CrossExamined Blog
Tackling today’s toughest questions, these posts explore topics on God, morality, science, and culture.
Whether you’re a skeptic or believer, each article challenges your worldview and sharpens your thinking. Engaging, thought-provoking, and unapologetic, this is a place to dig deeper and follow the truth wherever it leads.
Why the Best Explanation Can Be a Miracle
3. Are Miracles Possible?, 4. Is the NT True?By Al Serrato We all intuitively seek the best explanation for a set of facts or circumstances. It’s called abductive reasoning. Detectives make use of this method of reasoning when endeavoring to solve a crime; they put the pieces together so that a picture of what occurred emerges in sufficient detail to have confidence that […]
What Philosophy Is, And Why You Can’t Avoid It
1. Does Truth Exist?Many Christians believe that philosophy is a pagan discipline practiced either by ivory tower professors or Starbucks hippies. This belief has led some to object to the relevance of philosophy, as either they believe only a few can do it, or that it deals with such weird and abstract issues that it is a waste […]
Why Is God’s Word So Hard To Understand?
Theology and Christian ApologeticsThe following question comes from one our Crossexamined Community members. “Why did God allow the Bible to be written in a way that gives Christians an opportunity to misunderstand it?” – Vinnie B. This question intrigues me because it’s a universal problem. Every human being who’s ever tried to dig into Scripture has found it […]
Andy Stanley’s Unbiblical ‘Affirming’ Stance
4. Is the NT True?, Theology and Christian ApologeticsIn the following piece, I will discuss the ongoing controversies surrounding Andy Stanley and the recent Unconditional Conference held at North Point Church — outlining clear departures from the scriptural teachings found in the Bible. I will spotlight three key concerns to illustrate how Andy Stanley promotes an approach and an ideology contradicting New Testament […]
Church Matters
Theology and Christian ApologeticsGospel-centered churches are as important as ever, with powerful worldly forces at work actively competing with Christ for the souls of men.[1] The world buys our attention and convinces us that purpose exists in tangibles, accolades, relationships, drugs, fame, and money. In the Bible, the book of Romans tells us that all of mankind has […]
What is Woke?
Culture and Politics, Legislating Morality, Culture & PoliticsA recent Huffington Post article about homeschool moms left me flabbergasted. I know, it’s HuffPo. I shouldn’t be surprised anymore, but this article was truly shocking . . . because of the comments of the homeschool parents. In the article, a curriculum developer is selling her books at homeschool conventions. She calls her trade a […]
How Apologetics Helps Through Times of Grief
Theology and Christian ApologeticsIf we live long enough, grief is something that we will all experience at one point or another. Grief is difficult. Some have even said that “grief is a challenging beast.” It impacts each person differently. Grief is a sense of sorrow that one feels when a person experiences a form of loss. More frequently, […]
Recommended Books on Historical Apologetics for The Gospels & Acts
4. Is the NT True?I am often asked which books I recommend for defending the reliability of the Gospels/Acts and Christianity in general, so here is my list. It is not exhaustive, but it will definitely give you a good start. The categorized as “mandatory” are more basic, while some of those labeled as “recommended” or “supplementary” delve into […]
Pro-Life Apologetics from Scott Klusendorf’s The Case for Life
Culture and Politics, Legislating Morality, Culture & PoliticsThe debate over abortion remains one of society’s most divisive issues. Pro-life advocates argue for the rights of the unborn, emphasizing the sanctity of life from conception and advocating for policies to protect fetal humans. On the other hand, pro-choice advocates defend the right of individuals to make autonomous decisions about their bodies and reproductive […]
Unconditional Love or Unconditional Affirmation?
Theology and Christian ApologeticsHuman origin is a fascinating area of research today. With all the different models for the origins of humanity being proposed, I see an increase in the discussions, both scientific and theological. For everyone reading this post, this area of research should be of utmost interest for you as well. Two critical ideas about humanity […]
Does the Bible Support Sexual Slavery? An Analysis of Numbers 31:15-18
2. Does God Exist?, Theology and Christian ApologeticsMore than two years ago, I participated in a debate in Oxford, England, with atheist YouTuber Alex O’Connor (who goes by the online alias Cosmic Skeptic). The subject was “Why I Am / Am Not a Christian,” which was quite broad. Given the short time constraints of the debate and the breadth of the topic, we were regrettably […]
Hope Matters
Theology and Christian ApologeticsHope in the Promise Throughout Scripture, we acknowledge God as a promise-keeper. What he says will happen will always comes to pass in his perfect timing. Because of this truth about God’s heart, believers are drawn to extravagant hope in all circumstances. Upon sin entering the world in Genesis chapter three, God initiated hope by […]
How To Keep Your Job Without Losing Your Soul: A Survival Guide For Diversity Training
Culture and Politics, Theology and Christian ApologeticsYou’ve been at your job for almost a year. You enjoy your work. You’re planting roots. Soon you’ll qualify for a pay raise and new benefits. Things are looking up. Except, at today’s business meeting, the boss announced a mandatory diversity training[i] for all employees. He made it sound harmless, perfunctory, just a hoop to […]
Atheists’ Faith in Science is Misplaced
2. Does God Exist?, Theology and Christian ApologeticsMost atheists I have encountered demonstrate an amazing “faith” in the power of science. They will often accuse believers of wishful thinking – or outright foolishness – when believers conclude that an intelligent being is the only reasonable inference to draw from the evidence of design that surrounds us. They do this because they have […]
Evidence for the Book of Esther
4. Is the NT True?, Theology and Christian ApologeticsMy family recently took the opportunity to attend a live theater production of The Book of Esther in Branson, Missouri. The Sight and Sound Theater production was riveting, and I was not prepared for how wonderful the set, the performers, and even the livestock (yes, livestock) brought the story of Esther to life. One of […]
The Suffering Christian
Theology and Christian ApologeticsWe live in a troubled world, plagued by sin which leads to pain and suffering. This state of the world is nothing new, it has gone on since the fall of man. The entirety of humankind from Adam to us have dealt with a variety of suffering as a result of this fall. However, though […]
Show Us A Sign: The Cross And The Death Of Blind Faith
Theology and Christian ApologeticsEach Easter season, approximately 400,000 churches across the U.S. gather to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus: one story portraying the faith of over two billion people globally. But have we grown ignorant of a driving factor behind the eternally preordained plan? Might we have entirely missed what Jesus cited as making His public execution necessary? […]
Critical Thinking: The Secret Weapon of Confident Christians
Theology and Christian ApologeticsAs Christians, developing critical thinking skills and maintaining an informed understanding of our faith is crucial. The world is full of misinformation and uncertainty, making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood. It is not enough for Christians to blindly adhere to whatever traditions or practices they have inherited from the past. They should critically […]
Post-Christianity… What’s That?
Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Theology and Christian ApologeticsThere has been a new term floating around the Evangelisphere (if that’s a word, if it’s not, let’s coin it) in the last few years: “post-Christian.” FreeThinking Ministries[i] recently changed some verbiage on the website to indicate that the mission of the ministry is to equip the church to engage with the post-Christian culture. Some might […]
Truth Matters
1. Does Truth Exist?The world defines truth as relative and subjective: “You have your truth, I have my truth.” It is customizable to one’s preferences and lifestyle. Definitive or absolute truth is considered offensive to the culture at large. This confusion over truth is further fueled by social media. Liking, sharing, retweeting, and posting happen with the click […]
Why Do You Call Yourself a Christian?
Theology and Christian ApologeticsHave you ever heard the tale of the elderly woman who wanted to restore an old painting and… well, didn’t? Meet Potato Jesus. The woman’s intentions were noble. I certainly respect her heart. But that doesn’t change the fact that she is not an artist and did not restore Martinez’s work. Just because she intended […]