INkantolo Ephakeme Isekela Inkululeko Yokukhuluma
OLWAMANQAMU lwafika ngo-June 17, 2002 ngesikhathi iNkantolo Ephakeme ikhipha umbiko wayo obhalwe phansi. Sathini isinqumo? Izihloko ezinkulu zamaphephandaba zayixoxa le ndaba. I-New York Times yathi: “Inkantolo Ichitha Umthetho Ovimbela Ukuvakashelwa OFakazi BakaJehova.” I-Columbus Dispatch yase-Ohio yathi: “Inkantolo Ephakeme Iyalichitha Elokuthi Kudingeka Imvume.” I-Plain Dealer yaseCleveland, e-Ohio yona yamane yathi: “Abangena Indlu Ngendlu Abayidingi Imvume Yeziphathimandla.” Ikhasi lephephandaba i-USA Today lathi: “Phambili Nenkululeko Yokukhuluma.”
Amajaji angu-8 kwangu-9 azichitha izinqumo zenkantolo encane ezazilahla oFakazi BakaJehova! UMbiko weNkantolo onamakhasi angu-18 wabhalwa iJaji uJohn Paul Stevens. Lesi sinqumo saqinisekisa ukuthi inkonzo yasobala yoFakazi BakaJehova ivikelwe yiSichibiyelo Sokuqala. Kulo mbiko, iNkantolo yachaza ukuthi oFakazi abazange basifake isicelo semvume ngoba bathi “igunya lokushumayela balinikwe imiBhalo.” INkantolo yabe isicaphuna emaphuzwini abo abhalwe phansi: “Sinomuzwa wokuthi ukuyofuna imvume yokushumayela kuziphathimandla kuyofana nokwedelela uNkulunkulu.”
Lo Mbiko weNkantolo wathi: “Sekuyiminyaka engaphezu kwengu-50 iNkantolo iyichitha imithetho evimbela ukukhankasa nokusakaza amapheshana endlini ngendlu. Akuthukanga nje kwenzeka ukuba iningi lala macala angqubuzana neSichibiyelo Sokuqala afakwe oFakazi BakaJehova, ngoba yinkolo yabo ethi mabakhankase endlini ngendlu. Njengoba sibonile ecaleni elaliphakathi kuka-Murdock nePennsylvania, . . . (1943), oFakazi BakaJehova ‘bathi balandela isibonelo sikaPawulu, bafundisa “obala nasendlini ngendlu.” IzEnzo 20:20. Bawenza ngokoqobo lo myalo osemiBhalweni, “Yanini ezweni lonke nishumayele izindaba ezinhle kuyo yonke indalo.” Marku 16:15. Bacabanga ukuthi uma benza kanjalo balalela umyalo kaNkulunkulu.’”
Lo Mbiko waphinde wacaphuna okwakushiwo ecaleni lango-1943: “ESichibiyelweni Sokuqala lolu hlobo lomsebenzi wenkolo lubaluleke ngendlela efanayo nokukhulekela emasontweni nokushumayela emapulpiti. Luvikelwa ngokufanayo nemisebenzi yenkolo eyamukeleka nevame ngokwengeziwe.” Ucaphuna okwashiwo ecaleni lango-1939, lo Mbiko wathi: “Ukufuna imvume kwenza abantu bangakwazi ukusakaza amapheshana ngenkululeko nangaphandle kweziphazamiso, okuwuqeda amandla umthetho-sisekelo.”—Omalukeke bazenzele.
INkantolo yabe isisho into ebalulekile: “La macala abonisa ukuthi lapho oFakazi BakaJehova bezama ukumelana nemithetho ebancisha inkululeko yokukhuluma basuke bengalweli amalungelo abo bodwa.” Lo Mbiko wachaza ukuthi oFakazi “abakuphela ‘kwabantu abavamile’ abasengozini yokuthuliswa yimithetho efuze eyaleli Dolobhana.”
Lo Mbiko waqhubeka wathi lo mthetho “awudeleli nje kuphela amalungelo avikelwe iSichibiyelo Sokuqala, kodwa udelela kwawona umphakathi onenkululeko—ukuthi uma isakhamuzi sifuna ukuzixoxela nabanye kumelwe siqale sazise uhulumeni bese sithola imvume. . . . Umthetho othi umuntu makathole imvume ukuze axoxe nabanye uyachezuka kakhulu esikweni lesizwe sethu nakumthetho-sisekelo.” Lo Mbiko wabe usuveza ukuthi “ukufuna imvume enjalo kuyoba nemiphumela emibi kakhulu.”
Inkinga Yobugebengu
Kuthiwani ngombono wokuthi le mvume ivimbela amasela nezinye izigebengu? INkantolo yathi: “Nakuba kufaneleka ukukhathazeka ngalezi zinto, amacala angaphambili abonisa ngokucacile ukuthi kumelwe kube nokulinganisela phakathi kwazo nokusetshenziswa kwemithetho ethinta amalungelo aseSichibiyelweni Sokuqala.”
UMbiko weNkantolo waqhubeka: “Kubonakala kungenakwenzeka ukuthi izigebengu zingavinjwa ukuthi aziyiphethe imvume ukuba ziyongqongqoza emizini yabantu zikhulume ngezinto ezingabaliwe kulo mthetho. Ngokwesibonelo, zingase zicele ukuyalelwa indawo ethile noma zicele ukushaya ucingo, . . . noma zingase zibhalise ngegama okungelona kodwa zingabanjwa.”
Ithathela ezinqumweni zangawo-1940, iNkantolo yabhala: “Okwashiwo emibikweni yangesikhathi seMpi Yezwe II okwakubophula njalo ababekhonza nabamangali [i-Watch Tower Society] ekuqulweni kwamacala ngendlela engenamusa kwakubonisa umbono weNkantolo ngenkululeko eseSichibiyelweni Sokuqala ethintekayo kuleli cala.”
Sathini isinqumo senkantolo? “Isinqumo seNkantolo Yokudlulisa Amacala siyachithwa, icala liphindiselwa kuyo ukuze iphinde ilihlole isisebenzisa lo mbiko. Mayenze kanjalo.”
Ngakho, le ndaba yaphetha ngendlela i-Chicago Sun-Times eyakubeka ngayo, “INkantolo Isekela OFakazi BakaJehova,” ngamavoti amajaji angu-8 kwangu-9.
Kuzokwenzekani Ngesikhathi Esizayo?
OFakazi BakaJehova eBandleni LaseWellsville bakubheka kanjani lokhu kunqoba eNkantolo Ephakeme? Asikho neze isizathu sokuqhosha ngakho basizakale ngezakhamuzi zaseStratton. OFakazi abababambele igqubu abantu abahloniphekile bakuleli dolobhana. UGregory Kuhar, uFakazi wakule ndawo, wathi: “Besingafuni thina kuze kuqulwe icala. Yilo mthetho nje obungalungile. Esikwenzile asikwenzelanga thina sodwa kodwa bonke abantu.”
Amaqiniso abonisa ukuthi oFakazi benze umzamo okhethekile wokungabacasuli abantu bendawo. Omunye uFakazi, uGene Koontz, wachaza: “Sagcina ngo-March 7, 1998 ukushumayela eStratton—sekudlule iminyaka engaphezu kwemine.” Wanezela: “Ngatshelwa emehlweni ukuthi ngizoboshwa. Kule minyaka edlule baningi abantu abasongelwa amaphoyisa ngokuthi azobabopha. Sathi uma sicela ukubona umthetho obhalwe phansi, kwanhlanga zimuka nomoya.”
UKoontz uyanezela: “Thina sithanda ukuba nobuhlobo obuhle nomakhelwane bethu. Uma kukhona abangafuni sibavakashele, siyasihlonipha leso sinqumo. Kodwa bakhona abanobungane nabathandayo ukuxoxa ngeBhayibheli.”
UGregory Kuhar wachaza: “Asiqhubekanga naleli cala ngoba sifuna ukwakha ubutha nabantu baseStratton. Besimane nje sifuna ukuyimisa ngokomthetho inkululeko yethu yokukhuluma njengoba kusho uMthetho-sisekelo.”
Waqhubeka: “Sithemba ukuthi ekugcineni sizobuyela eStratton. Kuyongijabulisa ukuba owokuqala oyongqongqoza emnyango womuntu ngaleso sikhathi. Ngenxa yomyalo kaKristu, kumelwe nakanjani sibuyele.”
Umphumela wecala elaliphakathi “kwe-Watchtower ne-Village of Stratton” uthinte abantu abaningi. Ngemva kokuzwa ngesinqumo seNkantolo Ephakeme, izikhulu eziningi zomasipala base-United States zabona ukuthi imithetho yomasipala yayingeke isasetshenziselwa ukuvimbela umsebenzi wokushumayela woFakazi BakaJehova. Kuze kube manje, kuye kwaxazululwa amacala okushumayela endlini ngendlu ezindaweni ezingaba ngu-90 e-United States.
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“SEBEKUPHINDILE FUTHI LOKHO OFAKAZI BAKAJEHOVA”
UCharles C. Haynes, oyisazi esigogodile nomqondisi wezinhlelo zemfundo eSikhungweni Sokufundisa NgeSichibiyelo Sokuqala, wabhala la mazwi angenhla engosini ye-Internet ye-Freedom Forum, ngaphansi kwesihloko esithi “Inkululeko Yenkolo.” UHaynes waqhubeka: “Ngesonto elidlule [oFakazi] bawina icala lika-48 eNkantolo Ephakeme—okungamacala amaningi ngendlela emangalisayo aye azandisa kakhulu izinto ezivikelwa iSichibiyelo Sokuqala kwasizakala bonke abantu baseMelika.” Waxwayisa: “Khumbulani lokhu: Uma uhulumeni engase akwazi ukuyibekela imingcele inkululeko yenkolo eyodwa, kusho ukuthi uyokwazi nokuyibekela imingcele inkululeko yanoma iyiphi inkolo—noma yazo zonke izinkolo. . . . Yiqiniso, abantu banelungelo lokuba bangalaleli—nelokuvala iminyango. Kodwa uhulumeni akufanele abe negunya lokunquma ukuthi ubani ozongqongqoza emnyango. Ngakho siyayibonga iNkantolo Ephakeme.”
UHaynes uyaphetha: “Sonke kufanele sibabonge oFakazi BakaJehova. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi bathukwa kangaki, baxoshwa kangaki edolobheni, noma bashaywa kangaki, bayaqhubeka belwela inkululeko yabo yenkolo (kanjalo neyethu). Futhi lapho bewina, sonke siyawina.”
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OKWASHIWO AMAPHEPHANDABA—NGESINQUMO SENKANTOLO EPHAKEME
◼ “INkantolo Isekela OFakazi BakaJehova; Ayidingeki Imvume Enkonzweni Yendlu Ngendlu
Emsebenzini woFakazi BakaJehova wokungqongqoza eminyango, [oFakazi] bebelokhu bekholelwa ukuthi basekelwa uNkulunkulu. Manje sebesekelwa nayiNkantolo Ephakeme Yase-United States.”—IChicago Sun-Times, June 18, 2002
◼ “Phambili Nenkululeko Yokukhuluma
Ngokuzayo uma oFakazi BakaJehova bekuphazamisa udla, ubobabonga. Ngenxa yokuzinikela ngesibindi ezimisweni zenkolo yayo, le nhlangano engenkulu kangako enamalungu abalelwa kwayisigidi [e-United States] cishe seyenze lukhulu ukudlula noma iyiphi enye inhlangano ukuze ivikele inkululeko yokukhuluma yabantu baseMelika. . . .
“OFakazi abakuqabuki ukuya enkantolo ephakeme. Emacaleni angaphezu kuka-24 eminyakeni engaphezu kwengu-65 edlule, bakwazile ukulwa nokucindezela kweningi.”—I-USA TODAY, June 18, 2002
◼ “Kuthiwe Ukuhamb’ ucela Endlini Ngendlu Kuyilungelo Elivumelana NoMthetho-sisekelo. Isinqumo Sivuna OFakazi BakaJehova
NgoMsombuluko iNkantolo Ephakeme Yase-United States yathi uMthetho-sisekelo uyazivumela izazi zezombusazwe, izinkolo, ama-Girl Scout nabanye ukuba bangene indlu ngendlu benze umsebenzi wabo ngaphandle kokuqale bathole imvume kuziphathimandla.”—ISan Francisco Chronicle, June 18, 2002
◼ “Nkantolo Ephakeme: Ngeke Ubayekise Ukungqongqoza OFakazi BakaJehova Nama-Girl Scout
EWASHINGTON—Namuhla iNkantolo Ephakeme ithe uMthetho-sisekelo uyalivikela ilungelo lezithunywa zevangeli, izazi zezombusazwe nabanye lokungqongqoza eminyango bengazange baqale bathole imvume kuziphathimandla. . . .
“Ngamavoti angu-8 kwangu-9, inkantolo inqume ukuthi ilungelo eliseSichibiyelweni Sokuqala lenkululeko yokukhuluma lihlanganisa nelungelo lokuyisa isigijimi emzini womunye umuntu.”—IStar Tribune, Minneapolis, June 18, 2002
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IJaji uStevens
[Umthombo]
Stevens: Collection, The Supreme Court Historical Society/Joseph Bailey