Sadly the "good ole boy" network is pervasive in all aspects of our society, particularly anything political in nature. Governor Palin talked about the "good ole boy" network in Alaska in 2008.
Perhaps some have, I have not. I'm sure Dr Caner is a fine Christian who has been taking strides to restore his life and ministry. I wish him the best.
Since I'm not a Calvinist nor Reformed my agenda is not because Dr Caner relentlessly pursued an agenda of removing folks who hold those positions from the faculty of his school. As I've noted above I have drawn my criticisms not from Dr James White (who I have previously noted has gone beyond the bounds of acceptable criticism) nor from Muslim interlopers. My primary issue, as dealt with above, has been the unrepentance from numerous issues where he openly bore false witness during preaching and in books concerning his history and accomplishments.
His ongoing legal action against criticisms from other believers violates Scripture and is a second mark. Of course, Dr Caner has not sinned against me. I do not hold him in ill-repute. However, until he relents of the legal action and offers a complete apology I have difficulty accepting his installation as a spiritual and institutional leader. Even at a marginal rural school in Georgia.
It bothers me that the committee of Georgia Baptists would use the rationale and language that they have in support of him. Dr Caner's actions severed a Muslim outreach in our area where a local mullah was able to leverage his indecretions to push this ministry (which our church actively participates in and supports) out of the community where it had been for about five years. We are just now reestablishing connections.
I do not hold Dr Caner in ill will nor do I question his academic credentials. There is no doubt that he has a passion for evangelism, a call to ministry, and is living a Jesus centered life. Leaders are called to a higher mark.
I've not quoted White, and I don't read much of White. I believe he, for example, is as much responsible for the KJV Only controversy as are the very few, small-in-number advocates for an "inspired" English version being extant in the KJV.
I've seen the videos of what Caner has said, and I've seen his denials that he said the things those videos clearly show he did say. He has convicted himself of the allegations, and I'm not confident he should have a position of authority such as the one he's been given.
Caner is no excuse for so called severing ties for muslim outreach. The muslims hate him because he was Muslim and now he is Christian. They will use every excuse they can to tear him down.
If other Christians want to use that as an excuse then it has become a sad day. Very sad. It only shows how far Christians go to eat their own.
If you don't know whether or not he has, is it truly correct
to hold it over his head as though he has not?
I didn't say it justified his past actions. There was mention of him suing other believers. I was simply questioning why there was no mention of what "other believers" were wrongly doing to him?
Does his past actions justify their current actions? That's why I said this appears to be more than just trying to correct someone. It seems a bit petty and vindictive as though they are out to get him at any cost.
We obviously don't have all the details of his past actions that the school who is hiring him does. So how are our actions justifed in holding something over his head as though he hasn't confessed of it and repented if we don't have all the details?
It sounds as petty and an attempt to nail the man to a wall as the efforts of the bloggers appears to be.
This doesn't appear to be an attempt to correct or rebuke but rather to destroy.
Which makes no sense. The man is a Brother in Christ. Why are his Brothers in Christ PUBLICLY going after him like this?
This behavior is very unChristlike and it seems to be much more deeply rooted in getting rid of him than it is correcting him and calling him to repentance.
There was a disturbing thread a while back in which members here revealed bizarre fantasies about jobs they'd like to see Caner reduced to doing.
Fish gutter and 'humbling' blue collar factory work were suggested.
This is why, unless we're dealing with the teachings of God that have gone out
falsely, things like this need to be handled personally and behind the scenes.
As it is this appears to be a smear campaign to ruin any ministry the man might embark upon.
Now I would never condone him telling lies if he did. But the actions of these bloggers in their seeming attempts to destroy this man...this CHRISTIAN Brother... as opposed to gently pointing him to repentance speaks to a very ugly strain of wickedness that stinks up to God's nostrils.
Or... If he would simply own his deceptions (not mere misstatements, but lies told in public forums and for great personal profit) and publicly repent. Asking for that is not being hateful, but biblical.
A repentant man in his public position would go to great pains to make sure everyone who is concerned knew of repentance. I've seen no such evidence. Public ministry requires public accountability.
He's trying to get them to remove from their blogs videos that prove he lied about his past. That information is in at least two of the links that have been posted on this thread.
He is unrepentant. How do we know this? Because he has not publicly repented, and is instead engaging in lawsuits asserting ownership of the videos which prove his guilt, in order to purge the evidence of his past wrongs from the Internet.
The only thing the school has said about his appointment is that it was done after much prayer and consideration.
"Bloggers accused Caner of embellishing his background ... ?" He did embellish his background and is in the process of trying to ignore, hide and/or destroy the evidence. The college has taken an irresponsible action, given Caner's failure to stand aside from public ministry, repent of his sin, and reconcile himself to God. These are facts. They can't be disputed. The videos don't lie. Caner, however, does, and isn't interested in repenting.
I think it is the result of an honest effort to correct and rebuke that has fallen on deaf ears, those of a guilty man more interested in self than in Christ. I find no fault with the bloggers. They "went to their brother" first individually and then as "two or three witnesses" and he did nothing. Therefore they went to the church, which in light of his very public ministry extending far beyond a local church, is to be understood as the body of Christ.
Okay. So is their behavior of Christ? It just looks off when you've got folks talking about his unChristlike behavior while engaging in their obvious own unChristlike behavior.
Apparently the schools that keep hiring him know something that we don't because they haven't taken issue.
So if he hasn't, the bloggers have decided to go after him until he does? Not of Christ.
Why would they go to him? That's the procedure for personal wrongs. How did he personally wrong them?