Just When You Thought the Caner Scandal Was Over

Two developments have hit the fan: the unraveling of more official (federal government) documents demonstrating Ergun Caner’s fraudulent background, and strong indications that while Caner is technically on staff with Liberty, he will not be teaching this fall.

Regarding the former, Alpha and Omega Ministries nicely summarizes:

Jason Smathers has produced more official, legal documentation relating to the many mythological claims made by Ergun Caner over the past nine years. The key fact established beyond question here? The exact date when the Caner family arrived in the United States from Sweden: September 13, 1969. Relevance? Ergun Caner was born November 3, 1966. That means Ergun Caner was two years, ten months, and ten days old when he came to these shores. Unless we are to believe that the Caners took so many trips to Turkey with young Ergun that he never went to school in Ohio, it is obvious, beyond all question, that Ergun learned English in the Ohio school system, even participating in school plays in high school (as documented from the relevant yearbooks). So remember this as you listen to the many sermons Ergun Caner has preached in which he narrates his coming here in 1979, from Turkey, where he lived “most of his life,” and how he wore Muslim garb and did not know anything about Christians (because there are so few in Turkey) and how he spoke broken English as he spoke to the Baptist pastor who led him to faith in Christ. And then compare the reality seen in the legal documentation, and consider the ramifications of the actions not only of Ergun Caner, but now of those who are enabling him to avoid confession and repentance.

Regarding the latter, Liberty students aren’t finding Ergun Caner on the course registry for next fall. See here and here. Therefore, while Caner is no longer the Dean of Liberty University and yet re-hired as a “professor,” he (evidently) won’t be teaching! Many are trying to contact the University Registrar to see if this is true. But, of course, they aren’t returning calls.

It appears that Liberty is once again avoiding justice and playing political games. Once you start covering up for someone, you’re forced to keep doing it. I’m not looking forward to seeing how far the largest evangelical university is willing to go to protect their troubling icon Ergun Caner.