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.
The Conversion of Saul of Tarsus, and its Evidential Value, Part 2
4. Is the NT True?[Editor’s Note: In part 1 of this series on the evidential value of Paul’s conversion, Dr. Jonathan McLatchie established that (Proposition 1) The accounts in Acts substantially represent Paul’s own conversion testimony, and (Proposition 2) Paul was not plausibly sincerely mistaken. In this second installment, McLatchie tackles the remaining two propositions, showing that Saul’s conversion to Apostle […]
The Conversion of Saul of Tarsus, and its Evidential Value, Part 1
4. Is the NT True?An argument for Christianity that seldom receives adequate attention is the conversion of Saul of Tarsus (also known as Paul) on the road to Damascus. There exist three accounts of Paul’s conversion in the book of Acts — in chapters 9, 22, and 26. The argument from Paul’s conversion has been laid out in most […]
Why It’s Okay to Doubt Your Faith, Part 2
Theology and Christian Apologetics[Editor’s Note: In “Why It’s Okay to Doubt Your Faith, part 1” Miguel Rodriguez raised the question of how should we handle our doubts. He proposes we do Christian apologetics. He then defines “apologetics,” and points out how doubt can be a sign of a living faith. Doubt can be healthy. In this second installment, […]
Gen Z, Atheism, and The Problem of Evil
Theology and Christian ApologeticsGeneration Z is the generation born from 1999 to 2015. They are the successors of Gen X (born 1965-1980) and Gen Y, also known as Millennials (b. 1981-1998). The dates are approximations and arbitrary creations of sociologists and scholars studying generational trends. The Barna Group alongside the ministry Impact360 has conducted as study of Gen Z’ers called […]
Why It’s Okay to Doubt Your Christian Faith
Theology and Christian Apologetics“Why is there evil and suffering in this world?” “No one naturally can resurrect from the dead after three days. It’s impossible.” “The Bible was written by fallible men thousands of years ago, how can I be sure that what I have is what was written?” “How can I know that Christianity is the one […]
Can Christianity Really Be The Only Means of Salvation Part II
Theology and Christian ApologeticsMany skeptics believe that all religions are basically the same. If there is an afterlife, they surmise, all that will be required for admission is that you live a “good” life and be “sincere” about your beliefs. My last post offered reasons from the observation of nature that should cause the skeptic some concern. […]
How to Raise Kids to Research Like a Pro
Theology and Christian ApologeticsIf you hang around parents long enough you’ll find that there are certain “mommy moments” that we moms all share. Kid running down the street naked? Check (mostly for boy moms…). An embarrassing family secret shared with the entire elevator by your darling little chatterbox? You betcha. And it’s practically a Christian mom rite-of-passage […]
Christianity and Abortion, Part 2: The Early Church’s View of Abortion
Legislating Morality, Culture & PoliticsIn Part 1 of this series on abortion, we discussed that abortion has been practiced for millennia. It is nothing new although the means of destroying a child in the womb have varied. We also briefly looked at why abortion has been a human preoccupation throughout history. For philosophers like Plato and Aristotle, they firmly believed […]
Christianity and Abortion, Part 1: A Brief History of Abortion in Antiquity
Legislating Morality, Culture & PoliticsIt is always a temptation in an industrial and technological society such as America to fall into what C.S. Lewis called “chronological snobbery.” This is the belief that the present ideas and practices are superior to, or could never have been imagined by, those who went before us. This is no less true concerning the […]
Why I Left The Word Of Faith Movement
Theology and Christian ApologeticsWhen I was about fourteen I started listening to teachers such as Kenneth Copeland, Jesse Duplantis, Jerry Savelle, and Creflo Dollar. I had grown up going to church, albeit a very liberal church, but these guys were different than what I was used to. They had passion, zeal, and spoke with power and authority. They […]
From Peter to the Christian Apologist
Theology and Christian ApologeticsTo the Christian Apologist, 1 Peter 3:15-16 is a ‘mandate’ passage, used to demonstrate the reason we all study and become proficient with apologetics. “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. […]
Should Christianity Be Taught In Public Schools?
Legislating Morality, Culture & PoliticsMy sixth grader ran through the front door sounding slightly short of breath. “My teacher is teaching a unit on world religions,” he huffed. “He’s going to teach us about Islam, Christianity, Egyptian gods and who knows what else!” As a fifth grade teacher I was aware of the California standards for fifth grade but […]
Defending the Deity of Jesus in John 1
2. Does God Exist?John 1:1 is one of the most important verses in the Gospel of St. John to understand grammatically in English but more importantly in Greek. “In the Beginning was the word and the word was with God and the Word was God” (John 1:1) Εν αρχή ἧν ὁ λόγος και ὁ λόγος ἧν προς τον […]
ROARing Through the Wicked Film
CrossExamined*Spoilers for the film Wicked (2024) ahead. Stop reading if you don’t want to know what happens in the film. Also, this is about the film, not about the book by Gregory Maguire or the Broadway musical.* A lot of opinions are circling the interwebs as to whether Christians should see the film, Wicked. While there are definitely certain […]
The Formation of Our Digits Points to a Process with Foresight
3. Are Miracles Possible?Have you ever wondered how our fingers and toes form during embryonic development? Our digits are, in fact, sculpted from a paddle-like structure in the embryo through the process of apoptosis — that is, programmed cell death. During early development, the hands and feet begin as solid, webbed structures. Through carefully controlled apoptosis, the tissue […]
Can Christianity Really Be The Only Means Of Salvation?
Theology and Christian ApologeticsMost skeptics I know feel pretty confident that all religions “say basically the same thing.” If there actually is a God, they’re not particularly worried, because in their view, “being a good person” is really all that matters. As long as you are “sincere” in your beliefs, whether you’re Muslim, Christian, Hindu or a member […]
I Never Expected to Doubt
Theology and Christian Apologetics“Oh Jesus! Jesus!” My spirit sprung to prayer with catlike reflexes as I watched my 2-year-old daughter tumble down the 15-step staircase. I stood helpless as her little body hurled toward the hardwood floor. She stood up without a scratch . . . but my soul didn’t. In that moment, I was never more aware of […]
Archaeology Contributes to the Witness of the Bible
4. Is the NT True?Can stones give you insights into the past? What do they tell you? When I encountered the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum, I was surprised that a stone could say so much. Archaeological pieces like this provide a witness to a society in time. The Rosetta Stone contributes to the witness of the Bible. […]
How My Son’s Confession of Faith (Nearly) Broke Twitter
3. Are Miracles Possible?, 4. Is the NT True?For almost a week in late 2020, my 11-year-old son practically went viral on the Internet, and he doesn’t even know it. Let me tell you why. You see, he had walked out onto our back deck and, cool as a cucumber, announced to my husband and me that he had accepted Jesus as his […]
What is Logos? A look at John 1:1-3
Theology and Christian ApologeticsIntroduction One of my favorite passages in the gospels is the prologue of John (1:1-18). I particularly find the first three verses, John 1:1-3, and the use of the “Word”, or Logos in Greek, interesting. In those three verses, a type of creation narrative arises, revolving around Logos, in which Logos is described as being […]
3 Reasons to Believe in God
2. Does God Exist?In presenting apologetics there are certain points I focus on in order to systematically examine the evidence for the truth of Christianity. While there are many other areas of interest and concern for the apologist, these areas are essential in determining the veracity of the Christian religion. These main features of Christianity include: The […]