Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 114
114 AHMADIYY AT Quran and the Bible. It seems that the following of this somewhat remarkable personage numbers about thirty thousand in different parts of the world, and his friends and disciples are anxious that he should hold an elaborate and learned argument on the respective truth of Christianity and Islam with the Bishop of Lahore, whose lectures at that place have convinced the Mohammedans that he is unrivalled in religious learning in this country. His vast and practi- cal knowledge, his acquaintance with Arabic, Persian and Urdu and his amicable and polished manners are also enumerated as further reasons why he should be asked to enter into a controversy with this Champion of Islam. The challenge throughout is worded in conciliatory terms and exhibits an evidently keen desire for a formal and set controversy on fair terms to both parties on the comparative merits and excellences of Christianity and Islam. The challengers, who are large in numbers and hail from all parts of India, hope by adjuring the Bishop in the name of Jesus Christ to gain his consent to a controversy. Weare of the opinion that the Bishop would do well to accept the challenge. To assume a superiority that cannot stoop to contro- versy would be a mistake, as the challengers would be entitled from their point of view to conclude that the case being unde- fended went by default and to claim the victory. Also, the fact that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadiani is not the promised one whose appearance has been foretold in the ;Holy Quran and the Bible ought not to influence the learned Bishop towards a J;efusal to enter into an argument with him. This question is not to be discussed in the proposed controversy, but the Bishop may possibly convince his opponent of error if the challenge is accepted. The fact that the Muslims desire to pit their Messiah against the Bishop is the highest. compliment they could desire to pay to his learning. They wish to intimate that they recognize him as the first authority in India. Again, we do not see how the Bishop can plead that such an elaborate controversy would take up too much of his time. He should on no account lose an opportunity of refuting, silencing and convincing such opponents, especially where he is desired to prove which of the two religions, Christianity or Islam, can be called the living faith; and of the teaching inculcated in the Holy Quran and the Bible, which is the more excellent and natural? We should like to see the challenge accepted because we think it would prove highly interesting.