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.
Tacitus — Ancient Roman Historian — Reports on Jesus
Jesus Christ, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Ryan Leasure Most of what happened in the ancient world went unrecorded. Think about it. People from bygone eras didn’t have technology like YouTube, TV, or the internet — much less the printing press. It’s sad, really. We’ll never know about 99.99% of what happened back then. The less than 1% we do know […]
Apologetics as Conversation
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Mikel Del Rosario Hey, Can We Talk? Seeing apologetics as a conversational ministry There’s an Indian proverb that says, “You don’t cut off a man’s nose and give him a rose to smell.” I first heard this from Ramesh Richards, who applies this idea to apologetics. He says that sometimes, in the midst of […]
Do Humans Have Intrinsic Value?
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Luke Nix Introduction Whether humans possess intrinsic value or instrumental value is a debate that often runs parallel to discussions about the true worldview. This debate also often fuels the passion behind worldview discussions because it has implications for ethics and morality, which are directly tied to how people ought to live and how […]
Peripheral Visions: Even Science Needs More Than Science to Work Properly
Philosophy of Science, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Terrell Clemmons Jon Headley has a confession to make. “I’m a 30-year-old man, but until a few years ago, I had no real understanding of the theory of evolution.” “Ah,” the ex-Christian continues after relieving himself of this confessional burden, “it feels good to get that off my chest.” And with that, the musician […]
Correcting four myths about the history of the Crusades
Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Wintery Knight Here is an interesting article from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. Intro: The verdict seems unanimous. From presidential speeches to role-playing games, the crusades are depicted as a deplorably violent episode in which thuggish Westerners trundled off, unprovoked, to murder and pillage peace-loving, sophisticated Muslims, laying down patterns of outrageous oppression that […]
Forgery in the Bible: Were 1 and 2 Timothy really forged?
4. Is the NT True?, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Erik Manning 2 Timothy 3:16 says that all Scripture is “God-breathed.” Of course for Christians, this would include 2 Timothy, as well as the rest of the pastoral epistles. Skeptics find this verse to be ironic because many biblical critics think that the pastoral epistles were forgeries. These letters claim to be written by […]
4 Ways Parents Bore Their Kids Out of Christianity
Apologetics for ParentsBy Natasha Crain The highlight of my summer was a family RV vacation to Kings Canyon National Park. Behind our campground flowed a gorgeous river that I returned to multiple times over the course of our trip. Each time I went, I sat and pondered the “big questions” of life. There’s something about the majesty […]
12 Reasons to Trust The New Testament
4. Is the NT True?, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Bob Perry If you claim to believe the Bible, you better be able to trust that what it says is true. Trusting the Bible means knowing two things. First, that the original authors recorded historically accurate information. And, second, knowing that the Bible we have today contains what the original authors wrote down. “Textual […]
Jesus’s Understanding of Human Nature in Luke 17
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Brian Chilton Some have claimed that Jesus was not a theologian. Granted, he did not sit down and write out a systematic theology book. However, the teachings of Jesus denote a deep theology that resonated with his understanding of God, Jesus’s own identity, God’s judgment, and of God’s salvific plan. In addition, one can […]
5 Steps Every Christian Should Take When Talking with Skeptics about Miracles
3. Are Miracles Possible?, AtheismBy Jeremy Linn When talking with skeptics about the resurrection of Jesus, it seems obvious to go straight to the historical evidence for the resurrection. But for many skeptics, there is an intellectual barrier that needs to be broken down before historical evidence can even be considered. The barrier is: A strong skepticism towards miracles. I […]
There Is No Rise Unless He Is Risen
3. Are Miracles Possible?, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Alex McElroy If you are creating a building, the structure is important, but the foundation is most important. If a rock goes through the window, it can be replaced. If there is a leak in the roof, it can be patched. However, if there is a crack in the foundation, the building will be […]
Why the Gospel of Thomas isn’t in the Bible
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Ryan Leasure There’s a common refrain among liberal scholars that says the church suppressed dozens of Gospels. The reason they say? It’s because those books share scandalous information about Jesus that the church wanted to hide. They didn’t want the world to know sketchy details like Jesus tortured other kids as a child or […]
Respectfully Engaging with Hindus
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Mikel Del Rosario Let’s talk about respectfully engaging with Hindus. Why? More than a billion people around the world say they’re Hindus. That’s about 15 percent of the world. So if you haven’t met someone at least interested in some aspect of Hindu culture, you may soon. The more we engage with our neighbors, […]
Is It Biblical to Have an Evidential Faith?
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Luke Nix Introduction Is biblical faith blind or reasonable? This is one of the most hotly debated questions between believers and unbelievers. While most who say that faith is blind are unbelievers, I have also heard many Christians claim this as well. The claim is that faith and reason are at odds with one […]
What Christian Parents Should Learn from Marty Sampson Losing Faith
Apologetics for ParentsBy Natasha Crain My blog has been quiet since earlier this year because I was finishing my next book (Talking with Your Kids about Jesus; March 2020). Now that I’ve turned it into the publisher and my kids are heading back to school, it’s time to resume blogging! I debated what my first post should […]
Can We Be Good Without God?
Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Ryan Leasure This past weekend, two mass-scaled shootings transpired on American soil. El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio experienced unspeakable carnage. Two men, fueled by hatred for mankind, slaughtered dozens of innocent people in cold blood. In response, people of all stripes spoke out against these atrocities. Men and women, democrat and republican, Christian […]
How Do We Know The Truth Is Out There?
1. Does Truth Exist?, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Bob Perry There are two kinds of truth. One depends on our opinion of things. This is called subjective truth. The other depends on the way the world actually is. This is called objective truth. Most people never think about the difference between the two. And that makes any discussion of the concept of […]
An Argument From Cancer
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Robby Hall Natasha Crain wrote a great article last year on what an apologist does when they believe they have cancer. Little did I know at the time that 6 months later, I would get the news: Stage 2 colon cancer. I’ve tossed back and forth about writing this, but I felt two points […]
God & Evil: A Rapid-Fire Response
2. Does God Exist?, Atheism, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Timothy Fox The problem of evil (pain or suffering) is probably the number one argument against the existence of God. While it is definitely not a problem that can be answered quickly and simply, I’d like to offer some short, rapid-fire responses that can be used to begin a deeper discussion: Free will – […]
Voltaire’s Prediction, Home, and the Bible Society: Truth or Myth? Further Evidence of Verification
Atheism, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Daniel Merritt Editor’s Note: Previously, we ran an article that featured Dr. Merritt’s research into the story concerning Voltaire’s prediction that the Bible would not be read in a century and the use of his facilities as a Bible repository. After running the article, Dr. Merritt came across further evidence verifying this story. This […]
Yale computer science professor David Gelernter expresses doubts about Darwinism
Philosophy of Science, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Wintery Knight How did life begin? I had to learn about David Gelernter when I was doing my Masters in computer science. We studied his book “Mirror Worlds”. A few weeks ago, I blogged about his impressions of the difficulty in forming a simple protein by chance – something that naturalistic mechanisms would have […]