THE PROPOSED ALDRIDGE-SCOTT BENNETT DEBATE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 134, 7 June 1911, Page 6

THE PROPOSED ALDRIDGE-SCOTT BENNETT DEBATE.

(To tb« Editor J _ ; Sir, —Aβ some measure of publicity has been given to a proposed debate between Mr. Geq. Aldridge and Mr. Scott Bennett, I shall be glad if you will kindly find space for an explanation of how the proposal originated, and why it has now been abandoned. In the course of a lecture entitled, "Did the iJesns of the Four Gospels BeaUy Exist?" jn which tie historicity of Jesus Christ was denied, Mr. Scott Bennett openly end freely challenged any one to meet him on the public platform to debate the subject. This challenge was accepted by Mr. Aldridge, and in due course a committee, consisting of three persons nominated by each of the disputants, was set up to make final arrangements I for the discussion. Mr Bennett then requested that the debate be limited to one night only, a suggestion to which Mr. Aldridge demurred, stating that at least two nights would be required to properly and fairly debate the question. Mr. Bennett, however, refuses this condition, pleading that he is too busy to spare two nights for the discussion of this important subject, thna terminating the arrangements. Soeh a pitifully weak excuse for refusing to accede to a very reasonable condition is, to say the least, mogt unsatisfactory. One can only hope that iri*future Mr. Bennett will refrain from issuing challenges which he is unwilling to defend, and that hie hearers -will not readily swallow ' the assertions which he makes so freely, but is not willrng should be put to tho test of public debate.—l am, etc., LOUIS E. FALKNER. Member of Debate Committee.