EZINKOLWENI eziningi emhlabeni ezinjengeSonto LamaRoma Katolika, amasonto obu-Orthodox, ubuBuddha nezinye, kuyimfuneko ukuba abaholi noma abefundisi bangashadi. Nokho, abantu abaningi banomuzwa wokuthi ukungashadi kwabefundisi yikona okuyimbangela yezigemegeme zakamuva zokuya kwabo ocansini ngokungemthetho.

Ngakho, kunengqondo ukuwubuza lo mbuzo, Ingabe ukungashadi kuyimfuneko engokomBhalo ezikhonzini ezingamaKristu? Ukuze siphendule lo mbuzo, ake sihlole umsuka walo mkhuba kanye nombono kaNkulunkulu ngawo.

I-Encyclopædia Britannica ichaza ukungashadi ngenxa yezinkolelo ngokuthi “ukuhlala ungashadile, okusho ukungayi ocansini ngokuvamile ngenxa yokuba nesikhundla noma yokuzinikela enkolweni ethile.” Enkulumweni ayethula phambi kwesishaya-mthetho saseRoma, uBenedict XVI owayenguPapa, wahlobanisa ukungashadi okuyimpoqo “nesiko langenkathi esondelene neyabaPhostoli.”

Nokho, ukungashadi kwakungewona umkhuba ongokwenkolo wamaKristu ekhulu lokuqala. Empeleni, umphostoli uPawulu waxwayisa amakholwa ngamadoda ayezokhuluma “amazwi aphefumulelwe adukisayo” futhi ‘enqabele ukushada.’—1 Thimothewu 4:1-3.

Umkhuba wokungashadi wangena emasontweni “obuKristu” aseNtshonalanga phakathi nekhulu lesibili. Ngokusho kwencwadi i-Celibacy and Religious Traditions, lokhu “kwakuhambisana nomkhuba omusha wokuzithiba ocansini owaqala eMbusweni wamaRoma.”

Emakhulwini eminyaka eyalandela, imikhandlu yamasonto nalabo ababizwa ngoBaba bamaSonto bakhuthaza abefundisi ukuba bangashadi. Babenombono  wokuthi ukuya ocansini kuyamngcolisa umuntu futhi akuhambisani nemisebenzi yobufundisi. Noma kunjalo, i-Encyclopædia Britannica ibonisa ukuthi “ngisho nangekhulu leshumi abapristi abaningi nabanye ababhishobhi bebenamakhosikazi.”

Imikhandlu eyayisesigodlweni samaRoma ngo-1123 nango-1139, yakuphoqelela ukungashadi kwabefundisi futhi nanamuhla iSonto LamaRoma Katolika lisaqhubeka naleyo nqubo. Ngokwenza lokhu, isonto lakwazi ukunqanda inkinga eyayibakhona yokulahlekelwa amandla okulawula kanye nemali lapho umfundisi oshadile eshiyela izingane zakhe ifa eliyimpahla yesonto.

Umbono kaNkulunkulu ngokungashadi uvezwe ngokucacile eBhayibhelini. Kulo, sifunda lokho okwashiwo uJesu ngalabo abakhetha ukungashadi, njengaye, “ngenxa yombuso wamazulu.” (Mathewu 19:12) Umphostoli uPawulu naye wakhuluma ngamaKristu akhetha ukulandela isibonelo sakhe sokungashadi “ngenxa yezindaba ezinhle.”—1 Korinte 7:37, 38; 9:23.

Nokho, akekho phakathi kwabo owayala izikhonzi ukuba zingashadi. UJesu wathi ukungashadi ‘kuyisiphiwo’ okungebona bonke abalandeli bakhe abanaso. Lapho uPawulu ebhala ‘ngabayizintombi’ noma abangakaze bashade wavuma ngobuqotho: “Anginamyalo ovela eNkosini, kodwa nginikeza umbono wami.”—Mathewu 19:11; 1 Korinte 7:25.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, iBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi izikhonzi eziningi ezingamaKristu zangekhulu lokuqala, kuhlanganise nomphostoli uPetru, zazingamadoda ashadile. (Mathewu 8:14; Marku 1:29-31; 1 Korinte 9:5) Empeleni, ngenxa yokuziphatha okubi okwakudlangile ezweni laseRoma ngaleso sikhathi, uPawulu wabhala ukuthi uma umbonisi ongumKristu eshadile kwakufanele abe “indoda emfazi munye” futhi “enabantwana abazithoba ngobuqotho ngokuphelele.”—1 Thimothewu 3:2, 4.

IBhayibheli lithi “indoda mayinikeze umkayo okumfanele” futhi abashadile akufanele ‘bagodlelane’ ukusondelana ngokocansi ngakho lena kwakungeyona imishado yabantu abashadile kodwa abangayi ocansini. (1 Korinte 7:3-5) Ngakho kuyacaca ukuthi ukungashadi akuyona imfuneko evela kuNkulunkulu futhi akuphoqelekile ezikhonzini ezingamaKristu.

Uma ukungashadi kungeyona imfuneko, pho kungani uJesu noPawulu bakhuluma kahle ngakho? Kungenxa yokuthi ukungashadi kungavulela umuntu amathuba engeziwe okuhlanganyela izindaba ezinhle nabanye. Abangashadile bayakwazi ukuzinikela kakhudlwana ngoba abakhathazwa yizinto ezikhathaza abashadile.—1 Korinte 7:32-35.

Cabanga ngesibonelo sikaDavid owanquma ukuyeka umsebenzi oholela kahle eMexico City ukuze akwazi ukuthuthela emaphandleni aseCosta Rica, afundise abanye ngeBhayibheli. Ingabe uDavid unomuzwa wokuthi ukungashadi kwamsiza? Uthi, “Impela kwangisiza. Kwakuyinselele ukuzijwayelanisa namasiko amasha nezimo zokuphila ezihlukile, kodwa ngoba wayengekho omunye umuntu okwakudingeka ngimnakekele, akubanga nzima kakhulu.”

UClaudia, umKristu ongashadile oye wathuthela ezindaweni ezinesidingo sabashumayeli uthi: “Ngiyakujabulela ukukhonza uNkulunkulu. Ukholo lwami nobuhlobo bami naye buyaqina lapho ngibona indlela anginakekela ngayo.”

Akudingeki ukuba ukungashadi kube umthwalo. UClaudia uyanezela: “Akwenzi mehluko ukuthi ushadile noma awushadile, uzojabula uma unika uJehova uNkulunkulu okungcono kakhulu.”—IHubo 119:1, 2.