Ergun Caner to Ohio Free Will Baptists: Growing Up I Learned About Americans on Turkish Television

I have now heard probably the most troubling exaggeration from Ergun Caner: Caner explaining in great detail how he learned about America while watching TV growing up in Istanbul, Turkey. To just say "I came from Turkey" or "I lived in Turkey" is one thing, its another to spend several minutes describing TV shows that you saw while growing up in Turkey.

I realize there is no more need of additional proof of Caner exaggerations, but if what Wade Burleson says is true and the Chancellor of Liberty University is reviewing Ergun's new version of his biography right now, they might want to listen to THESE excerpts to make sure they get it right this time.

I still hope that Caner will come forth and give an apology.

If the public records are correct, and if his own words in his book co-authored with his brother are correct, Ergun moved to the states in 1970 when he was the age of 4, and never lived in Turkey.

But in the sermon exercpt below, delivered in early 2007, Ergun explains in great detail that what he learned about America he learned watching American television shows broadcast in Turkey - growing up in Istanbul.

This excerpt was taken from one of Ergun Caner's four sermons preached at the Men's Retreat of the Ohio State Association of Free Will Baptists in early 2007.

Each sermon is available for downloading here (until they are taken down after this post goes up).

Caner says the following about his upbringing in Istanbul, Turkey:

"Until I came to this country, I saw thru television. It was whatever the Turkish government allowed into the country that passed through the censors, and secondly it was what was basically free, or didn't have to be translated. And so we got a lot of sports. And we got a lot of shows that, would uh, would, would be self explanatory. And that, that actually became this big window into, uh, uh, America for me. Uh, for instance, 'Andy Griffith' was, was, um, a show that we would get. I didn't understand it, but I thought all of America was sort of like Mayberry, and, um, it's true, I thought all of America was like Mayberry. It was in black and white and they sent it for free, and, and so I thought, and I, uh, moved to New York. And its not a real good comparison there, um.

"The second thing is was, was, American baseball. And, the, Cubs, WGN, would send Cubs games. And I learned American baseball by watching, you didn't have to translate it, you just you, you watch the game. You would hear, uh, apparently it turned out to be Harry Carey in the background, um, and that's how I thought American's talked, um, but that was, that was, you didn't have to translate it.

"The, the, third thing that I got, uh, which is a little embarrassing, but it's true. Was, uh, out of Atlanta, Georgia - and in Instanbul it played every two weeks for two hours, we would get a tape, of - uh, I guess it was a tape, they'd put it on, uh, Turkish television, there on Haberity, which was the station. Georgia, championship 'wrastling'. And nobody ever told me that it was fake, you understand. So you will hear me constantly throw out references to things that, that, from my youth, because, I thought Americans were the toughest people on the planet. Um, you got hit in the head with shoes, boots, and uh, chains, and I thought Rick Flair was the governor, and, and, and Dusty Rhoads was the uh, was the mayor and so that was my upbringing, um. "

Is he purposely deceiving these people, or does he perhaps believe his own stories?

Also in these four sermons, you will hear a sampling of just about every exaggeration that he's used, including:

- references to his debates that he has had at college campuses all over America and in London, discussing in detail his debating philosophy...debates that James White says have never happened.

- states that he is Turkish, makes no mention of his birth in Sweden, and that he came to the states to Brooklyn in his "early teens".

- However, the year of moving to America is now 1978, and his family came as "missionaries to you" to build mosques. The year 1978 is significant, he says, in that it is the same year that Ayatollah Khomeni declared 'We will not stop until America is an Islamic nation.'

- Takes a swipe at Mexicans: says that "his people" come here to America faster than any group except for Mexicans, and we (Turks) "don't come in the back of Chevy's". Hardy-har-har.

- used the line "Jesus strapped himself to a cross so I wouldn't have to strap a bomb to myself." Yes, if not for Jesus, Caner was being trained to be a Jihadist.

- claims to have a PhD, and lists his degrees, and gives the number of books he has written, and the total number of copies he has sold (300,000).

- says most Turkish women have better mustaches than Turkish men. Good to know.

- makes fun of and mocks "mutant granddaughters" of women in church who try to push them on to single preachers, and makes a dog barking sound to say that they are dogs.

- and then this doozy: "Do I believe in women behind the pulpit? You bet I do, how else do you expect them to vacuum back here if they can't get behind it?

If you've ever listened to Perry Noble at NewSpring in Anderson, SC, Ergun Caner really gives Perry Noble a run for his money. These guys could do stand-up comedy together...they would make a great TV show.

And hearing the response of these attendees to Caner's quips....I thought that lay people were gullible...boy, these preachers really ate it up. Caner had them eating out of the palm of his hand. The clips sound like a sitcom laugh track, seriously.

What a performance. Can't wait til he comes back to Jacksonville; he will definitely needs some fresh material, that's for sure.