Ingakwazi Yini Inkolo Ukuhlangabezana Nalesimo Esibucayi?

OMAGAZINI benkolo nabathandwayo kanye namaphephandaba ngokufanayo kuyashesha ukubika “ngempumelelo” amanye amasonto anayo. Abika ngemihlangano yokuthandaza neyokudumisa esondeza abantu kuNkulunkulu. Abika ukuthi izintshumayelo kwamanye amasonto seziba ezingokomoya kunokuba zibe ezenhlalo noma ezombangazwe. Akhuluma ngezinkonzo ezenzelwa abampofu, izimpela-sonto zemvuselelo, amaqembu okutadisha iBhayibheli, izifundo zemidanso yenkolo, nangokuzimisela kwabantu abavamile ukusiza lapho kuntuleka khona abapristi nezindela. Konke lokhu kuthathwa njengophawu lokuvuselelwa okungokwenkolo.

Enkulumweni yakhe kuyiNational Association of Evangelicals ngoMarch odlule, uMongameli Reagan waseUnited States wathi: “IMelika isiqale ukuphaphama ngokomoya. Ukholo nethemba kuyabuyiselwa. AbaseMelika babuyela kuNkulunkulu . . . Futhi ngikholelwa ukuthi naYe useqale ukuphulukisa izwe lethu elibusisiwe.” Ukubonakaliswa okunjalo kokuqiniseka kufeza okukhulu ekusekeleni umqondo wokuthi ekugcineni izinkinga eziningi ezibhekene nesintu esidumazekile namuhla ziyoxazululeka ngokuphaphama okungokomoya.

Konke lokhu kungase kuzwakale kukuhle, kodwa “ukuphaphama okungokomoya” kanye ‘nokuvuseleleka’ kuye kwafezani? Abantu bangase bazizwe kangcono ngokwabo, kodwa ingabe baye baba ngamaKristu angcono? Abantu bangase babe nomuzwa wokuthi bangokomoya ngokwengeziwe, kodwa ingabe banesithakazelo esikhulu ezintweni ezingokomoya kuneminako yezinto ezibonakalayo? Uma ukungamesabi uNkulunkulu kuye kwabonakala njengembangela enkulu esimweni esibucayi sanamuhla, khona-ke ingabe baye basizwa ukuba babonise ukwesaba uNkulunkulu? Lemibuzo ibalulekile ekunqumeni noma inkolo ingahlangabezana yini nesimo esibucayi sanamuhla noma cha.

Ukwesaba UNkulunkulu—Kuyini?

Ukwesaba uNkulunkulu kuye kwachazwa njengokuzinikela kuNkulunkulu noma ukuba othambekele ngakuNkulunkulu. Kanjalo-ke, kungaphezu nje kokubonakalisa ukuzinikela kwangaphandle noma ukuba ngokholwayo. Umuntu onesimo sokwesaba uNkulunkulu akakhathaleli ngokuyinhloko ukwanelisa izidingo zomuntu siqu, kodwa ukhathalela ukwazi nokwenza intando kaNkulunkulu, abe nobuhlobo obuseduze naye. Umphumela uwukuthi ukuphila komuntu kushintshela kokungcono ngoba “ukumesaba uNkulunkulu kusiza ezintweni zonke, kunesithembiso salokhukuphila nalokho okuzayo.”—1 Thimothewu 4:8.

Ingabe abantu abaphendukela enkolweni ngenxa nje yokunganeliswa izimo zokuphila bayafanelana nalencazelo? Noma ingabe bafana kakhulu nalabo umphostoli uPawulu akhuluma ngabo ngokuthi “banesimo sokumesaba uNkulunkulu, kepha amandla akho bewaphika”?—2 Thimothewu 3:5.

Uma umuntu ephendukela kuNkulunkulu ukuze nje anelise isidingo esithile somuntu siqu kunokuba kube ngenjongo yokufunda intando kaNkulunkulu nokumkhonza, okuyikhona azinikela kukho eqinisweni nguye ngokwakhe kunoNkulunkulu, akunjalo? Loluhlobo lokuzinikela alunamandla ngokuqondene nokushintsha ukuphila komuntu kusuka ekulandeleni iminako yobugovu kuya ekukhonzeni uNkulunkulu ngokuzidela ngempela.

Lokho okwaphawulwa uPawulu kwakuvumelana neNtshumayelo YaseNtabeni kaJesu edumile. Eveza ukuthi akubona bonke abathi bangabalandeli bakhe abamukelekayo kuye, wanezela: “Abaningi bayakuthi kimi ngalolosuku: Nkosi, Nkosi, asiprofethanga yini ngegama lakho, sakhipha amademoni ngegama lakho, senza imisebenzi eminingi yamandla ngegama lakho, na? Khona ngiyakufakaza kubo ukuthi: Angizange nginazi; sukani kimi nina-benzi bokubi.”—Mathewu 7:22, 23.

Ngakho-ke, okubalulekile kuNkulunkulu akukhona ukubukisa ngokuthi uyakholwa. Ukuze umuntu amukele ukuqondisa kukaNkulunkulu nesibusiso, kumelwe azimisele ukwamukela ukuqondisa kukaNkulunkulu njengoba kuqukethwe eBhayibhelini futhi akusebenzise ekuphileni kwakhe. Njengoba umhubi ekubeka: “Izwi lakho liyisibani ezinyaweni zami nokukhanya endleleni yami.” (IHubo 119:105) Ingabe abantu abaphendukela enkolweni namuhla bayasizwa ukuba bafunde futhi balandele ukuqondiswa okunjalo?

Ayini Amaqiniso?

Ukuhlolwa kwamuva nje kwamaKatolika akhuthele ayizi-10 000 ezifundeni zababhishobhi ezingama-60 eUnited States kwembula ukuthi angama-77% awo akhathazeke kakhulu ngokuyokwenzeka ezweni, uma kuqhathaniswa nangama-40% kuphela akhathalela “izindaba zokusinda komuntu siqu.” Ngokufanayo, ekuhlolweni kwemibono yabantu kwatholakala ukuthi kuyo yonke imibuzo abantu abangathanda ukuyibuza uNkulunkulu, othandwa kakhulu yilona: “Ingabe kuyoke kube khona ukuthula kwezwe okuhlala njalo?”

Ngokuqinisekile, kulezikhathi ezinzima akukho lutho olubi ngokukhathalela ikusasa lethu. Kodwa yeka indlela ukusabela okunjalo okuhluke ngayo kulokho uJesu akutshela abafundi bakhe: “Nxa kuqala ukuvela lokho, lulamani, niphakamise amakhanda enu, ngokuba kusondele ukukhululwa kwenu.” (Luka 21:28) Okuboniswa imiphumela yokuhlola kuwukuthi naphezu kwakho konke ukukhuluma ngokuphaphama okungokomoya, ukukhathalela ikusasa yikho okubusa izinhliziyo nezingqondo zabantu namuhla. Indlela yabo yenkolo ayenzanga lutho ekubasizeni ukuba bahlangabezane nesimo esibucayi salezikhathi zethu ezinzima.—Bheka uLuka 21:26.

Ngokuqondene nokwenza amalungu esonto abe angokomoya ngokwengeziwe, uhlu lomhleli kumagazini weSeventh-Day Adventist iMinistry uthi “ngokuvamile akukho okusenza sihluke komakhelwane bethu abangewona amaKristu ngokuqondene nendlela yokuphila yamalungu ethu nathi ngokwethu.” Kunalokho, luqhubeka luthi, isonto linikeza amalungu alo “isisekelo esingokwenkolo sokuhlanganisa ukuthanda izinto ezibonakalayo nendlela yokuphila” yabangakholwa ngokuveza uNkulunkulu njengalowo “ofuna okungcono kakhulu ngabantu baKhe nonenhloso yokubona ukuthi bayakuthola.”

Ngokufanayo, iThe Economist yaseLondon, ngemva kokubika ukuthi “kunezimpawu zokuqhubeka (ngisho nokukhula) kwesithakazelo emibuzweni engokwenkolo,” iqinisa ngokuthi “inkinga yeSonto laseNgilandi iwukuthi kumelwe bakhonzwe kanjani labo abafuna ukwazi ngenkolelo uma nalo ngokwalo lingaqiniseki ukuthi likholelwa yini.”

Kuthiwani ngendaba yokubaluleka komkhaya nokobuntu? Ingabe amasonto aye awahlomisela amalungu awo ukubhekana namathonya onakalisayo nezindlela zokuziphatha okubi zezwe? Ingabe aye aveza amadoda angcono, amakhosikazi, abazali nabantwana? Ukuhlolwa kwamuva kwentsha eyizi-8 000 nabazali abayizi-10 000 bemikhaya esonta emahlelweni ayi-13 kunikeza okungenani umbono wesimo.

NgokweChristianity Today, ukuhlola kwathola ukuthi ama-42% entsha athi imikhaya yakubo ayilokothi ixoxe ngezindaba ezingokwenkolo, futhi ama-40% afuna ukuqondisa okwengeziwe kwabazali ezindabeni zobulili. Phakathi kwalabo abaneminyaka eyi-15 ubudala, ama-53% aye asebenzisa uphuzo oludakayo, ama-20% aye asebenzisa insangu. Ukuhlola kwangaphambili, okwabikwa kuyiThe Ann Arbor News, kwathola ukuthi ama-59% abafana nama-42% amantombazane athi ayeseke aba nokuhlangana kobulili ngesikhathi eba neminyaka eyi-18.

Okokugcina, ingabe izinkolo ziyabasiza abalandeli bazo ukuba bagweme umoya wobudlova walelizwe? Ngempela, uma inkolo izoba amandla aqinisayo kulezikhathi ezinzima zanamuhla, besingeke yini okungenani silindele lokho? Kodwa, ngokudabukisayo, abantu abaningi ngokwengeziwe baye baqaphela ukuthi, inkolo, ngokuqondile noma ngokungaqondile, iye yaba nengxenye kweziningi zezimpi nezingxabano eziye zakhathaza isintu. Uma kuphawulwa izindawo ezinjengelreland, iLebanon nelran, yini efika engqondweni? Naphezu kwezincwadi zabefundisi nemibhikisho yokuthula, ingabe izinkolo eziningi azihilelekile kwezinye zezingxabano zokuchitha igazi namuhla?

Ngakho-ke, yini esingayisho ngalokho okubizwa ngokuthi ukuphaphama okungokwenkolo? Mhlawumbe zikhona izimpawu zokuvuselelwa okungokwenkolo, kodwa akunakubizwa neze ngokuthi ukuphaphama okungokomoya. Esikhundleni sokwakhiwa ngokomoya, ukuqiniselwa ukubhekana nezikhathi ezinzima, abaningi balabo abaphendukela ezinkolweni zezwe babekwa ‘esimweni sokulinda,’ uhlobo oluthile lokukhulekela okungokomthetho. Kuyisimo “sokumesaba uNkulunkulu, kepha amandla akho bewaphika,” njengoba umphostoli uPawulu abikezela. “Ukuphaphama” ‘nokuvuseleleka’ kwangaphandle kumane kufanelana nazo zonke izimo zokuwohloka—ukonakala kokuziphatha, ukuwohloka kwemikhaya, ubugebengu nobudlova, njalo njalo—okuphawula izikhathi zethu ezinzima.—2 Thimothewu 3:1-5.

Uyoba Yini Umphumela?

Lisebenzisa umuzi wasendulo ongokwenkolo iBabiloni njengomfanekiso, iBhayibheli likhomba ekuweni okuphelele kwenkolo yezwe. Incwadi yesAmbulo iyabikezela: “Ingelosi enamandla yafukula itshe linjengelokusila elikhulu, yaliphonsa elwandle, yathi: Ngokunjalo iBabiloni umuzi omkhulu liyakuphonswa phansi ngamandla, lingabe lisafunyanwa.”—IsAmbulo 18:21.

Nokho, ngaphambi kokuba lokho kuphela okusheshayo kufike, kunethuba lokulandela isixwayiso saphezulu sesAmbulo 18:4: “Phumani kulo, bantu bami, ukuze ningahlanganyeli nalo izono zalo, nokuba ningamukeli okwezinhlupho zalo.” Emhlabeni wonke, emazweni angama-205, oFakazi BakaJehova baye balandela lesosixwayiso futhi babalekela eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu njengokuphela kwethemba lesintu. (Mathewu 24:14) Ingabe uyoba phakathi kwezinkulungwane ezihlanganyela kulokho kubalekela ekuphepheni? Kungokwakho ukuzinqumela.

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 6]

Naphezu kwezincwadi zabefundisi nemibhikisho yokuthula, ingabe izinkolo ezinkulu azihilelekile yini kwezinye zezingxabano ezichitha igazi namuhla?

[Isithombe ekhasini 5]

Abantu bangase babe nomuzwa wokuthi bakholwa kakhudlwana, kodwa ingabe banesithakazelo esengeziwe ezintweni ezingokomoya?

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Namuhla amakhulu ezinkulungwane alandela isixwayiso sokushiya inkolo yamanga