VES Statement Regarding Dr. Ergun Caner

VES Statement Regarding Dr. Ergun Caner

Thank you for your inquiry regarding Dr. Ergun Caner. As far as VES is concerned, our policy regarding adjunct professors is to base any disciplinary decision on the professor’s home school investigation and conclusions on moral and/or theological matters such as these. Liberty University has conducted an exhaustive independent investigation of these charges and issued their conclusions in a June 29, 2010 statement as follows:

After a thorough and exhaustive review of Dr. Ergun Caner’s public statements, a committee consisting of four members of Liberty University’s Board of Trustees has concluded that Dr. Caner has made factual statements that are self-contradictory. However, the committee found no evidence to suggest that Dr. Caner was not a Muslim who converted to Christianity as a teenager, but, instead, found discrepancies related to matters such as dates, names and places of residence. Dr. Caner has cooperated with the board committee and has apologized for the discrepancies and misstatements that led to this review. Dr. Caner’s current contractual term as Dean of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary expires on June, 30, 2010. Dr. Caner will no longer serve as Dean of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. The university has offered, and Dr. Caner has accepted, an employment contract for the 2010-2011 academic year. Dr. Caner will remain on the faculty of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary as a professor.

 Since Dr. Caner’s conversion testimony was validated, he was not charged with any legal, moral, mal-intent, or theological heresy, only “misstatements” (common to all speakers, for which he has apologized), VES will be retaining Dr. Caner as a valued adjunct faculty member and regular speaker at VES conferences. In light of these findings, VES considers Dr. Caner exonerated from all charges.

Sincerely,

Veritas Evangelical Seminary

Murrieta, California

July 1, 2010

Foolishly it is the official statement of Veritas Evangelical Seminary that during the following lectures given at Marine Corp Air Station New River, Ergun never intentionally claimed that he came to America in 1978 with a polygamist father.





Listen for yourself.

HT:  Ephesians 5:11

Ergun Caner preaches in Arabic at the Dome of the Rock

I saw this tweet by Ergun from his most recent Israel trip and I could not help but think about his claim to have preached in Arabic in the Dome of the Rock.  Also, he has claimed to have come to Israel twice before the age of 16.

The first clip is from Ashburn Baptist Church, September 2005.  The second clip is from Thomas Road's Super Conference 2005, October 2005.  The third clip is from Liberty's Israel Trip, February 2010. Email me for any of the unedited sources.

I think at this point I am pretty well convinced that Ergun does not have the ability to preach in Arabic.  However, there were tons of witnesses to these Arabic sermons.  I would like to hear from them.

Below is my only Arabic video.  Also, James White attempted to translate some Ergun's Arabic.  Also, I find that there is almost nothing that Ergun has said that Mohammed Khan did not know about before me. 

Member of Prestonwood says he was kicked out for questions

All of the normal caveats here follow. We only have one side of the story here, but I thought that this was pressing enough to highlight.  This video was posted yesterday by crtynes77.

I was sitting on the hood of my car patiently waiting to ask Mike Buster why he cancelled our meeting when 3 security guards came out of the building, including the director of Security. The Dir got right in my personal space as you can see and I was lucky I pressed record properly as I couldn't see the screen. I missed the first minute or so of the conversation. This is unbelievable!!

 He then goes on to explain this in the comment section.

The Dir of Ops at Prestonwood called shortly thereafter and threatened action against me if I attempted to contact anyone at Prestonwood or even stepped foot on campus. When I asked if I was allowed to attend church, he simply reiterated, "You are not to step foot on Prestonwood campus again." and then hung up. This is how they treat a long term member who wanted to ask a few questions. I didn't want to believe this was a cover-up, but you decide.

According to Dee Parsons, the canceled meeting was about John Langworthy, a child molester that Prestonwood did not report to the police in 1989. (They only fired him.) Since Langworthy confessed in a Mississippi pulpit, this has been a source of embarrassment for Prestonwood and all the churches who did not report this serial child molester to the cops. 

I can imagine that many members want answers. I will try to post more about this story, but something tells me that Dee will have the best coverage over at The Wartburg Watch.

PS - I have a video in my Does Emir Know? series about Ergun's sermon at Prestonwood. 

Contact Ergun directly...

This was recently posted in the comment section on FBCJAXWatchdog's post about "Ergun Caner - the Lance Armstrong of Evangelical Christianity - Finally Returns to Prominent SBC Pulpit, Where Decade of Deceit Began." Obviously the normal caveats need to be said here.  As Ergun has proven, anyone can say anything on the internet, especially without sourcing.  Also, anecdotes are one of the weakest forms of evidence.  All of that being said, I wanted to share this comment.

Simon C. said...

Anyone ever had the bright idea of trying to email Caner directly? I tried because I thought that all the allegations couldn't possibly be true. I get the most friendly guy on the planet, until I mention that I think that he should repent of the things I thought legitimate. Then he blew up at me about it and ended the conversation. That showed me what was what in this matter. I may not agree with the Watchdog on everything (I think that some things he goes after are more than a little nit-picky) but I certainly do on this matter. And it makes me look at everything the people connected to Ergun Caner say in a different light.

I have tried to contact Ergun directly.  I think that I fall under his do not respond to critics policy.  In fairness, I remember what it was like having Ergun in the seminary.  His emails went through his secretary.  At Liberty, if an important professor responded to your email, it was more than likely that the response actually came from their secretary on their behalf, even on theological questions.  (If you ever want to get anything done, talk to the secretaries.)  I can think of one professor who received the same theological questions over and over.  Instead of forwarding the questions on, his secretary started answering the FAQs herself. 

Like when he was at Liberty, the sheer volume of email that Ergun receives probably prevents him from responding to them all.  Perhaps, just perhaps, he should not invite email if he cannot respond to them.  Perhaps, just perhaps, some of Ergun's defenders should not demand that we contact Ergun directly if he will not respond or will not respond in a cordial manner.

Back when I knew Ergun, he enjoyed his facebook account, because it was just him.  His secretary had nothing to do with it, even though I think she eventually figured out the password.   This was about the same time that the Marine videos were filmed.  Over the last couple of years, I have begun to wonder how much of what I "knew" was true.

Haters are crickets

Some days, I don't get Ergun.  He says that he is on the front lines debating and enjoying conflict.  Then he also teaches that people are to avoid their critics, especially on the web. 

I would like to talk to Ergun, but he does not want to talk to me.  Oh well, I guess I will just have to keep making videos about his father smuggling women across the border.