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 Wisdom Chronicle
Wisdom ChronicleThe Wisdom Chronicle is designed to bring nuggets of wisdom from the dozens of books I read every year. I endeavor to share the best of what I have gleaned. The determination of relevance lies with you. Blessings, J. Whiddon 441. LIGHT AFFLICTION “Paul’s poignant words to Timothy—“the time of my departure is at hand” […]
The Wisdom Chronicle
Wisdom ChronicleThe Wisdom Chronicle is designed to bring nuggets of wisdom from the dozens of books I read every year. I endeavor to share the best of what I have gleaned. The determination of relevance lies with you. Blessings, J. Whiddon 431. GOSPEL “Theodoret, a Syrian bishop in the fifth century, likened the gospel to a […]
Are you Skeptical of the Bible Because it Reports Miracles?
2. Does God Exist?, 3. Are Miracles Possible?, 4. Is the NT True?In a previous blog I defended the rationality of believing in the possibility of miracles if God exists –miracles are no less ridiculous than implications of some science-related theories that are more speculative than the God hypothesis. In this brief blog, I consider the claim that the Bible shouldn’t be believed because it reports miracles. […]
Palace Where Jesus Stood Trial Discovered by Archaeologists?
4. Is the NT True?, Debates, Israel, Theology and Christian ApologeticsPalace Discovered in Jerusalem Reveals the Reliability of the New Testament The palace of Herod Antipas (son of Herod I who succeeded him), may have been discovered in the old city of Jerusalem. This would have been the same palace where Jesus stood trial before Herod, over 2000 years ago! According to Shimon Gibson, an archaeologist from […]
The Wisdom Chronicle
Wisdom ChronicleThe Wisdom Chronicle is designed to bring nuggets of wisdom from the dozens of books I read every year. I endeavor to share the best of what I have gleaned. The determination of relevance lies with you. Blessings, J. Whiddon 421. GOD AND EVIL “There seems to be no good way to account for a […]
A Tale of Two Kings – Part 2 King Jesus
4. Is the NT True?, Israel, Theology and Christian ApologeticsThe Legacy of Herod & the Impact of Jesus in History Part 2 King Jesus In my previous article “A Take of Two Kings: Part 1 – King Herod,” I presented an overview of the life and legacy of Herod I, (also known as Herod the Great.) Herod was declared King of Judea by the […]
A Tale of Two Kings – Part 1 King Herod
4. Is the NT True?, Israel, Theology and Christian ApologeticsThe Legacy of Herod & the Impact of Jesus in History Part 1 King Herod Herod’s Authority & Lineage as Israel’s King When Jesus was born two-thousand years ago Israel was a nation occupied by Imperial Rome. Although Rome ultimately controlled the eastern Mediterranean at that time, Israel did have a king – and he […]
Merry Christmas from Newsweek!
4. Is the NT True?, Culture CrossExamined, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Theology and Christian ApologeticsAs has become common around Christian holidays, another media outlet has issued what I think can rightly be called an attack piece. Newsweek rolled out a cover story for this week’s edition that attacks the Bible and the warrant for trusting that we even know what it says as well as its content: http://www.newsweek.com/2015/01/02/thats-not-what-bible-says-294018.html I’m […]
Is it Stupid to Believe in Miracles?
3. Are Miracles Possible?, Atheism, Theology and Christian ApologeticsIn my previous blog I defended the notion that it’s not stupid to believe in the creation of the universe by God. It seems fitting in this Christmas season to also look at another claim derided by skeptics – the possibility of miracles. Here is how Richard Dawkins puts it: “The nineteenth century is the […]
The Wisdom Chronicle
Wisdom ChronicleThe Wisdom Chronicle is designed to bring nuggets of wisdom from the dozens of books I read every year. I endeavor to share the best of what I have gleaned. The determination of relevance lies with you. Blessings, J. Whiddon 411. GOLF “Golf,” says Alistair Cooke, “is an open exhibition of overweening ambition, courage deflated […]
Archaeology Illuminates & Affirms a Key Fact in the Christmas Story By all counts, Luke’s gospel is a wealth of historical information. He opens it this way: Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us… it seemed good to me also, […]
The Wisdom Chronicle
Wisdom ChronicleThe Wisdom Chronicle is designed to bring nuggets of wisdom from the dozens of books I read every year. I endeavor to share the best of what I have gleaned. The determination of relevance lies with you. Blessings, J. Whiddon 401. LIFE LONG LEARNING “What have you learned from your training in history? Pattern recognition […]
The Deity of Christ in the Gospel of Mark
CrossExaminedA view often propounded by contemporary skeptics is that the deity of Christ is not presented by the gospel of Mark and that the Christology of the gospels evolves from Mark’s gospel (generally thought to be the earliest written), which does not present Jesus as divine, to John’s gospel (generally thought to be the latest […]
Are Creationists Stupid?
2. Does God Exist?, Theology and Christian ApologeticsIt is quite common in Internet circles to attack the intelligence and even sometimes the integrity of anyone believing in creation. An unfortunate strategy among some leading atheists is to group all opposition to solely naturalistic origins theories into one category, perhaps the one they think can most easily be refuted – young earth creationism. […]
The Eclipse of Christmas
3. Are Miracles Possible?, Atheism, Culture CrossExamined, Israel, Theology and Christian ApologeticsThe people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned – Isaiah 9:2 On March 19th 2007 the earth experienced one of the most fantastic and amazing events in the heavens – a total eclipse of the sun! Solar eclipses have been […]
The Wisdom Chronicle
Wisdom ChronicleThe Wisdom Chronicle is designed to bring nuggets of wisdom from the dozens of books I read every year. I endeavor to share the best of what I have gleaned. The determination of relevance lies with you. Blessings, Jim Whiddon 391. BIBLE IN SCHOOL Fisher Ames (1758–1808) was a Founding Father and a politician who […]
The Wisdom Chronicle
Wisdom ChronicleThe Wisdom Chronicle is designed to bring nuggets of wisdom from the dozens of books I read every year. I endeavor to share the best of what I have gleaned. The determination of relevance lies with you. Blessings, Jim Whiddon 381. SAVING AMERICA “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and […]
The Wisdom Chronicle
Wisdom ChronicleThe Wisdom Chronicle is designed to bring nuggets of wisdom from the dozens of books I read every year. I endeavor to share the best of what I have gleaned. The determination of relevance lies with you. Blessings, Jim Whiddon 371. MARRIED TO CHRIST “Does the gospel leave you free to live in any way […]
New Proofs for God’s Existence
2. Does God Exist?, Theology and Christian ApologeticsSuch was the name for a talk recently given at UT Dallas by Robert C. Koons, a philosophy professor from UT Austin. Actually, Koons is currently a visiting scholar at Princeton but took time out of his busy schedule to make a special trip to the Dallas area to speak on our campus.1 I was […]
The Wisdom Chronicle
Wisdom ChronicleThe Wisdom Chronicle is designed to bring nuggets of wisdom from the dozens of books I read every year. I endeavor to share the best of what I have gleaned. The determination of relevance lies with you. Blessings, Jim Whiddon 361. COMPANIONS “Do you ask me what kind of friends you should choose? Choose friends […]
Godbuster: A Debate With Elliot George
2. Does God Exist?, 4. Is the NT True?, Atheism, Debates, Theology and Christian ApologeticsThis past week I engaged in a radio debate with an atheist on Unbelievable on Premier Christian Radio (which you can listen to here). My interlocutor was a British atheist, a retired biology teacher who goes by the pseudonym Elliot George. In his book, Godbuster, George attempts to dismantle theistic belief. I knew when I saw the front cover that the […]