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.
British Free Schools that Teach Intelligent Design as Science Will Lose Funding
Culture CrossExaminedThe British Guardian newspaper reports on recent developments in UK governmental policy on teaching evolution in free schools (which, though state funded, are normally not required to follow the national curriculum): Click here to continue reading>>>
On the Origin of Mitochondria: Reasons for Skepticism on the Endosymbiotic Story
CrossExaminedWith regret, ENV recently noted the passing of biologist Lynn Margulis. Margulis, a scientist whom I admired greatly, was never a stranger to controversy, going so far as to call neo-Darwinism “a complete funk” and asserting that “The critics, including the creationist critics, are right about their criticism. It’s just that they’ve got nothing to […]
Turek & Cornuke to Lead Footsteps of Paul Cruise, July 2012
4. Is the NT True?Frank Turek and Bob Cornuke (the REAL Indiana Jones) will be leading a “Footsteps of Paul” cruise in July 2012! Our ship will be Oceania’s beautiful “Regatta.” We’ll present evidence and insights about the New Testament while we tour the Biblical sites of: Ephesus (Ephesians, Paul’s home for three years, and his confrontation with Diana […]
The Universe Had a Beginning
2. Does God Exist?, Atheism, DebatesCosmologist Alexander Vilenkin wrote a book in 2006 (Many Worlds in One) in which he refers to a theorem he developed with Alan Guth and Arvind Borde. Although not a believer in God but the mulitverse, Vilenkin says that their theorem proves that even if other universes exist there was an absolute beginning of them […]
The Year in Review: Intelligent Design in the UK
CrossExaminedAn often-heard criticism of intelligent design claims that it is exclusively an American phenomenon, since presumably the rest of the world is too smart to fall for the stuff. Of course this is nonsense. ID is making impressive strides in Europe and Asia. As I can report from personal experience, the future looks particularly bright […]
John Lennox vs. Richard Dawkins
2. Does God Exist?, DebatesThis is an excellent conversational debate between two Oxford professors, Dr. John Lennox and Dr. Richard Dawkins. Hope you enjoy it!
Larry Moran Defends "Junk DNA"
CrossExaminedEarlier, I responded to remarks made by PZ Myers at the recent Skepticon 4 conference. His subject: “Junk DNA.” On his Sandwalk blog, University of Toronto biochemist Larry Moran has posted a response to my article. Since the post is relatively civil (unusually for Moran, he refrains from calling me an “IDiot”) and offers some […]
Animation Reveals Engineering Elegance of RNA Interference
CrossExaminedNature Reviews Genetics features an excellent high quality computer visualization (including an associated slideshow) of the elegant mechanism of RNA interference. RNA interference is a defence mechanism that enables double-stranded RNA molecules (such as those derived from transcribing the genomes of viruses that invade the cell) to be degraded and destroyed. Click here to continue […]
Treasure in the Genetic Goldmine: PZ Myers Fails on "Junk DNA"
CrossExaminedReaders may recall my encounter with developmental biology professor PZ Myers earlier this year. In that brief interaction, I came to appreciate Myers’s ability to charm his adoring fans and followers irrespective of the scientific robustness of his claims, or the accuracy with which he represents the views of those with whom he disagrees. Click […]
Christopher Hitchens: Evidence of a Divine Being
2. Does God Exist?, DebatesI am greatly saddened that Christopher Hitchens is gone. There is no one with whom I disagreed more who I admired so much. I emailed Christopher several times since his diagnosis with cancer, my last correspondence with him occurring the day after Thanksgiving. I expressed my prayers and concern for him. He responded immediately and […]
Frank Turek Interviews William Lane Craig
Debates, Theology and Christian ApologeticsDuring the National Conference on Apologetics at the end of October, I had the chance to sit down with Dr. William Lane Craig before an audience of about 1,700 and ask him about his recent trip to the UK, including his proposed debate with atheist Richard Dawkins which, after much controversy, never materialized. However, as […]
The Face of a Frog: Time-Lapse Video Reveals Never-Before-Seen Bioelectric Pattern
CrossExaminedJonathan Wells has already drawn our attention to a recent paper by Vandenberg et al. in the journal Developmental Dynamics. The authors make the startling and innovative discovery that bioelectrical signals are essential for the proper formation of the head and face in frog embryos. Physorg.com reports, Click here to continue reading>>>
How Good is Phil Johnson's Biology?
CrossExaminedWe’ve recently been discussing whether Berkeley law professor Phil Johnson (author of Darwin on Trial) is ill-informed on biology. Click here to continue reading>>>
An Eye-Opening Discovery: The Remarkable Vision of Anomalocaris
CrossExaminedReaders may recall the Illustra Media production Darwin’s Dilemma: The Mystery of the Cambrian Fossil Record. The documentary opens with an animation of the hideous Anomalocaris, undisputed terror of the Cambrian seas. The creature is in the news today thanks to new revelations about its fantastic vision. Sadly, it’s proven to be another tough day […]
Maligning Phil Johnson, with Lots of Rhetoric but Little Substance
CrossExaminedWe recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of the publication of Phillip Johnson’s groundbreaking book, Darwin on Trial. Phillip Johnson’s meticulous skill in scrutinizing the metaphysical assumptions undergirding much of evolutionary naturalism launched the modern intelligent design movement and set in motion a chain of events that must inevitably lead to the toppling of Darwinism in […]
Why I Will Not Support Same Sex Marriage
Culture CrossExamined, Legislating Morality, Culture & PoliticsSame sex marriage has been a very topical subject in Scotland over recent weeks, with the launch of a consultation by the Scottish National Party (SNP) — which closes this Friday — on whether marriage in Scotland should be redefined to effectively legalise gay marriage and religious ceremonies for civil partnerships. The Scottish government has […]
On Signature in the Cell, Robert Saunders Still Doesn’t Get It
CrossExaminedAt his Wonderful Life blog, geneticist Robert Saunders has responded to my recent take down of his “critique” of Stephen Meyer’s arguments for intelligent design, offered and defended in Signature in the Cell. Of course, it wouldn’t be an anti-ID article without its share of condescending rhetoric. Saunders claims that I “have absorbed a typical […]
Fact-Checking Wikipedia on Common Descent: The Evidence from Observed Natural Selection
CrossExaminedA few weeks ago, I published the fourth part of my series on Wikipedia and common descent, in which I discussed the purported evidence for common ancestry based on biogeographical distribution. Previously, I had cross-examined the evidence from comparative physiology and biochemistry, comparative anatomy, and paleontology. In this second-to-last installment, I will address Wikipedia’s evidence […]
From the Darwinist Blogosphere, Stephen Meyer's Trip to London Elicits a Typical Reaction
CrossExaminedAs we have already reported, Discovery Institute’s Stephen Meyer recently paid a visit to London to present and defend the thesis of Signature in the Cell at a dinner party attended by scientists, philosophers, politicians and other men and women of influence. His visit included a radio debate against theistic evolutionist Keith Fox, which you […]
The Finely Tuned Genetic Code
CrossExaminedFrancis Crick regarded the genetic code found in nature as a “frozen accident.” Yet more and more it is looking to be the case that this code is exquisitely finely tuned — with features suggesting it is indeed one in a million. Therefore ought not purposive or intelligent design be regarded as a legitimate inference, […]
Does Luke Have The Date Of The Nativity Wrong?
4. Is the NT True?In reading — as one does — the popular atheist material on the Internet with regards New Testament scholarship, I recently came across a very old argument which is often trotted out by people who don’t know any better with regards the dating which the gospels assign to the the nativity and Roman census. Matthew’s […]