Thursday, January 06, 2011

Compare Bios - Caner Bros.

Compare the Biographies of the Caner Brothers

Emir Caner bio:
Born on August 25, 1970, Emir Fethi Caner grew up in the Columbus, Ohio, area in a Sunni Muslim family, the son of an Islamic leader. As a young teenager, he came to faith in Jesus Christ at a revival service at the Stelzer Road Baptist Church.
Ergun Caner bio:
Ergun Mehmet Caner (B.A., M.A., M.Div., Th.M., Th.D.) is president of the Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and Graduate School at the Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Raised as the son of a Muslim leader in Turkey, Caner became a Christian shortly before entering college. Serving under his Chancellor and President, Jerry Falwell Jr., Caner led the Seminary to triple in growth since his installation in 2005. A public speaker and apologist, Caner has debated Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and other religious leaders in thirteen countries and thirty-five states. The author of seventeen books, Caner lives in Lynchburg with his wife Jill and two sons, Braxton and Drake.
(source for both bios)

By the way, Emir Caner's book says he was born again November 4, 1982 (he would be 12 at that time, according to my calculations). See Unveiling Islam, p. 19.

Also, the evidence seems to suggest that Emir was mostly raised by his grandmother in a household that was separate from his Islamic father, but that is perhaps not so important.

More significantly, Ergun Caner was not "raised ... in Turkey" (according to what we know of his life from other sources) he was raised with Emir, and there is no evidence that Caner's father was a "leader in Turkey."

There is also no evidence that we can find that Ergun Caner has "debated" in any meaningful sense anyone, much less "Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and other religious leaders in thirteen countries and thirty-five states."

I suspect what has happened here is that the conference organizers found a bio of Ergun Caner somewhere on the net and used it. I don't have any reason to think that Ergun Caner is still making these claims for himself, and the conference organizers are probably unaware of the scandal that came to light last year.

Still, very sad to see that more active steps have not been taken to remove the old information.

- TurretinFan

17 comments:

Fredericka said...

TF, as of 3:02 p.m. Thursday, this is Ergun's bio on the site:

"Ergun Caner is a Professor & Apologist at the Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and Graduate School in Lynchburg, Virginia. Raised as a devout Sunni Muslim along with his two brothers, Caner converted in high school. After his conversion, he pursued his call to the ministry and education. He has a Masters degree from The Criswell College, a Master of Divinity and a Master of Theology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Theology from the University of South Africa. He has written numerous books with his brother, Dr. Emir Caner, who is the President of Truett-McConnell College, a Baptist college in Georgia."

Turkey is gone, and so is the bit about debating people.

Turretinfan said...

Good. It would be nice if he would apologize for the old claims, but it is nice that he's correcting the claims going forward.

Anonymous said...

That discrepancy is probably due to a intern or young staff person given an assignment to put together on a brochure the bios of these speakers, one who doesn't do due diligence in the strict sense regularly?

Also, you would think some of those persons posted on/in that brochure would take exception to Dr. Caner's bio as published above, notwithstanding Fredericka's comments? Maybe their decision to be associated with him with that bio is because they see no harm in the association? Although, I would think it would be hard not to know about all the controversy that has swirled around public forums since it started for some of these conference speakers and then not raise a question or two about his bio's accuracy unless they thought there was no harm coming at them by remaining silent about it?

Anonymous said...

Knock it off turdfan. Your obsession with Dr Caner has tired a great deal of us. As far as I'm concerned, your salvation is non-existent and the father of you decrepit soul, the devil, has sifted you like wheat and unless you repent, accept Christ, you will surely die the death. You have unwittingly become a puppet of the demonic anti-Christ and the Godless Muslims.

sunny said...

Nice thoughts. But I like it very much.

Turretinfan said...

Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.

donsands said...

Some people like to exaggerate. Caner is one of these people. It's a black eye for the Church when big name people do these things, and then others support them in their exagerrations and made up stuff.

Church is messy. Thanks for speaking about this. It helps when the Church challenges the Church. The infidels are looking on, and they seek to destroy the Church, but need I say, not even the gates of hades will prevail.

Christ is building His Church, stone by stone. He will complete His Temple, and it will be wondrous and beautiful.

Have a great weekend and Lord's day.
Go Ravens!

Anonymous said...

Why can't Caner come clean?
You ought to organize a letter-writing campaign to Liberty and contact the media all over again.
Godith

azdad said...

This situation goes beyond mere exaggeration. Dr. Caner needs to confess and repent.

donsands said...

Hey Anon,
Who are you my friend? Where do you go to church? Why not own up and have a little guts.

Anonymous said...

I go to a God fearing church. Dr. Caner has simply done more for the advancement of the faith among all peoples, specifically the infidel Muslims, than any one here. His debates, books, and sermons give glory to God. The hate speech and gutter garbage style attacks here is the tool of the devil aimed at distracting the godly man in his service for the Lord. I am positive that Dr. Caner is praying for you all and we hope you purify your Calvinist hearts in the blood of the Lamb. We are not your enemy. Break free from the stronghold of the devil!

Anonymous said...

Does the blood of the Lamb produce the freedom to engage in vitriolic language? Does it impart the ability to read men's hearts and determine their eternal state? Does it enable one to sit on God's throne and pass down condemnation to hell? Apparently so. The irony is palpable.

More on point, is it enough for Caner to simply exponge his "misstatements" from the record and, subsequently, avoid from repeating them in the future? I do not think so.

Turretinfan said...

What debates, anonymous?

Tom said...

People such as Dever and Mohler truly need to be held accountable for their willing consent to be associated in such an event with the likes of Caner. And this goes above and beyond the proven fact that Caner is a pathological liar. Men such as as Dever and Mohler who claim to be Reformed should not be sharing a platform with anyone who holds the Reformed faith in such utter contempt as does Caner.

One example, Caner wrote a glowing Foreward to Lou Ruggiero's recent screed, "The God of Calvinism: A Rebuttal of Reformed Theology." The back cover of the book says, "Fundamentally this book is about the character of God. Between these pages, Calvinism is in the dock: the charge? Calvinist theology maligns God's character to such a degree that it should be utterly abanduned as a valid Christian doctrine, avoided with all possible industry, or repented of."

The ONLY way I could ever appear publicly with someone who holds to such vile and blasphemous opinions is in a formal debate situation where I attempt to refute their anti-Scriptural attacks agianst the truths of God's Word. I certainly could NOT appear with them on the same program at a Pastors' Conference" with a clear consience.

Anonymous said...

Yes, Anonymous, debates, what debates?
Godith

eklektos said...

Hmm, your troll seems to be a non-native speaker. Caner has lied, I pray he has repented and not merely changed his tactics because caught.

Rhology said...

Anonymous has got to be satirical.