Ergun Caner - October 10, 2010 - Liberty Baptist Church

Apparently, Ergun Caner is still out there preaching. According to the Liberty Baptist Church of Bear, Delaware, website, Caner preached there on October 10, 2010. (source)(direct link to mp3)

I've listened to the sermon and identified some remarks that may be of interest to those who have been following the Caner saga. Times below are approximate.

3:45 Dr. Caner claims father-in-law is from "Possum Kill"

We've discussed this frequent claim before (link). I can buy that this is a joke, but some folks seem to think it's meant to be taken literally.

5:15 Dr. Caner claims full name is "Ergun Mehmet Caner"

This is the first time I recall him specifically saying that his full name is that. However, we've previously discussed the thorny issue of figuring out what Dr. Caner's real middle name is (link to discussion).

8:00 Dr. Caner says "The only book that matters is the Bible, and I've gotta be really honest, all the other books lie, and I've written one on marriage, and I'm just gunna tell you, 'we lie!'"

He's probably telling the truth here, but he doesn't seem very contrite about it - almost as though it is a laughing matter. Listen for yourself.

9:30 Dr. Caner claims that he tells his sons to lie to their mother about what they eat when they travel with him

Again, I have no reason to doubt that he's telling the truth in this instance, but he does not seem at all remorseful for his actions.

9:45 Dr. Caner makes the sign of the cross at the name of "Dunkin' Donuts," and claims that he would take communion with Dunkin' Donuts if he could

You'll have to check out the video link to see the sign, and perhaps I've just been hanging around too many Roman Catholics lately, but I was shocked.

30:30 Dr. Caner claims that "we came to America to build mosques" and that what his father did when he came was exactly that

His father may have come with that intent, but "we" seems a stretch, considering how young Caner was when he arrived (apparently he was around 3 years old).

31:00 Dr. Caner claims to have been wearing keffiyeh

I've discussed this claim in my response to Norman Geisler (see this discussion here).

31:40 Dr. Caner claims that Jerry Tackett started evangelizing him his Freshman year, and didn't quit until his senior year

From what we can tell, it appears that Caner was actually saved in his sophomore or junior year, rather than his senior year (see some discussion here).

33:30 Dr. Caner claims that he finally relented to Jerry in his senior year

Same issue already addressed above.

40:05 Dr. Caner claims he went home (after the revival service at which he was saved) and told his dad, and that was the last day he saw his father until just before his father's death

This account may be true, but it is questionable, since according to his report, the revival service was held on a Thursday, and Caner's mother (not father) had primary custody of him by that time in his life.

41:05 Dr. Caner claims he lost his family.

Dr. Caner lost his father, which was a sufficiently bad tragedy. As far as we can tell, he continued to live with his mother, grandmother, and brothers. Calling that losing one's family seems a little exaggerated.

41:10 Dr. Caner claims that the church became his family.

Same claim, essentially, as above.

42:15 Dr. Caner states:

A year later, even though I didn't know what it meant, I stepped out on a Sunday morning, stepped forward and told Pastor Clarence that I thought I was called to ministry - I don't know how y'all do it here, pastor, but - cause you planted this place, you do it the way you did it - but here's how Clarence Miller did it - Clarence Miller turned me around in front of the church, and said (imitating voice)"Well, bless God" -- he's still alive, and he still talks like that -- (resuming voice) "this morning, brother Arrogant comes forward" - yeah, he couldn't get my name right either, he called me "Arrogant" -- (voice again)"Brother Arrogant comes forward to surrender to the gospel ministry. He'll be preaching his first sermon tonight." It was, in the history of Christendom, the shortest sermon ever preached. I had like four hours to prep. I got up, heaven/hell narrow/wide Jesus/devil "just as I am." [42:15] But I discovered that both of my brothers had gotten saved.

This wording is a little ambiguous, but it sounds similar to Dr. Caner's previous apparent claim that his brothers were saved by his first sermon (link to discussion).

44:10 Gibberish

At least, I think it is Gibberish. If anyone who knows Swedish, Turkish, and/or Arabic has time to check the seeming gibberish that Caner speaks while recounting the fact that his grandmother got saved, and report back whether it is any known tongue, I would appreciate it.

-TurretinFan