The Ergun Caner affair saddens me deeply. Dr. Caner is an excellent orator. He has great delivery – great timing – and he knows how to get a laugh. I had hoped that the investigations made of Dr. Caner’s alleged autobiographical embellishments would lead Dr. Caner to confess that he had sinned, to repent of that sin, and to try to make amends for what he had done.
I was not a fan of Caner’s soteriological views before this affair came to light. Still, when a Muslim began accusing Caner of various things, I immediately came out in support of Caner and pointed out the triviality of some of the criticisms (mispronunciations of words, for example) and the absurdity of some of the claims (that Caner was never a Muslim). I even argued that a person who was named “Ergun Mehmet Caner” must certainly have been from a Muslim family. Little did I know that I had been misled regarding his name – Ergun Michael Caner was not who I had thought.
I believe it was the video of Caner saying that he was born in Istanbul (next to another one saying he was born in Stockholm) that opened my eyes. So, I began to address the issues in the hopes of restoring a man who I thought was a brother in Christ. I hoped that bringing these issues to light might persuade Caner to come clean – to correct the mistakes he made. He even appeared to be taking a step in that direction, when he issued an apology that referred to various misstatements. Unfortunately, it is hard to accept that the embellishments were just accidental misstatements.
While the investigation went on and quickly concluded at Liberty, I watched and hoped for Caner to repent. People encouraged me by suggesting that he might have possibly signed some kind of non-discussion deal with Liberty, requiring him to remain silent for a time. I was also encouraged to note that a lot of the embellishments that had come to light were not continued after mid-2010 (as far as we could tell).
I also tried to convince myself that Caner had altruistic reasons for these embellishments. They do make his stories more interesting and – until one discovers the truth – quite compelling. I convinced myself that Caner might have begun the embellishments as an attempt to get people fired up about the problem of Islam. I figured Caner may have made the “one anonymous high school boy” story more exciting to get high school kids willing and motivated to share the gospel.
Some have even suggested that Caner made himself appear as he did to try to win the Muslims. Unfortunately, I don’t see any evidence that Dr. Caner reached out to the Muslims to any large extent. Almost all of these embellishments were presented to primarily professing Christian audiences.
The fall-out has been big. The original Muslim critic who calls his site “fake ex muslims” still seems to want to argue that Ergun Caner was never a Muslim at all. But surely Caner probably did say the shahada at some point. His father was a serious enough Muslim that he legally changed his middle name from Martin to Mehmet. Moreover, his father left his three Christian sons Korans in his will.
So then – why this post? I still hold out hope that God will stir Caner’s conscience and he will repent and be restored. Maybe if he confronts himself with the facts that his comments were repeated – not one-time slips of the tongue – he will realize he owes his “critics” an apology.
A. Autobiographical Statements
1. “My full name is Ergun Mehmet Caner” or “Ergun Michael Mehmet Giovanni Caner.”
Caner’s real name is Ergun Michael Caner. On many occasions, however, he has referred to himself as though “Mehmet” were his middle name. He even did that on books that were published after September 11.
a) Short Version (“Ergun Mehmet Caner”)
So he claimed at Bell Shoals (link).
So he claimed at Liberty Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at Southwest Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge (link).
b) Long Version (“Ergun Michael Mehmet Giovanni Caner” or something close to that)
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at the Master’s College (link).
Based on the evidence we’ve located, Ergun Michael Caner began to use the alias “Ergun Mehmet Caner” shortly after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Caner at other times used an even more extravagant alleged full name of something sounding like “Ergun Michael Mehmet Giovanni Caner.”
We’ve discussed this in more detail here:
i) Ergun Caner’s Middle Name is what?
ii) Middle Name Issue Revisited (includes response to Geisler’s claim)
2. Ancestry / Religion
Ergun has made a number of claims about his ancestry over the years. From what we have been able to determine, Caner’s mother is Swedish and his father was Turkish. He has also made various claims about his religious upbringing.
a. 100% Turkish / Fully Turkish
Caner has sometimes claimed to have been 100% Turkish. In fact, I’m told that even this year he has made such a claim. I believe some of his supporters have claimed that although Caner’s mother was Swedish, her parents had adopted her and she was genetically Turkish.
So he claimed with Tom McCall.
So he claimed at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge (link).
So he claimed to Pastor Lloyd (link).
So he claimed at the Master’s College (link) (example of the “fully Turkish”).
b. Persian
Caner has sometimes claimed to have Persian ancestry (for example, on iTBN).
c. Anatolian (as distinct from Persian or Arab)
Caner has sometimes claimed to have Anatolian ancestry (for example, on Pastor’s Perspective and in San Diego.)
d. Eastern Turk, toward the Kurdish Regions
So he claimed in From Islam to Christianity (link)
e. One Half of my Family is Wahabi
So he claimed with Craig von Buseck (link).
f. One Half of my Family is Sunni
So he claimed with Craig von Buseck (link).
g. “Extreme Devout”
So he claimed as quoted by John Ankerburg (link)
h. Said prayers in Bathroom / Locker Room
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
i. Got a Muslim Tattoo Before Conversion
So he apparently claimed at GGBTS (link).
3. Places of Residence / Upbringing / Arrival in USA
As far as I can tell, Caner was born in Sweden, moved to the USA when he was two years old, and grew up in or around Columbus, Ohio.
a. “Lived under … Socialism, Facism, and Democracy” or “Socialism, Facism, Islamic Sharia law, and Democracy”
So he claimed on iTBN (link).
So he claimed on Issues Etc. (link).
b. (Always) Lived in “Majority” Muslims Locations
So he claimed at SBTS (link).
So he claimed in From Islam to Christianity (link)
So he claimed in “My Conversion from Islam to Christianity (link)
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed on the Lee Strobel Testimony video (link).
So he claimed at the North Alabama Bible Conference 2005 (link).
c. Lived in Istanbul
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he apparently claimed at Thomas Road Baptist Church (link).
d. Raised in a Madrasa in Istanbul
So he claimed on the Rick and Bubba Show (link).
e. Came as a Missionary to You
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed to Richard Land (link).
So he claimed at the California Christian Apologetics Conference 2006 (link).
So he claimed at the Master’s College (link).
f. Learned English in High School
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
g. Learned English by Studying American Dialects
So he apparently claimed at GGBTS (link).
h. Was counseled on Marriage before Coming to US
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
i. Learned About America from Andy Griffith before coming to US
So he claimed at SBTS (link).
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at Southwest Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed in his lecture, “Don’t mess with the book” (link).
So he claimed in San Diego (link).
So he claimed at the Master’s College (link).
j. Learned About America from Dukes of Hazzard (wanted to marry Daisy Duke)
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at Southwest Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed on the Rick and Bubba Show (link).
k. Watched Wrestling on Tapes Imported to Turkey
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
l. Viewed America, “all our lives,” as “Oz” where money could be made quickly
So he claimed in a book edited by Norman Geisler (link).
m. Raised in Turkey, Cairo, Egypt, and Beirut
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
n. Studied at a Madrasa in Beirut before coming to America
So he claimed at the California Christian Apologetics Conference 2006 (link).
o. Came to America at age 12
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
p. Came to America “when I was 13 years old”
So he claimed on the Rick and Bubba Show (link).
q. Came to America in our teenage years or as a teenage boy or “in my teens”
So he claimed to Richard Land (link).
So he claimed to Pastor Lloyd (link).
So he claimed at the North Alabama Bible Conference 2005 (link).
r. Came to America “entering high school”
So he claimed at the Master’s College (link).
s. Came to America in 1978 / during the Iran Crisis / “It was 1979″ / somehow connected with Ayatollah Khomeini
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at the California Christian Apologetics Conference 2006 (link).
So he claimed to Zola Levitt (link).
So he claimed at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge (link).
So he claimed to Pastor Lloyd (link).
So he claimed in a book edited by Norman Geisler (link).
So he claimed on the Rick and Bubba Show (link).
So he claimed at GGBTS (link).
t. “We finally settled in 1978″
So he claimed at Thomas Road Baptist Church (link).
u. Came to America in 1969
So he admitted in “The Secret of Islam” in 2011 (link)
So he admitted in a Turkish interview (link)
v. Had no Contact with Relatives in Turkey since 1969
So he admitted in a Turkish interview (link)
w. Came to America with both brothers
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed in a book edited by Norman Geisler (link).
x. Watched Christian TV (while a Muslim) to Critique it
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
y. Was Confused by High Heels and Toe Rings because of Turkish Culture
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
z. Lived in the Inner City / Cement Jungle / Attended an “Urban” Church
So he claimed at the California Christian Apologetics Conference 2006 (link).
So he claimed at GGBTS (link).
aa. Held Back a Year to Learn English
So he claimed at the California Christian Apologetics Conference 2006 (link).
4. Age at alleged Conversion
In “Unveiling Islam,” the brothers claim that Emir was saved on “November 4, 1982,” which was “the following year” from when Ergun was saved. That would mean that Ergun was saved in 1981, when he 14 (if it was before November 3, 1981) or barely 15. (see a special post on this topic) At the Master’s College the conversion of the brothers is said to be “in the years that followed” (link).
Ergun Caner graduated high school in the Spring of 1984. So, if he was converted in 1982, that would imply either the second half of his sophomore year, or the first half of his junior year. If he was converted in 1981, that would imply either the first half of his sophomore year, or the second half of his freshman year. Ergun Caner was born November 3, 1966, so he would have been 16 on November 4, 1982 and 15 on November 4, 1981.
a. November 4, 1982
So he claimed on the Lee Strobel Testimony video (link).
b. “Late in Life” or “Later in Life”
So he claimed at the 2013 Summer Bible Conference (link).
So he claimed at the Buffalo Baptist Church 2013 Easter Sermon (link).
So he claimed at Bell Shoals (link).
c. “Three years to enter the church” (seemingly implying the fourth is when he entered) or “for three years” said no
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at Thomas Road Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at the North Alabama Bible Conference 2005 (link).
d. “Three and a half years”/ “Almost Four Years” / “Four Years” into High School
So he claimed at the 2013 Summer Bible Conference (link).
So he claimed at Bell Shoals (link).
So he claimed at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge (link).
So he claimed at the Value Voters Summit 2009 (link).
So he claimed on the Rick and Bubba Show (link).
e. Brothers saved one year later and/or while Caner was in College and/or Caner was in College one year (or eight months) after conversion
So he claimed at the 2013 Summer Bible Conference (link).
So he claimed on the Pastor’s Perspective (link).
So he claimed at Bell Shoals (link).
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed to Richard Land (link).
So he claimed at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge (link).
f. “Senior Year” / “going into my Senior Year” / “Senior”
So he claimed in his testimony at Free CD Tracts (link).
So he claimed in “Why I am not a Muslim” (link).
So he claimed at Liberty Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed on Issues Etc. (link).
So he claimed at Southwest Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed in San Diego (link).
So he claimed at GGBTS (link).
g. “almost my senior year”
So he claimed on the Lee Strobel Testimony video (link).
h. Evangelism of Caner began his sophomore year
So he claimed on the Lee Strobel Testimony video (link).
i. “almost in college”
So he claimed in PHIL104 (link)
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at Campus Church (link).
So he claimed at Southwest Baptist Church (link).
j. Read through Bible as “Young Boy”.
So he claimed on iTBN (link).
(I have neglected to post the places where Ergun Caner said he went to a revival, because he thought it was “re-bible,” and he had never touched a Bible.)
k. “17 Years of my life” as a Muslim or “17 years old”
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at the Master’s College (link).
l. “17 and a half”
So he claimed at Campus Church (link).
m. “almost 18″
So he claimed to Richard Land (link).
n. “18 Years of my life” he thought Christians hated him or he was immersed in Islam or he was 18 for his first Easter
So he claimed on iTBN (link).
So he claimed at Buffalo Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed in PHIL104 (link)
So he claimed at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge (link).
o. “18 years old, foot-long Muslim mullet hanging off the back of my head”
So he claimed at the North Alabama Bible Conference 2005 (link).
p. “Did not pick up a Bible until he was 18 years old”
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
q. At age 30 had “been a Christian then for 12 years”
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
r. “Muslim for 20 years”
So he claimed at SBTS (link).
s. Muslim until “almost 20″
So he claimed with Craig von Buseck (link).
So he claimed on Issues Etc. (link).
t. “half my life”
So he claimed with Craig von Buseck (link).
So he claimed in PHIL104 (link)
So he claimed in the LouRugg foreword (link)
u.”late teens”
So he claimed on Issues Etc. (link).
v. “Summer of the Year between my Junior and my Senior Year”
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
w. Both his brothers got saved at his first sermon
So he claimed in “My Conversion from Islam to Christianity (link)
So he claimed at his Prestonwood sermon (link).
So he seemed to claim at Liberty Baptist Church (link).
So he seemed to claim at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
x. Heard the Gospel before he came to America?
1) Yes
So he claimed on Issues Etc. (link).
2) No
So he claimed to Zola Levitt (link).
5. Studied Jihad
Caner has seemed to suggest over the years that he was trained in jihad. His claims:
He was taught jihad al-asghar in Columbus, or so he claimed at the 2013 Summer Bible Conference (link).
He was taught to convert by the sword, or so he claimed on Issues Etc. (link).
So he seemingly claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link) with reference to a “Madras”.
So he seemingly claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link) by saying that he was “assuming that I was going to die for Allah.”
He was in the Islamic Youth Jihad in Ohio and Turkey, or so he claimed to Richard Land (link).
He was in the Islamic Youth Jihad with his brothers, or so he claimed to Zola Levitt (link).
He was a “jahideen”, or so he claimed at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge (link).
He came to “get” us, or so he claimed at the Master’s College (link).
6. Arabic Knowledge
Dr. Caner has alleged or suggested knowledge of the Arabic language on a number of occasions. these claims don’t seem justified (see this discussion from Dr. White and his Arabic tutor). While Dr. Caner clearly has memorized some Arabic phrases and words, I don’t think he himself would claim to be able to translate Arabic today.
a. Claimed to Translate Arabic Language Document
Claimed to translate a fatwa (with his brother), as analyzed here (link).
b. Speaking Apparent Gibberish, Supposedly Arabic
So he did at SBTS (link).
So he did at Superconference 2005 (link)
So he did at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he did at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge (link).
So he claimed on the Rick and Bubba Show (link).
Here’s a nice comparison of two clips allegedly of the same phrase (link) regarding what is supposedly written on a wall of a mosque in Kabul.
c. Arabic was his Language before English
So he claimed in From Islam to Christianity (link)
d. Told the Story of Ishmael and Isaac at the Dome of the Rock in Arabic
So he claimed at Superconference 2005 (link)
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
e. Knows the Arabic (about the word for “beat” in the Koran)
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
f. Spoke English with an Accent and/or Broken English
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
g. Claimed to be Writing a Commentary on the Koran
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link)
So he claimed on the John Ankerberg Show (link)
h. Challenges Muslims to debate in Arabic
So he claimed to Richard Land (link).
i. English was not his First or Second Language
So he claimed to Richard Land (link).
j. Able to read and translate the Koran
So he claimed to Zola Levitt (link).
k. Claimed to Speak Arabic
So he claimed at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge (link).
l. Claimed to just Speak Memorized Arabic Phonetically like Roman Catholics and Latin
So he claimed in San Diego (link).
m. Referred to Arabic (with Turkish) as “Our Language”
So he did at the Master’s College (link).
7. Turkish Knowledge
Less often (from what I’ve heard), Caner has claimed (or suggested) he was able to speak Turkish. In fact, I suspect Caner knows a lot more Swedish than Turkish.
a. Speaks to Son in Turkish
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
b. States some apparent gibberish is Turkish
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
c. Claims to speak Turkish
So he claimed at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge (link).
d. Referred to Turkish (with Arabic) as “Our Language”
So he did at the Master’s College (link).
8. “We Dressed Differently”?
Caner has claimed that prior to his conversion he dressed in a way that was distinctively different from typical Americans, such as wearing Keffiyah, wearing robes, and so on. On the other hand, most of the pictures we find of him and his father show him wearing typical American clothing (Link to Counter-evidence including response to Geisler’s attempted defense). (Sadly, Caner seems to be making it sound like this was his normal outfit back in the day.)
So he claimed in “My Conversion from Islam to Christianity (link)
So he claimed at Liberty Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at the California Christian Apologetics Conference 2006 (link).
So he claimed at Thomas Road Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed on the Lee Strobel Testimony video (link).
So he claimed at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge (link).
So he claimed to Pastor Lloyd (link).
So he claimed at the Value Voters Summit 2009 (link).
So he claimed at the North Alabama Bible Conference 2005 (link).
So he claimed in San Diego (link).
So he claimed at the Master’s College (link).
9. Disowned by His Family
Caner was apparently disowned by his non-custodial father upon converting to Christianity (isn’t that tragedy enough?). However, Caner has sometimes claimed that he was disowned by his “family” (for example, with Tom McCall and on Watchmen on the Wall and to Richard Land) or that he “lost my family” (for example, on Pastor’s Perspective, at Values Voter Summit 2010 and at Liberty Baptist Church and with Pastor Lloyd and on the Rick and Bubba Show) or that he “had no family” (for example, Ashburn Baptist Church or Southewest Baptist Church).
10. Regarding his Father
Caner seems to enjoy making his father seem very important. I don’t personally recall him saying his father was an imam, but Caner compared himself to a preacher’s kid (PK) (sorry, I haven’t included that one in this list).
a. Son of a Muslim Leader?
The only corroborating evidence of leadership we can find is in an association (see the discussion here regarding his prominence in the community) and Jimal Jivanjee’s memory that has him as a leader in the community.
b. “An Ulema” (sic) / A Muezzin / Haddithic Scholar
i) A Muezzin
So he claimed on Issues Etc. (link).
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link) (even claimed he climbed a minaret).
So he claimed at the California Christian Apologetics Conference 2006 (link) (claimed he climbed a minaret).
So he claimed to Pastor Lloyd (link).
So he claimed at the North Alabama Bible Conference 2005 (link).
So he claimed at the Master’s College (link).
In “Unveiling Islam,” the brothers claim that “Father did the call to prayer on occasion.” (p. 17) One assumes that this is the true story.
ii) “An Ulema” (sic)
So he claimed at SBTS (link).
So he claimed in the LouRugg foreword (link)
So he claimed on Issues Etc. (link).
So he claimed at the Value Voters Summit 2009 (link).
So he claimed at the North Alabama Bible Conference 2005 (link).
So he claimed on the Rick and Bubba Show (link).
So he claimed at the Master’s College (link).
iii) A Hadithic Scholar
So he claimed at SBTS (link).
c. Architect (or Civil Engineer)?
Caner has repeatedly claimed that his father was an architect, but the evidence we’ve located has not corroborated this assertion (link to discussion of the topic).
So he claimed at Thomas Road Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed to Pastor Lloyd (link).
So he claimed in a book edited by Norman Geisler (link).
So he claimed at the Master’s College (link). (including claim to have worked on a mosque in Brooklyn and in Toledo)
d. Built Mosques?
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link) (but he didn’t seem to know that mosques have minbars in another message at the same church)
So he claimed to Richard Land (link), including claiming to have built them in Toledo and Columbus, Ohio (see this special item regarding the Toledo mosque).
So he claimed at Thomas Road Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed to Pastor Lloyd (link).
e. Surrounded by Caliphats (sic) at his death?
See the discussion here (link).
f. Father’s “Wives” / Polygamy
One of the claims he made about his father is that his father had “other wives” besides Caner’s mother or “many wives.” While it appears Caner’s father did remarry after divorcing, there does not appear to be any way to substantiate these seeming allegations of polygamy.
i) His father had “many wives”
So he claimed in From Islam to Christianity (link)
So he claimed to Richard Land (link).
So he claimed in his lecture, “Don’t mess with the book” (link).
So he claimed at the North Alabama Bible Conference 2005 (link).
ii) His father had “multiple wives”
So he claimed to Richard Land (link).
iii) His father had “other wives”
So he claimed in “My Conversion from Islam to Christianity (link)
So he claimed at Southwest Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge (link).
So he claimed to Pastor Lloyd (link).
So he claimed at the Value Voters Summit 2009 (link).
iv) His Mom discovered his father was married to more than one woman
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
v) His Father immigrated with wives (sometimes with reference to Abraham lie)
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at the California Christian Apologetics Conference 2006 (link).
vi) His Father’s “Second Wife” convinced the brothers to visit their dying father
So he claimed in Unveiling Islam (link)
11. Mother Issues
Sometimes, Caner has portrayed his mother as though she were a devout or practicing Muslim. She may have been for a while, but Emir’s accounts portray her as more of a hippy universalist, by the time that Ergun Caner allegedly converted.
a. Took off her Hijab or Chador in Baptistry
So he claimed in From Islam to Christianity (link)
So he claimed at the California Christian Apologetics Conference 2006 (link).
So he claimed at the North Alabama Bible Conference 2005 (link).
b. Wore the Chador
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
c. Wore the Chador even after the brothers’ conversion
So he claimed to Richard Land (link).
d. Mother was a Wahabi
So he claimed to Richard Land (link).
e. Mother was a Sufi
So he seemingly claimed to Richard Land (link).
12. Half-Brothers
We can’t find any evidence of Caner having any half-brothers. For example, no such men are found in Acar Caner’s will. Nevertheless, Caner has claimed to have them.
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge (link).
13. Seemingly Unrelated Issues
Not all of Caner’s seeming embellishments relate to supposedly being a devout Muslim. The following are some examples of issues where one’s eyebrows are raised:
a) Fat as a Child?
See the discussion here (link)
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
b) Father-in-law from “Possum Kill, NC”?
There is a separate post on this subject (link). In short, there does not appear to be such a place. I’m told that when Caner was at Liberty he had some kind of row boat with “Possum Kill” lettered on the side, but I can’t confirm that this.
So he claimed at Bell Shoals (link).
So he claimed at Liberty Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at Southwest Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge (link).
So he claimed at the North Alabama Bible Conference 2005 (link).
So he claimed at GGBTS (link).
c) First Job
i) Not a Convenience Store
So he claimed at SBTS (link).
He claimed he didn’t work at a convenience store, at Thomas Road Baptist Church (link).
ii) A Convenience Store
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at the Master’s College (link).
d) Roller Skating
i) Overdid it
So he claimed at Fall Chapel 2010 (link)
ii) You can’t roller skate in sand
(Need to find where this was)
e) Church in which he was Saved
i) Doesn’t exist any more
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
ii) Still exists
It does apparently exist.
f) Was a Straight C Student in College
So he claimed at GGBTS (link), although he apparently was a Presidential scholar in college.
B. Debating Claims
There are very few things that Caner has done (that we know of) that could qualify as debates. Apparently, Caner engaged the Rational Response Squad in some kind of dialog some years ago, and apparently Caner had an email exchange with one Muslim apologist. Caner may also have appeared on TV along side a Muslim talking head (although I can’t seem to find any such clip of Caner). Aside from this, we are still hoping to find some evidence of Caner actually debating anyone, although Caner does seem to have brought a few speakers into class for an informal dialog (as discussed here). Nevertheless, we see Caner making a number of claims.
1. Formal Debates with Timed Speeches, etc.
Sometimes people have claimed that Caner just meant informal dialogs. On at least one occasion, Caner explicitly described the alleged kind of format of these debates.
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
2. “I do Debates” or “Muslims … will debate us” (or similar phrase)
So he claimed with Craig von Buseck (link).
So he claimed on the John Ankerberg Show (link)
So he claimed at the Master’s College (link).
3. Frequent Debates
In a number of places, Caner claims that his life includes a lot of getting yelled at in debates or speaking to hostile crowds.
So he claimed with Tom McCall
So he claimed on iTBN.
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge (link).
So he claimed at GGBTS (link).
4. “Many Debates over the past 10 years”
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
5. 13 Colleges and Universities
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
6. Debate at University of North Texas
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
7. Debated Imam named “Abi”
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at SBTS (link).
8. Debated Woman Muslim Scholar
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link). (Allegedly on Wayne Shepherd open line radio / Moody show)
So he claimed at Southwest Baptist Church (link). (Only here he claims it was at the University of Chicago)
So he claimed on the Rick and Bubba Show (link).
9. 41 Debates
So he claimed at SBTS (link).
10. 60 Debates / Sixty-some-odd Debates
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
11. Debated Shabir Ally
So he claimed at SBTS (link).
So he claimed to Richard Land (link).
13. Debated in Nebraska
So he claimed to Richard Land (link).
14. Debated “Sunni, Sufi, Alawite, Shia” Muslims
So he claimed in his testimony at Free CD Tracts (link).
15. Had enough to debates to refer to them as “every debate” or “all of my debates”
So he claimed in From Islam to Christianity (link)
So he claimed at Southwest Baptist Church (link).
16. Was “Rushed” on the Platform
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
17. Twelve Years of Debating
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
18. Debated in May 2005
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
19. Debated at the University of Chicago
So he claimed at Southwest Baptist Church (link).
20. About Fifty Debates per Year
So he claimed at the North Alabama Bible Conference 2005 (link).
C. Incorrect Statements Regarding Islam/Hadith/Koran
One troubling aspect of Caner’s autobiography is that he presents himself as a former devout Muslim, steeped in knowledge of Islam, etc. On the other hand, he makes a number of erroneous statements about the Koran, Hadith, and Islamic issues.
1. Mohammed/Koran Teaches that Ishmael not Isaac was almost killed by Abraham
A number of times, Caner has claimed that the Koran teaches (or Mohammed taught) that Ishmael, rather than Isaac, was nearly sacrificed on the mount. While such a view is widespread among modern Muslims, you can’t find that statement in the Koran.
So he claimed with Tom McCall.
So he claimed at Superconference 2005.
So he claimed on Issues Etc.
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed at GGBTS (link).
2. Mohammed Borrowed from the Gospel of Barnabas
A number of times, Caner has claimed that Mohammed borrowed from the Gospel of Barnabas. This is impossible, since the Gospel of Barnabas was written hundreds of years after the Koran.
So he claimed on iTBN.
Se he claimed on Issues Etc.
So he claimed on the John Ankerberg Show (link)
3. Mohammed Didn’t Believe we Worship the Same God
Caner sometimes claims (quite correctly) that we don’t worship the same deity as Islam. However, Caner has also alleged that Muslims, and at least in one case Mohammed himself, also do not believe this (link to “Secrets of Islam” discussion of this point). Caner is wrong, as far as the Koran is concerned.
So he claimed at Ashburn Baptist Church (link).
So he claimed on the John Ankerberg Show (<a href="ht