Elmer Towns on Caner

J.D., this seems like a bold statement from Townes. Specifically, why do you disagree with it? What argument from the bloggers do you feel WOULD stand up in court?

 

I agree with the OP. Just follow the money:thumbs:

 

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/mayweb-only/28-11.0.html


Foes want Caner to admit to what they label as exaggerations and lies, including claims such as:

• Growing up in Turkey, when he actually grew up in Ohio.
• Being raised in a devout Muslim home, rather than a nominal one.
• Having been involved in Islamic jihad.
• Having debated dozens of Muslims about the Islamic faith, although there is no video or audio evidence.

 

swaimj,

I will ask you what I would like to ask Dr. Towns: Since when did this become the standard for Christian leadership?

 

Dr. Townes said it is not a legal issue or a moral issue and that the bloggers arguments would not stand up in court. If the issue is not legal or moral, what is the issue? That is what I am asking those who are attacking Caner.

 

swaimj,
I have not been one of the ones attacking Caner...I have never stated anything negative against him. All I have said is that if there is a problem, I sure hope that it will not blow up in Liberty's face.

Having stated this, I was very unhappy with Towns' response. He stated that the "bloggers" argument would not stand up in court. My question, that I would like to ask him, is when did this become a defensive standard for Christian leaders. A leader is fine so long as people can't get enough evidence that it could stand up in court. That seems ridiculous to me.

Lastly, Dr. Towns should have stated that the charges are false (if they are). If you have a Seminary President misleading the public for his own personal gain...it is very much an ethical and moral problem.

 

Agreed. What Caner has done for 9 and a half years is most certainly an ethical and moral problem i.e. -- sin. It was both sad and ridiculous for Dr.Towns to issue that kind of response.

And for Towns to say something along the lines of "We (that is Liberty) give him (Caner) theological leverage." is beyond stupid. He probably meant leeway. That is still stupid. Does the Lord allow for wiggle-room like this? Secular institutions like the NEW York Times have canned people for fabricating stories. Yet,Caner, because he is a cash cow for Liberty is given a pass?! That kind of liberty (pun intended) is not granted by the Word of God. It's shameful.

 

Thank goodness my school is at least (at last) launching a formal investigation!

http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/

 

I'm glad to hear this as well.

As a Liberty graduate student (not in the seminary), I was concerned for my school because of the lack of an investigation.

Better late than never, I suppose!

 

Hmm, some secular newspapers have raised questions largely due to the Christian bloggers who have been demened by Caner,Towns and by Liberty. That's kind of ironic. Brothers and sisters in the Lord have asked him to come clean -- now the world has to force it upon him. And still Ergun has not fessed up. He knows better than anyone how his lies are crashing around him -- but he won't admit anything but some stumbles and scrambled words. He better accept the inevitable and get this mess resolved long before the end of June. Each successive day of delay brings more disgrace.

 

To me it looks like Caner is done. Audios, goodbye, see you later. To launch an investigation and not "find" the lies and inconsistencies would to bring more heat down on Liberty then they have already experienced and they don't want any heat if they didn't first start the fire. Now the question turns to his brother down in Georgia, does some of this rub off on him as well and force him out as president of Truett-McConnell?

 

OK. This is a reasonable answer to my question. I'm not defending Caner as someone suggested. I understand the issues that have been raised and I hope the truth comes out and that all parties; bloggers, Caner, and LU respond properly to what is true.

 

The truth has been revealed for quite some time. What is needed is Caner's public confession of the truth --- the complete truth --with contrition. That would include lies he said about certain bloggers including Mo Khan,Debby Kaufman and her pastor Wade Burleson among others.

If Caner's confession is handled in a private manner the truth will not be properly served. He needs to make a clean sweep of it. And Liberty had better not (keeping the metaphor) try to sweep it under the rug. That would be crazy at this stage. Not just the Church, but the world is watching -- in particular Muslims who want to see if a prominent professing Christian leader really believes what he proclaims elsewhere.

The longer this is played out the worse it will be for Caner and Liberty. While his "investigation" is being carried out he better not be allowed to minister in any churches -- if he attempts to and someone puts it on Youtube he'll have even more "slips of the tongue" to keep track of and account for.

We'll see how the Lord deals with Caner.

 

We are assuming the investigation will naturally lead to Caner's resignation/dismissal. There are other options. A censure or exoneration could occur and Caner could keep his position and LBTS keep their guy. I pray that God will be glorified and that this sorry mess can be put to bed. LBTS has way too much at stake to be harmed by something as potentially destructive as this.

 

Tom,
I agree with your point about censure, but Towns already stated that an investigation had exonerated Caner. It seems that the University leadership feels that the story continues to get bigger or they would not go to this extent.

I will say this: I believe that Jerry Falwell Jr. is committed to seeing Liberty continue to expand in size and influence. If an investigation confirms the pattern that others are claiming, I doubt he will allow Liberty to be endangered in order to protect one individual.