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.
8 Things Christian Parents Should Consider Before Sending Kids Back to Public or Private School This Fall
Apologetics for ParentsBy Natasha Crain This is going to be a very long post, so I’ll cut to the chase: My husband and I decided back in January that we were going to begin homeschooling our twins for middle school this fall…weeks before we had any idea that the coronavirus existed and that it would lead to everyone schooling at […]
There’s More Than One Way To “Trust The Science”
Philosophy of Science, Theology and Christian ApologeticsI have made the case before that scientism is a dangerous belief system. And the COVID-19 Pandemic has done nothing but prove the point. In their response to the virus, many in power exhort us to “trust the science.” Listen to the doctors. Their wisdom should guide the trajectory of our collective futures. But accepting that view […]
The Redefinition of Love—Resulting From the Loss of Truth
Legislating Morality, Culture & PoliticsBy Rich Hoyer Most people agree that we should love one another. But what does it mean to love others? Love can’t mean what our culture says it means. It can’t be untethered from a transcendent moral standard (i.e., God’s word and natural Law) and left to be defined subjectively by our feelings, to be […]
Three Actions You Can Take to Address Emotional Doubt
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Jeremy Linn A few weeks ago, my ministry had a Livestream discussion on the topic of doubt. I thought it would be a great idea to pull in the principles that came from the discussion into a short, sharable source. To explain the principles we covered, I’m going to bring in my own struggle […]
When Is “Good” Good Enough?
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Al Serrato Your son walks in test paper in hand. You glance over and wince, seeing the big “60” in red ink at the top. “Don’t worry,” he says, “I did good on this test.” You ignore the faulty grammar. One problem at a time, you think, mulling over in your mind just how […]
Secularism, COVID-19, & the “Non-Essential” Church
Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Rich Hoyer Many have asked the question, “Why are churches considered ‘non-essential’ during the Coronavirus shutdown and places like restaurants considered ‘essential’? Why are churches closed while grocery stores and restaurants remain open (at least for carry-out orders)?” The insinuation is NOT that food isn’t necessary, but the focus of the inquiry is on […]
The Separation Doctrine Between Church And State
Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Jason Jiménez In 1830, upon arriving to North America from France, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote, “The religious aspect of the country was the first thing that struck my attention; and the longer I stayed there, the more I perceived the great political consequences resulting from this new state of things. In France, I had […]
Why Religious Freedom Should Matter to Absolutely Everyone
Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Mikel Del Rosario Religious Freedom in a Pluralistic Society Why should religious freedom matter to everyone? Because the value we put on religious liberty shows how much we really care about freedom. If you’re going to be able to work for the common good—with people from all sorts of backgrounds—the law has got to […]
EPS Panel Discussion On Divine Simplicity
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy J. Brian Huffling In November of 2018, I was on a panel with Richard Howe, Stephen Davis, and William Lane Craig at an Evangelical Philosophical Society session hosted by the American Academy of Religion. The topic was “Divine Simplicity.” It can be viewed here. Howe argued for why it is true, Davis argued why it is not […]
6 Ways Atheism Is A Science-Stopper
Atheism, Philosophy of Science, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Luke Nix Introduction: Science vs. Christianity? It is commonly claimed that Christianity is a science-stopper. What is usually put forth to justify this claim is that many Christians are content to look at nature and say, “God did it,” without looking further to discover how God did whatever “it” happens to be. For many Christians, questions […]
What COVID-19 Reveals About Us: Four Categories of People Surfaced from the Pandemic
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Brian Chilton COVID-19 has brought great panic across the globe due to the rapidity of its transmission and the danger it poses to seniors and those with compromised immune systems. However, COVID-19 has done more than just bring panic. It has also catalyzed several truths about American people, revealing a more troubling underbelly of […]
Is Earth Just A Pale Blue Dot?
2. Does God Exist?, AtheismBy Ryan Leasure In his book Pale Blue Dot, the late astronomer Carl Sagan had this to say about the above photograph taken aboard Voyager I: Because of the reflection of sunlight… Earth seems to be sitting in a beam of light as if there were some special significance to this small world. But it’s just an accident […]
God Uses Our Dreams and Disasters to Accomplish the Impossible
Apologetics for Parents, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Natasha Crain If you’ve read my books or followed my blog for a while, you know that the focus of my writing is to equip parents with an understanding of how to make a case for and defend the truth of Christianity so they can pass that knowledge on to their kids. This is […]
Don’t the Resurrection Narratives Contradict?
3. Are Miracles Possible?, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Erik Manning The apostle Paul said that if Christ hasn’t risen, Christianity is a sham. (1 Corinthians 15:17) Many atheists agree and will happily point to the gospel accounts. Just how seriously should they take the claim of the resurrection? After all, aren’t the accounts riddled with contradictions? How can they possibly be trusted? […]
What Is Salvation All About?
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Jason Jimenez Ever wish you had a backup plan? Well, God did. Of course, that doesn’t imply God made a mistake. God is perfect, and everything He created was perfect (Gen. 1-2). He perfectly and freely made Adam and Eve perfect in His image. And yet, Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God’s […]
It’s Logically Impossible To Avoid Logic
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Alex McElroy The only foundation upon which one should build their life is the truth. The truth should be sound, logical, and justifiable. Most, if not all, people would agree with that sentiment. However, the factors that one uses to determine what is true and what role truth ultimately plays in one’s life are […]
The World On The Other Side of This Pandemic
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Bob Perry The world is an unpredictable place. But we pretend it isn’t. We like to envision our future and plan our steps, pretending we know how we’ll get there. But the stories we write for ourselves rest on assumptions about how the world works and our place in it. And those assumptions tend […]
Is the Historical Jesus Fact or Fiction?
Jesus Christ, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Tim Stratton As a pastor who spends a lot of time on the college campus, I hear the following challenges quite often from young skeptics: “There is no good evidence to think that Jesus ever existed,” or “Christianity has pagan roots!” One might put these common challenges as two questions: (1) Did Jesus of […]
How Investigating Paul’s Conversion Turned A Skeptic Into A Christian Apologist
Jesus Christ, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Erik Manning Here’s a very simple proof for Christianity. I’m warning you though, you’re going to be tempted to dismiss it because it’s sneakily uncomplicated. Are you ready for it? OK, here goes: Premise 1: Paul converted. Premise 2: Therefore Christianity is true. OK, I’m kidding. Sort of. But I think that we sometimes […]
Infinite Punishment for Finite Crimes?
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Al Serrato Trying to explain how a good God created Hell can be a daunting task for the Christian apologist. In my last post, I considered the challenge that God could not be “good” if he created a place of “torture.” I tried to make the case that there is a difference between torture […]
Can A Person Be A Committed Christian While Ignoring Apologetics?
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Wintery Knight I would like to describe a situation that arises frequently that concerns me. The situation I describe below brings out a flaw I see in the way that rank-and-file Christians respond to criticisms of Christianity in the public square. Here is the situation Eve is busy programming away at her desk, rushing […]