While Caner's exoneration* from the false charges has not satisfied all his critics, who continue to rehash old criticism, a flood of support has come in for him from noted Christian leaders and others around the country:
"Kregel Publications has concluded that the Kregel titles by Dr. Caner are trustworthy, factually accurate, and helpful to both Christians and seekers wanting to know more about Islamic beliefs and how those beliefs compare and contrast with biblical Christianity." ---Kregel Release July 6, 2010
Correct. As far as one can tell, Caner did not lie in his Kregel titles about his biographical information. These books form the basis of comparing Caner's written comments to his public comments in sermons and speaking engagements. In other words, these books are the reason we know that Caner is lying in his public comments.
"[TV host] John F. Ankerberg, who interviewed Caner for more than a dozen television programs, has posted on his website that he is disheartened by the attacks upon his friend's integrity and character. Ankerberg said he believes Caner's testimony is 'completely true.'" ---Christianity Today, posted 7/02/2010
If Caner's testimony is that he was a Muslim and he converted to Christianity as a teen, then his testimony is completely true. If Caner's testimony is that he came to America in 1978 believing that Christians hated him, because he had never met Americans before, then his testimony is not completely true. Caner has built his reputation on a testimony of lies and deceit in which he paints himself as an extreme Muslim preparing to do that which was done on 11 September. He intentionally misled his audiences and continues to do so, claiming recently that he learned English as an adult. His testimony is far from being completely true.
" In a day of negativism and bad news, I am rejoicing today over many things. I rejoice over faithful witnesses of Jesus in a small Ohio Baptist church that loved two Moslem boys to Christ and then encouraged them to live for Jesus. I am grateful to God for the many people that have come to Christ through the witness of those two men. I continually thank God for His unbelievable plan to use sinners and mistake-prone men like the Caners, and even more amazing, people like me, to accomplish some things of great value in His kingdom business. Only eternity will reveal the good that two former Moslems have done. I thank God for them both."--- Dr. Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas
I rejoice too that God saves sinners. I rejoice that the Caner brothers were saved! I am grateful that God uses sinners and mistake-prone men, even me. I do not rejoice in lies, misrepresentations, and falsehoods. I do not rejoice in a refusal to confess sin and repent.
"I know Dr. Caner and have done a number of apologetics conferences with him, and have witnessed God using Ergun in a powerful way. He has always spoken words of grace to others, and I thus find it disturbing that some have chosen to show NO grace to Ergun in the midst of his current trial. If God only used perfect vessels, who among us would be qualified? I know of none. I urge all those who respect my work to take the word of someone who knows Ergun personally (me): He is a good man with a heart for God." ---Dr. Ron Rhodes, author and President of Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries
Does Caner's revilement of "extreme" or "hyper" Calvinists fit within the context of "He has always spoken words of grace to others"? The claim that he is not being shown grace is false. Those who are encouraging him to repent of sin are the ones showing him grace. They are pleading with him to avail himself of God's grace. Those who are encouraging him to hide behind lawyerly words like "misstatements," "discrepancies," "factual statements that are self-contradictory," and "moral intent" are keeping Caner from God's amazing grace and the forgiveness that follows.
Even King David was a good man with a heart for God. David also committed adultery and murdered a man to cover it up. But when confronted with his sin, he repented. I would submit that truly good men confess their sins when they are confronted by others.
Apologist Dr. Norman Geisler declared: "We posted complete and detailed response to criticisms against Dr. Caner on our website (
www.normgeisler.com)." He concluded that, "Having examined all these charges against Dr. Caner carefully and having looked at the related evidence, I can say without hesitation that all of the moral charges against Dr. Caner are unsubstantiated. Further, no one had demonstrated moral intent on any of the factual misstatements he made (which we all make)." He added, "Dr. Caner is a man of honesty, integrity, and loyalty to Christ."---
Dr. Norman Geisler, author and Professor of Apologetics at Veritas Evangelical Seminary
So Caner has misspoken and given factual statements that are self-contradictory, but he did so without the moral intent to deceive. Therefore, Caner is not a liar.
But Caner's testimony of being a Muslim didn't take off until after 9/11. In fact, Caner gives the appearance of one who was distancing himself from his Muslim background. Only after 9/11 did E. Michael Caner become Ergun "Mehmet" Caner. And the deception began. His intentionally misleading statements in sermons at FBC Jacksonville and Prestonwood Baptist Church snowballed into the Ergun Caner that we know today. A man who learned English as an adult. A man who lived in majority Muslim countries. A man who came to America as a teen to do that which was done on 11 September. A devout Muslim who doesn't know the difference between the Shahada and the first two verses of the Qoran.
"Dr. Geisler's response to the charges brought against Dr. Ergun Caner by some Muslims and other groups has hit the mark. The charges on the surface sounds formidable until they are met with TRUTH, then they quickly evaporate away losing all power to condemn – leaving the accusers to contemplate their actions. Dr. Geisler's responses serve to confirm what I had already known about Dr. Caner's sincere character and tireless efforts to reach the lost with the gospel and equip Christians to defend the faith in a hostile world. Dr. Geisler and Dr. Caner are the two spiritual warriors I would most like next to me in the trenches doing battle for the cause of Christ." ---Dr. Joseph Holden, President of Veritas Evangelical Seminary, Murrieta, CA
When the statements by Caner are extrapolated from their contexts and isolated, they are then easily manipulated. But when you listen to the statements in context (the truth), then one can readily see the deceptions and falsehoods. So Geisler must excise the statements from their context. He then quickly argues the "misstatements" away as unintentional factual statements that are self-contradictory. Something we all do. But I doubt very highly that any one who is not trying to deceive would ever mix up his or her place of birth.
It looks like Geisler and Holden are preparing the way for Caner to join Veritas Evangelical Seminary. How ironic that a person prone to intentional falsehoods would join a seminary with the name Veritas.
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*"Tim Rogers of SBC Today (an organ of some Southern Baptist pastors), declared and defended his claim that Ergun Caner was "exonerated" of the charge against him by citing Merriam-Wesbsters definition "to clear from accusation or blame." He wrote, I used "exoneration" in the post announcing the completed investigation of Dr. Ergun Caner…. If one looks at the definition and then looks at the statement released from Liberty University, one has to admit that exoneration is not a stretch. Why? Notice what the statement says; "the committee found no evidence to suggest that Dr. Caner was not a Muslim who converted to Christianity as a teenager [which was the claim challenged by the critics]….Thus, I used the term "exoneration" because according to the statement released by the committee from Liberty University they cleared him from accusation or blame" (Posted June 29, 2010).
Sadly, Tim Rogers is more right than wrong. LU, intentionally or not, has left the door open for this type of interpretation. Caner was a Muslim who converted to Christianity as a teen. He made some misstatements. There were discrepancies. But the statement does not deal with the issue of intentional sin. So LU is culpable. Most likely, they were just trying to protect themselves from an employment related lawsuit. They never used the "L" word.
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