CHRISTIANITY V. INFIDEDITY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5257, 29 January 1878, Page 3

CHRISTIANITY V. INFIDEDITY.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES. Sib, —The letter of Mr. Bright that appears in your issue of to-day requires from me a brief rejoinder. If your correspondent had read the English freethinkers’ publications, viz., “ 'The National Reformer,” “ The Secular Review,” “The Secularist,” and “ The Secular Chronicle,” he would have become acquainted with “Thomas Harrington” before this, and no doubt would have met with many of his articles, which would have greatly enlightened him. Your correspondent says, “My engagements have unfortunately ” (does he mean fortunately ?) “ been concluded without setting apart ‘ two, four, six, or more nights ’ for discussion and that “if he entered upon such a discussion he would have to take the side of Christianity as opposed to infidelity,” Why, then, I ask, does he attack the teachers of Christianity in such unmerciful terms, and quote with unqualified approval those who are seeking to destroy Christianity, who are not only acknowledged infidels, but are avowed atheists ? Mr. Bright asks if I am prepared to defend any sectarian form of Christianity, if a public discussion could be arranged in Dunedin, &c. In reply to the above allow me to say that I am prepared to defend the Christianity of the New Testament against the published works of recognised freethinkers. I take this position for the simple reason that if I were to go to an obscure individual like Mr. Bright it would bo said at once that I was not dealing fairly with freethougbt, because not dealing with its representatives.. I would therefore deal with freethougbt precisely iu the same manner as. I would have my opponent deal with Christianity,— i.e., instead of dealing iwith Christianity as held by any sect, let him deal with Christianity as laid down by .its founders. Seeing that the challenge was given in AVellington, I would rather that the discussion bo held hero ; and I offer the same terms to Mr. Bright, with one exception, as he offers me in Dunedin. , If Mr. Bright will accept the above terms, I shall be quite prepared to meet him on the proposed question, “Which is the better calculated to promote the interests of humanity— Christianity or , Infidelity : If not, I shall give _ the proposed, course of “Apologetic Lectures”'on Sunday ‘ afternoons, or week evenings, when I shall deal with many of Mr. Bright’s statements. Due notice of the> lectures will be given in your columns.—l am, &c., ‘ Thomas Harrington.