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.
Abortion Advocates Don’t Want You to See this Video
CrossExaminedAbortion advocates don’t want you to see this one minute video. They would rather suppress the truth than conform to it. Had or encouraged abortion? There is healing. Please visit the CaseforLife.com On this tragic anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, I would like to clear up a massive misunderstanding: overturning Roe vs. Wade will NOT […]
Once Again, Why Intelligent Design Is Not a “God-of-the-Gaps” Argument
CrossExaminedThe “god-of-the-gaps” objection to intelligent design is one that we have addressed numerous times at ENV and elsewhere (most recently, here). Yet even though the argument has been convincingly refuted time and again, it lives on in the popular literature. My friend Jamie Franklin recently published a post on his website explaining why he has come to […]
Replicating DNA with Extraordinary Fidelity: Meet DNA Polymerase
CrossExaminedIn a previous article, I gave a brief overview of the complex molecular mechanisms governing DNA replication. Now, I will focus specifically on the replication enzyme DNA polymerase. DNA polymerase is the enzyme responsible for synthesizing new strands of DNA, complementary to the sequence of the template strand. The unidirectional DNA polymerase progresses along the template […]
An Exchange with Biblical Scholar Peter Enns on Archaeology and the Bible
CrossExaminedJust recently a friend of mine notified me (Ted W.) of a blog written by biblical scholar, Dr. Peter Enns concerning archaeology and the Bible. The title of the blog post is “3 Things I Would Like to see Evangelical Leaders Stop Saying About Biblical Scholarship” Here are the three things Enns would like to […]
Did the Apostle Paul “Invent” Christianity?
CrossExaminedThe writer of Ecclesiastes instructs his students “…of making many books there is no end.” (Eccl. 12:2) and this is certainly true. A similar thing could certainly be said in responding to the continual flow of misinformation and outright falsehoods about Christianity from popular books, media and television documentaries. This is the second blog-article I […]
Israel & Footsteps of Paul Trip this Summer
CrossExaminedHave you ever wanted to see the Bible come alive by visiting actual biblical sites? When I co-led a Footsteps of Paul cruise last year with my friend Bob Cornuke (the REAL Indiana Jones), the experience was even more enriching than I had anticipated. So this year we are going to do it again. Except […]
DNA Replication: An Engineering Marvel
CrossExaminedRecently I have been reviewing some literature on the elegant molecular mechanisms by which DNA is replicated. As an undergraduate biology student, I recall being struck by their sheer complexity, sophistication, and intrinsic beauty. As I read about such a carefully orchestrated process, involving so many specific enzymes and protein complexes, and its extraordinary accuracy, […]
Was the Old Testament Invented During the Babylonian Exile? The Answer is NO.
CrossExaminedJust recently the History Channel aired the six-part docu-drama, “Mankind: The Story of Us.” Perhaps you might have watched it. Last year I was contacted by the producers and asked if I would like to participate as one of the “experts.” While I certainly don’t consider myself an expert, I thought it would be a […]
Tragedy Then Hope: Like the First Christmas
CrossExaminedI was physically sick when I heard the news. The mass murder of children and adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut is shocking and sadly too common. Evil is a reality in our world, and, tragically, evil has been perpetrated on children for centuries. Just before the birth of Moses, Pharaoh commanded that […]
More Functions for “Junk DNA”
CrossExaminedA new paper has just been published in the journal Genome Biology by John Rinn and David Kelley, identifying a role for transposable elements in gene regulation in stem cells. Click here to continue reading>>>
Life of Pi, Only 3.14% Accurate
CrossExaminedLife of Pi, Only 3.14% Accurate Scott Symington An interesting encounter at sea is reported in the Naval Institute’s official magazine, Proceedings. A battleship had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather. A lookout reported a light in the distance, so the captain had the signalman send a message: “We are on a collision […]
Intergenic Retrotransposons Can Serve Long-Range Functions
CrossExaminedRetrotransposons (which include LINEs, SINEs, and ERVs) are known for the ability of their long-terminal repeats (LTRs) to serve as promoters and enhancers for regulating the expression of genes that are immediately downstream (Conley et al., 2008; Dunn et al., 2005). The majority of retrotransposons, however, are located considerable distances from genes (often hundreds of kilobases away) — […]
The Design of the Complement Cascade
CrossExaminedWhen I was an undergraduate biology student, one of my favorite topics was the complement system in immunology. The complement cascade is an array of sequentially interacting proteins that serve a vital role in innate immune responses. The complement cascade can be activated via interactions with antibody-antigen complexes. Proteins involved in the complement cascade react […]
Asteroid Belts and Planet Biohabitability
2. Does God Exist?A new study by Rebecca Martin of the University of Colorado finds that “Solar systems with life-bearing planets may be rare if they are dependent on the presence of asteroid belts of just the right mass.” Science Daily summarizes: “They suggest that the size and location of an asteroid belt, shaped by the evolution of the […]
You Can’t Preach the Gospel without Freedom
Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Theology and Christian ApologeticsWhen I hear Christians saying we ought not get involved in politics but just “preach the Gospel,” I show them this satellite picture of the Korean peninsula. Here we see a homogenous population of mostly Koreans separated by a well-fortified border. South Korea is full of freedom, food and productivity—it’s one of the most Christianized […]
The Molecular "Clutch" of the Dynein Motor Protein
CrossExaminedOver at Evolution News & Views, I have just published a blog post on the recent paper in the journal Cell regarding the molecular clutch of the dynein motor protein: Here at ENV, I have previously described the molecular flagellar clutch of Bacillus subtilis, the grass or hay bacillus, which allows the bacterium to cease […]
Nature News: ‘Arsenic-life’ bacterium prefers phosphorus after all
CrossExaminedReaders may recall the media hype, back in December 2010, surrounding the claim that a bacterium is capable of utilising arsenic instead of phosphorous in its DNA. A new study, published in Nature and reported on by Nature News, has discovered that the bacterium “actually goes to extreme lengths to grab any traces of phosphorus […]
Was Jesus Married?
4. Is the NT True?Dr. Daniel Wallace, one of the top New Testament manuscript experts in the world, has weighed in on the recently revealed manuscript fragment where Jesus allegedly refers to “my wife.” The bottom line is that even if this fragment is authentic, it is far too late to give us any new information on the historical […]
The Same-Sex Marriage Controversy
CrossExaminedThis week, I participated in a debate on the subject of same-sex marriage before an audience at the University of Glasgow. The motion was “Politics, Religion and Expression: This House Supports Gay Marriage.” The format took a parliamentary style, with teams of three representing each side. Representing traditional marriage were myself, Father John Keenan (Catholic […]
The Demise of Junk DNA and Why It Matters
CrossExaminedENV’s Casey Luskin has already drawn our attention to the groundbreaking research published this week by ENCODE. A number of ID critics are asking the question: “Why should a pro-intelligent design news site care about these results?” After all, the discovery that a great proportion of the non-coding regions of the genome are functional does […]
On the Origin of Protein Folds
CrossExaminedA common objection to the theory of intelligent design (ID) is that it has no power to make testable predictions, and thus there is no basis for calling it science at all. While recognising that testability may not be a sufficient or necessary resolution of the “Demarcation Problem”, this article will consider one prediction made […]