-14. Nokho, “amaKatolika akhuthazwa ukuba aqhubeke nokuhlonipha kwawo lendwangu yokusonga isidumbu njengewumfanekiso omelela uKristu, esenamandla okwenza izimangaliso,” kubika iThe New York Times. UAnastasio Ballestrero, umbhishobhi omkhulu waseTurin, wathi: “Amandla akhethekile ashukumisayo omfanekiso kaJesu Kristu kufanele alondolozwe.”

Kusho ukuthini lokhu? Kusho ukuthi nakuba isonto livumile ukuthi umfanekiso womzimba womuntu osendwangwini onindwe yigazi akuwona okaJesu Kristu, nokho amaKatolika athembekile kufanele aqhubeke ewubheka sengathi unguKristu futhi ngalesosizathu uyinto engcwele. Ngani? Ngokuka-Adam Otterbein, umpristi ongumRoma Katolika ophethe iNhlangano Yendwangu Engcwele, imifanekiso enjengalendwangu yokusonga isidumbu ingasiza amakholwa ukuba ahloniphe lowo omelelwe umfanekiso.

Akumangalisi ukuthi, naphezu kokuntula kwayo ubuqiniso, lendwangu yokusonga isidumbu iyohlala iwuphawu olunamandla lokholo lweSonto lamaKatolika. “Izithombe, imidwebo nemifanekiso . . . kunikezwa indawo ehloniphekile emkhubeni wobuKatolika,” kuphawula iThe New York Times.

Ingabe iBhayibheli liyakusekela ukusetshenziswa kwemifanekiso enjalo ekhulekeleni? Cha! IZwi likaNkulunkulu lisho ngokucacile: “Kubalekeleni ukukhonza izithombe.” (1 Korinte 10:14; qhathanisa noEksodusi 20:46.) AmaKristu ayalwa ukuba akhulekele uNkulunkulu “ngomoya nangeqiniso,” hhayi ngosizo lwesithombe esithile noma umfanekiso. (Johane 4:24) Ngokufanelekile, uPawulu wabhala ukuthi amaKristu eqiniso ‘ahamba ngokukholwa, awahambi ngokubona.’—2 Korinte 5:7.

Ukucabanga Okungeyikho

Ngokuvumelana nokuthambekela okusobala kokwehlisa izindinganiso zeBhayibheli phakathi kwabathandi benkolo, “inani elandayo lezazi zenkolo zaseU.S. liphikisa ngokuthi amasonto obuKristu adinga inguquko engokobulili,” kubika iStar Tribune. Leliphephandaba laseMinnesota liphawula imibono ebekwa abantu abavelele njengoJohn Spong, umbhishobhi waseNewark we-Episcopal Church yaseMelika, noJames Nelson, uchwepheshe wezokuziphatha ngokobulili eUnited Theological Seminary eNew Brighton. Leliphepha lithi lezi kanye nezinye izazi zenkolo zinomuzwa wokuthi isonto kufanele “libusise imibhangqwana engongqingili ezinkonzweni zesonto, livuma ukuzibopha kwabo omunye komunye ebuhlotsheni bothando, nobokuziphatha okuhle; . . . linikeze abasha asebekhulile isibusiso sesonto uma behlala ndawonye ebuhlotsheni bothando, nobokuzibopha, nakuba bengashadile”; kanye “nemvume lapho abantu abadala asebevuthiwe behlanganyela ebuhlotsheni bobulili benomuzwa wokuba nomthwalo wemfanelo ngakho, nakuba bengaganene.” Kungani lezizazi zenkolo zikholelwa ukuthi izinguquko ezinjalo ziyadingeka? USpong uthi “sivumela ukuphila kobufebe” uma ubuhlobo obunjalo bungabusiswa.

Nokho, lokho uSpong kanye nabanye abahluleka ukukuqaphela ukuthi yikho kanye ukubusiswa kwalobobuhlobo okusungula ukuvumela kwesonto “ukuphila kobufebe.” IZwi likaNkulunkulu licacile. “Nazifebe, . . . naziphingi, . . . nabesilisa abalalanayo,. abayikulidla ifa lombuso kaNkulunkulu.” Abalandeli bakaKristu abayalwa nje kuphela ukuba ‘bangahlangani’ nabantu abanjalo kodwa futhi batshelwa ukuba ‘baxoshe omubi’ phakathi kwabo.—1 Korinte 6:9-11; 5:11, 13.

Isidingo Esiyinhloko

Kulonyaka, umbiko wamanani woMkhandlu Obumbene WeSonto Elikhululekile waseBrithani wembule okunye ukwehla emahlelweni awo abumbene ayi-15. Ngokokuqala, inani lamalungu lehlele ngaphansi kwesigidi, kubika iChurch Times, iphephandaba leSonto LaseNgilandi. Siyini isizathu? Nakuba amasonto ethi anesibopho “eningini . . . elisidingo salo esiyinhloko siwukusindiswa,” indaba iphawula ukuthi “amaSonto Akhululekile aye aqhubeka echitha isikhathi esiningi kakhulu namandla . . . emicimbini yokuzilibazisa.” NgokweChurch Times, “uma amaSonto encipha, akungenxa yokuthi imicimbi yawo yokuthengisa yaminyaka yonke iyehluleka noma imidlalo yawo yeshashalazi ayisekelwa: kungenxa yokuthi awazange ayithathe ngokungathi sina ngokwanele inkonzo yawo yokusindiswa.”

Nabaholi benkolo bosuku lukaJesu abazange bayithathe ngokungathi sina inkonzo yabo. UJesu wabagxeka ngokufanele ‘ngokwenza izwi likaNkulunkulu libe yize’ ngamasiko abo. Wathi babengabazenzisi, ‘ababedumisa uNkulunkulu ngezindebe zabo kepha izinhliziyo zabo zikude naye.’—Marku 7:6, 7, 13.

Nokho, izikhonzi zeqiniso zikaJehova uNkulunkulu zizinikele “enkonzweni yezwi.” Ziwuthatha ngokungathi sina umyalo kaJesu ‘wokwenza abafundi,’ futhi zilandela isibonelo sabaphostoli, “abangayekanga ukufundisa nokushumayela ivangeli ngoJesu Kristu.” KumaKristu eqiniso, lomsebenzi ubaluleke ngokuyinhloko.—IzEnzo 6:4; Mathewu 28:19, 20; IzEnzo 5:42.