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.
How To Help Muslims Think Deeply and Differently About the Deity of Christ
4. Is the NT True?, Theology and Christian ApologeticsI was in a Global Studies conference a few months ago when a retired minister asked me an interesting question. He told me, “I like to take Christian young men to the local mosques so they can learn about Islamic beliefs; however, I’m wondering what would be a good question to ask our Muslim friends […]
The New Cultural Christianity
Legislating Morality, Culture & PoliticsA few months ago I wrote an article on the West’s move towards a post-Christian culture (Post-Christianity: What’s That?). Since the article’s publication at least two prominent atheists decried the fall of Christianity in the West. One claims to have converted to Christianity (Ayaan Hirsi Ali) and the other maintains atheism but embraces “cultural Christianity” […]
Character Matters
Legislating Morality, Culture & PoliticsCharacter and morality often intersect in their definitions. Even for the non-Christians, all people are given a moral compass from the time of our birth. As image bearers of God, a person is able to recognize right from wrong. Though these matters have been declared more subjective over time, murder is still deemed hateful by […]
Are Proponents of ID Religiously Motivated, and Does It Matter?
2. Does God Exist?Recently, someone asked me to comment on an article, published in 2017, by John Danaher, a lecturer in the Law School at the University of Galway, Ireland. He is widely published on legal and moral philosophy, as well as philosophy of religion. In his article, Danaher alleges that proponents of intelligent design (ID) are religiously motivated. […]
Is Social Justice Hijacking the Gospel?
Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Theology and Christian ApologeticsProgressive Christian blogger and author John Pavlovitz wrote, “We believe that social justice is the heart of the Gospel…” Is he right? And what exactly is social justice? I recently posted an article in which I described Progressive Christian churches as swapping out the gospel for social justice. I got a lot of pushback on this point, but I believe that most of […]
Promise of Genuine Immortality: AI or the Divine
Theology and Christian ApologeticsDo we have a genuine promise of immortality? This is a question that impacts all of us. When I was growing up as a kid, I wanted to be taken seriously. Therefore, I could not wait to grow up to have a seat at the intellectual table. It seemed like it took forever to get […]
“The Anxious Generation”: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness
Theology and Christian Apologetics“The more I make my life, my well-being, my enlightenment, and my success primary, the farther I step from reality. Thus the hell-bound do not travel downward; they travel inward, cocooning themselves behind a mass of vanity, personal rights, religiosity, and defensiveness. Obsession with self is the defining mark of a disintegrating soul (italics mine)” Jeff cook.[1] There’s this moment, you know, […]
Apologetics and Politics
Legislating Morality, Culture & PoliticsHow should we live? How should we think? How should we vote? Are these questions with objectively right or wrong answers? That is to say, is it true — apart from human opinion — that humanity ought to live, think, and even vote in a certain manner? Some Questions that Need Answering If it is not objectively […]
How to Talk with Your Teens about Sex and Love from a Biblical Worldview: Interview with Sean McDowell
Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Theology and Christian ApologeticsOver the last several years, I’ve spoken on the subject of apologetics to many groups of parents at churches and conferences. Although none of my talks deal with the topic of sexuality, I can hardly think of a time when I wasn’t asked a question about it either in the Q & A or in private conversation […]
A Compassionate Response to Alistair Begg’s ‘Bad Advice’ on LGBT Weddings
Legislating Morality, Culture & PoliticsSome time has passed since controversial advice resurfaced from popular preacher Alistair Begg on his radio program, “Truth for Life.” The controversy revolves around Pastor Begg shocking a grandmother with the advice to not only attend her grandson’s transgender wedding but also to buy them a gift. To reinforce the grandmother attending the trans wedding, […]
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 […]