Kodi Zipembedzo Zamakono Zimadyetsa Kapena Kudyerera Nkhosa?

“Tsoka abusa a Israyeli odzidyetsa okha; kodi abusa sayenera kudyetsa nkhosa?”—Ezekieli 34:2.

MONGA MMENE zinaliri m’masiku a Israyeli wakale, chirinso kaŵirikaŵiri tero lerolino: Ambiri a abusa a chipembedzo amadzidyetsa okha ndi kudzetsa njala pa nkhosa zawo. Chaka chatha alaliki a pa wailesi ya kanema anali pa guwa lowonekera, akumadyerera nkhosa mwachangu.

Okhala ndi mbali yotchuka anali Jim ndi Tammy Bakker a PTL, koma iwo anali ndi gulu lochirikiza lamphamvu. Modabwitsa, PTL imaimira “Praise the Lord” (Tamandani Ambuye) ndi “People That Love” (Anthu Omwe Amakonda), koma podzafika kumapeto kwa chaka amtola nkhani ambiri ankanena kuti “Pass the Loot” (Tipatseni Zofunkha) ndi “Pay the Lady” (Lipirani Virigo) anali mawu oyenerera kwenikweni. Wolemba m’danga la nyuzipepala mmodzi analozera ku utumiki wawo kukhala “wosinthanitsa ndalama m’kachisi” ndipo anauika chizindikiro chakuti: “Kunyenga kwa kulalikira uthenga pamene akudyerera osauka.”

A Bakker pa nthaŵi imodzi anatsogolera pa Heritage USA, kubwerera m’mbuyo kwa maekala 2,300 mu Fort Mill, South Carolina, ndi mtengo woyerekezedwa wa $178 miliyoni. Ufumu wa PTL umabweretsa $129 miliyoni pa chaka. Chiyambire 1984 nkhani zochitiridwa ripoti zanena kuti a Bakker analandira malipiro ndi ndalama za pamwamba zofika ku unyinji wa $4.8 miliyoni—mu 1986 malipiro apakutha kwa mwezi a Jim Bakker analongosoledwa kukhala $1.6 miliyoni, a Tammy kukhala $300,000. Iwo ankakhala m’nyumba ya ku nyanja mu South Carolina ya $1.3 miliyoni, yokhala ndi chipinda chosambira chokometseredwa ndi zinthu za golidi—ndi nyumba ya agalu yokhala ndi chiwiya cholowetsa ndi kutulutsa mpweya kumbuyo kwake. Bakker kaŵirikaŵiri ananena kuti: “Mulungu amafuna anthu ake kukhala a m’gawo loyamba.” Ndiko nkomwe iye ndi Tammy ndi agalu awo anatero—pamene kunakhalitsa.

Koma zonsezo zinangopita ku fumbi pamene Bakker anavomereza kuchita kwake chigololo ndi mlembi wa tchalitchi. Mosasamala kanthu za ndalama $265,000 za PTL zomwe zinaikidwa pambali monga ndalama za kabisira—kabisira kochepa kameneka kali maziko a kalongosoledwe kakuti “Pay the Lady” (Lipirani Virigo) ka PTL. (Virigo wophatikizidwa, ngakhale kuli tero, sanalandire nkomwe unyinji umenewo.) PTL ya Pentecostal wa machitachita a kuchiritsa kwauzimu inatembenuzidwira kwa Jerry Falwell wa timagulu topatuka ku chiProtestanti.

Falwell anayamba ndi chikondi chonse ndi kukhululukira, koma asanakhalitse analeka kotheratu ndipo kuipitsa kunkawonekera. Iye anagwetsa PTL ya Bakker kukhala “chodetsa chachikulu ndi kansa pa Chikristu m’zaka 2,000 zapita za mbiri ya tchalitchi.” Ndi kusonyeza kwabwino kwa ukali wa chilungamo, Falwell anafuula kuti: “Ndikuwona umbombo. Ndikuwona kudzikonda. Ndikuwona kukhumba chuma komwe kunawagwetsa iwo.” Chotero pamene Falwell anatenga ulamuliro pa PTL, iye anapanga chigamulochi, monga momwe chinasimbidwira ndi Newsweek: “Falwell ananena kuti chinthu chimodzi chimene iye sakakhoza kuchita chinali ‘kupemphapempha ndalama pa wailesi.’ Mlungu wathawu Falwell anapita pa wailesi ndipo anapempha.”

Daily News ya ku New York, pansi pa mutu waukulu wakuti “Falwell kwa Omutsatira: Tipatseni Zofunkha,” inapitiriza kunena kuti: “Jerry Falwell dzulo kachiŵirinso anatambasula ukonde wake wa ndalama, akumadidikiza nkhosa zake panyumba ya wailesi kudza ndi ndalama zochulukira.” Iye ananena ku mpingo wake wosauka kwambiriwo kuti: “Tikufuna mphatso yeniyeni yopereka nsembe yomwe mungatumize. . . . Ngati inu simufuna kuti utumiki umenewu upitirize, mungondinyalanyaza ine.” Iwo sanatero. Kusonkhezera kwa kusonkhetsa ndalamako kunafikira ku $20,000,000. Kenaka—Pokhala atalonjeza kuchita tero ngati kusonkhezerako kunapambana—iye anavala suti yobiriŵira, naima pamwamba pa mathithi a madzi a utali wa mapazi 163 a Heritage USA, kubwereza Pemphero la Ambuye, ndi kugwera pansi. Falwell pambuyo pake anachoka mu PTL.

Newsweek inasimba kuti: “Michael Korpi, wojambula zithunzithunzi wakale wa ‘Ora la Uthenga wa Nthaŵi Yakale’ wa Falwell, anaŵeruza kuti utumiki [wa Falwell] unakundika zoposa pa $4 miliyoni kupyolera m’kupemphapempha kwa mu 1979 kaamba ka othaŵa kwawo a ku Cambodia koma anangotumiza kokha $100,000 kuthandiza minkholeyo.”

Mlengezi wa pa wailesi ya kanema Oral Roberts anapambana kachitidwe ka kugwa m’madzi ka Falwell ndi kachitidwe kodabwitsa ka iyemwini. Kumayambiriro kwa chaka chatha iye anauza atsatiri ake kuti anachenjezedwa ndi Mulungu kuti ngati iye sanapeze $8,000,000 podzafika March 31, iye akakhoza “kubwezedwa ku mudzi.” Mu pemphero lake lomalizira iye ananena kuti: “Onjezerani moyo wanga. Ndiloleni ndikhale kupyola March.” Mwana wake wamwamuna anachonderera kuti: “Lolani kuti iri lisakhale tsiku lotsirizira la kubadwa kwa atate wanga!” Kulanda kwa malingaliro kwachinyengo kumeneku kochitidwa ndi Roberts ndi mwana wake wamwamuna kunagwira ntchito. Roberts anakhala mu nsanja yake yopempherera—akumalingalira kuti chinamuika iye chifupifupi mapazi 200 pafupi ndi Mulungu—ndipo khamu lake lopenyerera wailesi ya kanema linabwera ndi $8,000,000. Mmodzi wa atsatiri ake, ngakhale kuli tero, anali wanthanthi ponena za icho: “Ngati iye akanafa, chimenecho sichikanakhala choipa. Kumwamba ali malo abwino okhalako.”

Nthaŵi ina iye anasangalatsa openyerera ake a pa TV ndi nthano yonyenga yomwe inatha ndi chisangalalo. Mdyerekezi anadza m’chipinda chake chogonamo ndi kumgwira iye. Monga mmene Roberts anasimbira: “Ndinawamva manja amenewo pa khosi panga, ndipo ankandikanyanga ine. Ndinafuula kwa mkazi wanga, ‘Wokondedwa, tabwera!’ Iye anabwera ndi kulamulira Mdyerekezi kuti achoke. Ndinayamba kupuma ndi kuchoka pa kama langa wamphamvu.” Mwachiwonekere, mkazi wake anali ndi mphamvu zambiri pa Mdyerekezi kuposa mmene iye analiri.

Mu 1980 pamene ndalama zinkachepera, iye analongosola kukhala atawona Yesu wa mapazi 900 ataimirira wopanda nsapato akumalankhula kwa iye. Masomphenya amenewa anatsogolera ku $5,000,000 zosonkhedwa. Iye anadzinenera kukhala ataukitsa anthu akufa. Pa nthaŵi imodzi, iye anasimba kuti: “Ndinatha kuleka kupereka uthengawo, kubwerera kumbuyo ndi kukaukitsa anthu akufa.” Zonsezo zinangopangitsa Newsweek kuchitira ndemanga kuti: “Oral Roberts wanena kuti waukitsa akufa, koma kukundika chuma kuli cholinga chake.”

Mlaliki wa Pentecostal Jimmy Swaggart wanenedwa kukhala mlaliki wotchuka wa pa TV, akumafikira openyerera mamiliyoni asanu ndi atatu pa Sande iriyonse. Monga woimba nyimbo za uthenga wopambana, iye wapeza $100 miliyoni kuchokera ku nyimbo zojambulidwa zake. Ponena za kupambana kwa Bakker, Swaggart ananena kuti: “Ndinadzimva kuti kachitidwe konseko kanali kansa yomwe inafunikira kuchotsedwa pathupi la Kristu.” Pa chochitika cha pambuyo pake Swaggart anawonjezera kuti: “Anthu adzanena kuti ‘Tawonani, iwo akhala akudyera unyinji.’ Ndipo kukhala owona mtima ndi inu, chimenecho ndi chimene kwenikweni chinkachitika.”

Koma kuchokera ku maripoti ankhani chikuwonekera kuti Swaggart iyemwini sanali kumbuyo kwambiri. Newsweek inasimba kuti George Jernigan, nduna yaikulu yakale ya Swaggart, anadzinenera kuti Swaggart “anakundika $20 miliyoni kaamba ka ndalama za ana koma anawononga zochepera pa 10 peresenti za izo pa programuyo. Anatero Jernigan kuti: ‘Zochulukira zinawonongedwa mu Baton Rouge’ kumene, maripoti a TV ya WBRZ, a Swaggart amaphatikizapo nyumba ya Jimmy ya $1 miliyoni, kufalikira kwa $776,000 za mwana wake ndi nyumba ya mitengo ya mdzukulu wake yokhala ndi ziwiya zotulutsira ndi kulowetsa mpweya.”

Mu mpambo umodzi wa maprogramu a Nightline a ABC a alaliki a pa wailesi ya kanema, mtola nkhani wa ABC Marshall Frady ananena kuti: “Popeza kuti, pamene chiŵerengero chayamba kudziŵa, kukoka konse kwa ulaliki wamakono wa pa wailesi ya kanema kukuwoneka kukhala kochokera kutali ku kupeputsa koyambirira kwa mtsatiri wachichepere wotchuka wa ku Galileya yemwe analibe chuma, wopanda nduna zazikulu ziri zonse, yemwe anangodzipanikiza iyemwini pa ngondya ya dziko lapansi akumalankhula, zaka zikwi ziŵiri zapitazo.”

Chiri chowona kuti “kukoka kulikonse kwa ulaliki wa wailesi ya kanema yamakono” kuli kosiyana kotheratu ndi njira za Yesu. Koma chirinso chowona kuti nthaŵi zasintha. Kuti tilalikire pa dziko lonse kwa anthu mamiliyoni angapo kumaphatikizapo kugwiritsira ntchito ziwiya zamakono ndi gulu logwira ntchito bwino, ndipo kumatenga unyinji wa ndalama. Ngakhale ndi tero, maziko a njira ya moyo ya Yesu amakhalabe chitsanzo kaamba ka Akristu. Mapindu ndi maprinsipulo omwe iye anakhazikitsa zidakali njira zopitira kaamba ka Akristu lerolino.—1 Petro 2:21.

Ena a maprinsipulo amenewo akutsatira: ‘Munalandira chowonadi kwaulere, chipatseni icho kwaulere. Musadere nkhaŵa ponena za zinthu zakuthupi. Funafunani Ufumu choyamba. Pali chimwemwe chambiri m’kupatsa koposa chimene chiri m’kulandira. Phunzitsani m’nyumba za anthu. Mawu a Mulungu ndi chowonadi. Kondani Mulungu, kondani mnansi wanu. Chitani kwa ena monga mmene mukafunira iwo kuchita kwa inu. Dyetsani nkhosa zanga.’ Chikristu chowona sichinasinthe; kokha ziwiya za kufalitsira icho zatero.

Sichiri unyinji wa ndalama wophatikizidwa womwe uli wotsutsidwa. Chimatenga mamiliyoni kulalikila kuzungulira dziko lonse. Ndalama siziri zoipa. Chiri chikondi cha ndalama chimene chiri muzu wa mtundu wa zoipa. Ziri njira zopezera ndalamazo—kufunsira, kachitidwe kochenjera, kupemphapempha, kunyenga, kunama—zomwe ziri zoipa. Kuli kulanda konyenga kwa izo kuchokera kwa osauka mwa maseŵera ochenjera komwe kuli koipa. Ndipo zitasonkhanitsidwa kaamba ka chifukwa chimodzi, kenaka kugwiritsiridwa ntchito kaamba ka china, kaamba ka kudzilemeretsa kwaumwini—kumene kuli kuba ndalama. Afarisi anali okonda ndalama. Yudase anagulitsa Kristu kaamba ka ndalama. Abusa ambiri a chipembedzo lerolino akutsatira mapazi awo m’malo mwa aja a Yesu.

Iwo amadzidyetsa iwo eni, osati nkhosa. Ndipo saali kokha a Pentecostal. Timagulu topatuka ku chiProtestanti timaphunzitsa Utatu, moto wa helo, kutenthedwa kwa dziko lapansi—ziphunzitso zonse zauchikunja za Babulo wakale ndi Igupto. Amakono amakana Baibulo—kuti siriri lowuziridwa, losalongosoka, mabukhu ake sanalembedwe ndi omwe akunenedwa kukhala tero kapena pa nthaŵi yoyerekezedwa, ndipo amachilikiza osati chilengedwe koma chisinthiko. Kenaka pali alaliki omagwirira ntchito pa malingaliro ofala, kukoka kwa mawu olankhula mosyasyalika kumene kumaphimba zinthu zabwino ndi kugonthetsa makutu kukhala osalandira chirichonse ku chowonadi cha Baibulo chosaipitsidwa. Si tirigu koma mankhusu ali amene amadyetsa nkhosa zawo.—Yesaya 30:10; 2 Timoteo 4:3, 4.

Ndithudi, ziri tero lerolino monga mmene zinaliri m’tsiku la Yesu kuti: “Powona makamuwo, anagwidwa mu mtima ndi chisoni chifukwa cha iwo, popeza anali okambululudwa ndi omwazikana, akunga nkhosa zopanda mbusa.” (Mateyu 9:36) Ndipo pakuwawona iwo, “iye anayamba kuwaphunzitsa zinthu zambiri.” (Marko 6:34) Yesu ali nawo atsatiri ake pa dziko lapansi lerolino omwe akuyenda m’mapazi ake, akulalikira m’njira imene iye anachitira, ndi kuphunzitsa chowonadi cha Baibulo chomwe chimathetsa njala yauzimu.—Amosi 8:11.

Atsatiri amenewo ali Mboni za Yehova. Ntchito yawo yolalikira ya dziko lonse imafunikira unyinji wa ndalama, koma zimadza kuchokera ku zopereka zaufulu, zosafunsira. Mabukhu amasindikizidwa ndi kugawidwa pa mtengo wochepera. Maphunziro a Baibulo a mlungu ndi mlungu amachitidwa m’nyumba popanda malipiro. Misonkhano ya mpingo iri yaulere, palibe zosonkhanitsidwa zotengedwa, palibe kufunsira kaamba ka ndalama kopangidwa, palibe malipiro olipiridwa. Mboni zambiri zimagwira ntchito ya kuthupi kaamba ka kakhalidwe kawo ndi kuperekako nthaŵi ndi ndalama kuti akwaniritse kulalikira kwa mbiri yabwino ya Ufumu.—Mateyu 24:14; Machitidwe 1:8.

Iwo amachita monga mmene Yesu analangizira kuti: “Munalandira kwaulere, patsani kwaulere.” Iwo amachita monga mmene Petro analangizira kuti: “Wetani gulu la Mulungu liri mwa inu, ndi kuliyang’anira, osati mokakamiza, koma mwaufulu, kwa Mulungu; osatsata phindu lonyansa, koma mwachangu osati monga ochita ufumu pa iwo audindo wanu, koma okhala zitsanzo za gululo.”—Mateyu 10:8; 1 Petro 5:2, 3.

[Mawu Otsindika patsamba 29]

“Oral Roberts akunena kuti waukitsa akufa, koma kukundika ndalama kuli cholinga chake”

[Mawu Otsindika patsamba 29]

“Chinyengo cha kulalikira uthenga pamene akudyerera osauka”

[Mawu Otsindika patsamba 31]

“Munalandira kwaulere, patsani kwaulere”