Liars for Jesus: Will the Lies Ever End?

A number of christians, it seems, just can't help but continuously put their feet in their mouths. The dishonesty of countless christians that has been documented is appalling and obviously hypocritical. I found the following article about Liberty University’s Seminary President, Ergun Caner, who seems to have lied about his past.

But this isn't the only instance of christians being hypocrites and liars. See here, here, and here.



Lying for Jesus: Liberty U’s seminary President makes up life story

Written by Jenny Donati, May 21, 2010

Liberty University’s Seminary President has an exciting past, which he uses as his Christian witness. Trouble is, it didn’t happen.

Ergun Caner is the President of Liberty University’s seminary. Liberty University, of course, is the school founded by Jerry Falwell, and currently headed by Jerry Falwell, Jr.

Caner often tells crowds that he was born into a strict Muslim family and raised as a Muslim in Turkey until he was 17. He was taught to hate Christians and America from birth, and even considered jihad. But then Jesus came to see him, he converted, and convinced his family to become fundamentalist Christians as well.

What a powerful witness! Just the sort of thing a Christian fundamentalist university wants to promote!

Caner also claims to be an expert on Islam, stating that he has debated any number of prominent Muslims. He even claims to have debated Muslim apologist Shabir Ally.

One little problem. After weeks of blogosphere chatter, which finally reached the print media -- in the evangelical Christianity Today, no less -- Liberty University has launched an investigation into Caner’s storied past. Seems all is not quite as he says.

Caner was born in Sweden. He moved (rather, he WAS moved by his parents) to Ohio when he was four years of age. His father was indeed Muslim, but his mother? Lutheran. They divorced while he was still a child, not long after the move to Ohio. His mother got sole custody.

Caner converted to evangelical Christianity in his teens.

So, let’s see: Not raised in Turkey until 17 (or apparently at all). Not raised Muslim until 17. Not recruited for jihad. Apparently, Caner’s claim to a Muslim background is as exaggerated as claims made about Obama’s.

But it’s still a powerful story, no? And who says he can’t be an expert on Islam?

This expert apparently doesn’t know the Shehada from a prayer.

Mohammad Khan, a Muslim, says among the many troubling aspects of Caner’s video presentations are several examples when Caner claims to be reciting the Shehada, part of the Islamic creed, when in actuality he is quoting an important prayer from the Qur’an. The two are very different.

“Christians are under the impression that he is some sort of Islamic expert,” Khan told CT. “He isn’t.”

And his claims of debates? There’s no video or audio evidence, and Shabir Ally doesn’t remember him at all.

More detail on Alternet.

Thanks to Americans United.