UGathie Barnett owayeneminyaka engu-9 nodadewabo uMarie owayeneminyaka engu-8, bama bathula ngenhlonipho ngesikhathi izingane abafunda nazo zishayela ifulege lase-United States indesheni. Babengazi ukuthi isenzo sabo sokholo sasizobenza babe ingxenye yecala elibalulekile elaba seNkantolo Ephakeme ngo-1943. Amantombazane akwaBarnett ayekholelwa ukuthi kufanele athembeke kuNkulunkulu kuphela. Aphakathi kwezinkulungwane zezingane ezingoFakazi BakaJehova eziye zalalela lokho okushiwo unembeza wazo njengamaKristu.—IzEnzo 5:29.

Ngenxa yokubonisa kwabo isibindi, uGathie noMarie baxoshwa esikoleni sabo iSlip Hill Grade School eWest Virginia. Ubaba wabo waqhubeka naleli cala laze lafakwa eNkantolo Ephakeme yase-United States. NgoJuni 14, 1943, iNkantolo yakhipha isinqumo sokuthi izikole akufanele ziphoqe izingane ukuba zishayele ifulege indesheni, yabonisa nokuthi oFakazi BakaJehova abakwenzi lokhu ngoba “bengalihloniphi ifulege noma izwe.” Isinqumo esakhishwa ecaleni elaliphakathi kweBhodi Yezemfundo YaseVirginia kanye nabakwaBarnette saphikisa isinqumo esasikhishwe eminyakeni emithathu eyedlule ecaleni elaliphakathi kweSifunda Sezikole ZaseMinersville kanye nabakwaGobitis esasithi izikole zinemvume yokuphoqa abafundi ukuba bashayele ifulege indesheni. a

Lapho libhala isinqumo seNkantolo Ephakeme, ijaji uRobert Jackson lathi: “Into ebaluleke kunazo zonke emthethweni wezwe lethu ukuthi akukho sikhulu sikahulumeni esingabeka umthetho ngokuthi yini okufanele abantu bayikhethe uma kuziwa ezindabeni zepolitiki, ubuzwe, inkolo noma okunye, futhi akufanele izakhamuzi ziphoqwe ukuba zisho, zenze noma zikholelwe entweni ethile.”

Nakuba kuyizingane zoFakazi ezazuza kuqala kulesi sinqumo seNkantolo, uprofesa wezomthetho eNorthwestern University, u-Andrew Koppelman, wathi: “Abantu baseMelika abajabulela inkululeko kufanele babonge oFakazi BakaJehova ababekezelela ukuphathwa ngonya lapho belwela amalungelo abo, lawo manje asejabulelwa yiwo wonke umuntu.”

UPhilip Brumley, ongummeli woFakazi BakaJehova wathi lesi sinqumo asizange sithinte umthetho wase-United States kuphela, wathi: “Isinqumo esaphuma ecaleni labakwaBarnette sasetshenziswa nayiziNkantolo Eziphakeme zamazwe afana ne-Argentina, iCanada, iCosta Rica, iGhana, i-India, iPhilippines, neRwanda kanye neNkantolo YaseYurophu Yamalungelo Abantu.”

Ngo-2006, uGathie noMarie kanye nezazi ezihlonishwayo bamenyelwa eRobert H. Jackson Center eNew York, ukuze bazochaza ngokubaluleka kwesinqumo esakhishwa ecaleni ababebekwe lona. UMarie wathi: “Kuyangijabulisa ukuthi lesi sinqumo sazisiza izingane ezalandela ngemva kwethu.” UGathie wanezela: “Ngikhumbula lapho indodana yami endala ibizelwa ehhovisi likathisha omkhulu ngenxa yokwenqaba ukushayela ifulege indesheni. Uthisha omkhulu wathi endodaneni yami, ‘Kungenzeka ukuthi uthisha wakho akasasikhumbuli isinqumo esakhishwa iNkantolo Ephakeme mayelana nalolu daba.’”

Echaza indlela bonke oFakazi BakaJehova abazizwa ngayo, uGathie wathi: “Siyalihlonipha ifulege nalokho elikumelelayo. Asinankinga nalo. Into nje ukuthi asikholelwa ukuthi kufanele silikhonze noma silishayele indesheni.”—1 Johane 5:21.