"Why I am Not a Muslim" Ergun Caner - 7 May 2011

All times below are approximate:

0:30 "I got my doctorate in Global Apologetics because I'm curious." Dr. Caner's doctorate from the University of South Africa is apparently a doctorate in theology. The title of his thesis was: "Bellum sacrum: the development of the Holy War of the first crusade in light of Augustine's Just War criteria" (see discussion here).

5:05 "You have your rites of passage. Those of you who came from Catholicism - in Catholicism you have confirmation, in Judaism you have bar mitzphah, bat mitzphah, in Islam it's called 'maşallah.' This was mine. And without going into any great detail it is our celebration of manhood and it involves circumcision without any medicines. And then they have a party."

That is not the name for circumcision in Islam. The term is Khitān or Khatna, sometimes Taharah. The term Mā šāʾ Allāh (ما شاء الله) is basically a term of joy and celebration (see here and here). While some Muslims may wait until as late as puberty to have circumcision done, that is not the norm.

(Compare with Caner's previous use of Masha'Allah here)

18:50 "You fall down, you bust your skull, you fall down you break your elbow, you're supposed to say "inshallah," Allah willed it."

Inshallah is a term that is used about prospective events, similar to the way that Christians say "Lord willing." (see here)

30:50 "Freshman year, Sophomore year, Junior year in high school. Going into my senior year, finally I said, 'why don't you stop,' but he wouldn't. ... I finally took him up on the challenge, just out of shear exhaustion. 'Yeah, fine, I'll go into your little church.'"

According to other accounts, Dr. Caner was converted in 1982, which would have corresponded to the first half of his Junior year.

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UPDATE: A friend pointed out that Ergun claims (at 18:10): "we're repeating the first chapter of the Koran, six verses, Surah 1, over and over and over." In fact, the first Surah has seven verses.