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Ergun Caner

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Ergun Caner
Born
Ergun Michael Caner

(1966-11-03) November 3, 1966 (age 58)
Stockholm, Sweden
Occupation(s)Professor, apologist
EmployerLiberty University
Spouse
Jill Morris
​
(m. 1994)​
Parent(s)Acar Mehmet Caner (father)
Monica Inez Caner (mother)
Websiteerguncaner.com

Ergun Michael Caner (born 1966) is a prominent evangelical minister and a Professor and former Dean at the Baptist Theological Seminary and Graduate School at Liberty University.[1]

Biography

Some facts concerning Dr. Caner's biography are highly controversial. On June 25, 2010, the Liberty University announced that it found that Caner had made "factual statements that are self-contradictory" concerning "dates, names and places of residence".[2] Caner told The Associated Press in 2002 that he was born in Sweden to a Turkish father and Swedish mother, who brought the family to Ohio in 1969, when he was about 3 years old. He said he accepted Christ as a teenager at a Baptist church in Columbus, and then pursued ministry, getting a degree from Criswell College, a Baptist school in Dallas.[3] Nonetheless, in other occasions Caner said he grew up in Turkey in a climate of "Islamic jihad", was trained as a terrorist and experimented a dramatic conversion to Christianity. [4]

Caner has co-authored several books with his brother Emir, president of Truett-McConnell College, a Baptist school in Cleveland, Georgia.

Controversy

Caner and his brother Emir have been criticised for their testimonies.[5] Various videos on YouTube[6] accuse the Caners of being dishonest about their upbringing and point out serious mistakes a person purportedly raised up as a pious Muslim would never commit, like not knowing the Muslims Testimony of Faith, also known as the Shahadah.[7] The controversy about Caner's place of birth is also covered[8], as the apparent impression that Ramadan is an Islamic month consisting of 40 days.[9] Had Caner been a Muslim growing up, his critics argue that he would know this basic information.

Statement

On 25th February 2010, Caner released a statement refuting all the arguments. The statement was later analysed by bloger Mohammad Khan.[10] Caner later deleted the statement from his website.[11] [12] The full text of the statement is still on line on other site and includes the following sentence:

For those times where I misspoke, said it wrong, scrambled words or was just outright confusing, I apologize and will strive to do better[13]

Some of this criticism is still indirectly dealt with on Caner's official web page. [14]

Secret Letter to University

Caner sent a message to Liberty University faculty staff explaining what had happened. This letter has been critically analysed by Mohammad Khan.[15]

Islam

In addition to the allegedly exaggerated and distorted testimony, Ergun Caner has been accused of lying about Islam on several occasions. Caner's arguments against Islam have been refuted by Abdallah Ibrahim and Mohammad Khan.[16]

Language Skills

Caner has often claimed to speak Arabic and Turkish, which he has demonstrated in various sermons. Critics such as blogger Mohammad Khan of fakeexmuslims.com claims that these demonstrations however, are not Arabic or Turkish, rather, they are Caner speaking gibberish in order to fool his audience.[17] In one of his filmed speeches, Caner stated:

Eleven million women are now learning how to read because of what our soldiers have done. Where were the feminists when eleven million women were taught to read? Written on the wall of the Mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan: bakhasha owtara mowtara seeturu: do not teach the women to read and write[18] [19]

However, the words bakhasha owtara mowtara seeturu do not correspond to or resemble any known language, including Arabic, Pashto, Dari, Persian or Urdu. [20] [21]

Books

  • Caner, Ergun (2004). Voices Behind the Veil: Women on the Women of Islam. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications. ISBN 082542402X. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Caner, Ergun (2009). Unveiling Islam: An Insider's Look at Muslim Life and Beliefs. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications. ISBN 978-0825424281. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Caner, Ergun (2003). More Than a Prophet: An Insider's Response to Muslim Beliefs About Jesus & Christianity. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications. ISBN 978-0825424014. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Caner, Ergun (2009). Holier Than Thou: When Faith Becomes Toxic. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press. ISBN 978-0687658404. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

References

  1. ^ Biography of Ergun Caner on Liberty University website, accessed 17 May 2010
  2. ^ Ergun Caner guilty: removed as Dean from Seminary, Liberty Student News, Independent News of Liberty University. June 25, 2010, retrieved 12-31-10
  3. ^ Ergun Caner OUT: Muslim-Turned-Preacher Will No Longer Be Liberty University Dean, The Huffington Post, June 25, 2010, retrieved 12-31-10
  4. ^ Liberty U. removing Ergun Caner as seminary dean over contradictory statements, by William Wan and Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post, June 30, 2010, retrieved 12-31-10
  5. ^ Fake Ex Muslims Exposed By Mohammad Khan, accessed 29 Dec 2010
  6. ^ YouTube Channel of mokhan247, accessed 29 Dec 2010
  7. ^ Ergun's Shahadah, accessed 29 Dec 2010
  8. ^ Istanbul or Stockholm?, accessed 29 Dec 2010
  9. ^ Ergun and the 40 days of Ramadan, accessed 29 Dec 2010
  10. ^ Statement of Ergun Caner, accessed 29 Dec 2010
  11. ^ Ergun removes statement, accessed 29 Dec 2010
  12. ^ Official Site of Ergun Caner, retrieved 01-01-11
  13. ^ Statement from Dr. Ergun CanerSBC Today, February 25, 2010, retrieved 01-01-11
  14. ^ The Q & A Sessions: July 2009, erguncaner.com, retrieved 12-31-10
  15. ^ Secret letter to Liberty University, accessed 29 Dec 2010
  16. ^ Critical analysis of Ergun Caner's arguments against Islam, accessed 29 Dec 2010
  17. ^ Ergun Caner claims to speak Arabic but speaks gibberish instead, accessed 29 Dec 2010
  18. ^ Ergun Caner claims to speak Arabic but speaks gibberish instead, retrieved 12-31-10
  19. ^ Ergun Caner, Ex-Muslim Evangelical Leader, Exposed As Fake, by Walid Zafar, The Huffington Post, May 19, 2010, retrieved 12-31-10
  20. ^ Ergun Caner claims to speak Arabic but speaks gibberish instead, retrieved 12-31-10
  21. ^ Ergun Caner, Ex-Muslim Evangelical Leader, Exposed As Fake, by Walid Zafar, The Huffington Post, May 19, 2010, retrieved 12-31-10


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