02Sep 2026 by Post

Does Loving Your Neighbor Require You to Vote?

Apologetics, Christianity, David Baggett, FreeThinkingMinistries.com, Gospel, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Politics, Stewardship, Tim Stratton
One Christian philosopher who has most influenced my thinking is Dr. David Baggett. Few scholars have done more to defend the Moral Argument for God’s existence. His work has profoundly shaped my own thinking about morality, human dignity, and libertarian freedom, and I remain deeply grateful for his influence—and, more importantly, his friendship. For that reason, I was genuinely surprised when David and his wife, MaryBeth, recently announced that they no longer identify as evangelical Christians. Their explanation was centered upon what they regard as the unhealthy political trajectory of modern evangelicalism. In their view, too many evangelicals have allowed politics to eclipse discipleship, confusing the Kingdom of God with partisan power and sacrificing Christian witness in the process of casting votes for Republicans. After reading David’s reflections, I became…
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24Aug 2026 by Post

6 Reasons Why It’s OK to Judge

Apologetics, Christianity, Discernment, FreeThinkingMinistries.com, judging, Judgmentalism, Peter Rasor, The5MinuteThinker, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics
“Hey, stop judging me! You can’t judge me and my beliefs!” How many times have we heard something like this? The implication of such an exclamation is clear: someone’s personal beliefs about religion or morality are off limits—they cannot be discerned to be right or wrong. Beliefs are subjective and thus true for some and not others. Such a sentiment fences off one’s beliefs from being analyzed and weighed for validity. But is it true that we should not judge others’ beliefs? Are religious and moral beliefs really just personal opinions? I suggest we all ought to judge people and their beliefs, and it’s o.k. Really. Here are six reasons why. A real world exists For one thing, a real world exists outside one’s own perceptions. If you disagree, just…
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17Aug 2026 by Post

Are We Living in Satan’s “Short Time” that is Mentioned in Revelation 20:3?

Apologetics, Christianity, Clar Moghadam, ConvincingProof.org, end times, eschatology, Gospel, Postmillenialism, Revelation 20:3, Theology and Christian Apologetics
[Editor’s Note: Crossexamined takes no specific position on end times theology except for what historic Christianity requires: future judgment, Christ’s return, resurrection, heaven, hell, and the inspiration of Scripture. Among the leading schools of thought are: premillenialism, postmillennialism, and amillenialism. This blog post, from ConvincingProof.org, reflects a postmillennial position – wherein Christ’s return will be after the “millennium” which they understand to be a non-literal reference to “a long time.” Postmillennialists often teach that there is or will be a blossoming “golden age” leading up to Christ’s return, and some include Christian Nationalism as part of that golden age (ex., Doug Wilson)] Question: “I have been studying Postmillennialism and have held firmly to this position for some time now. However, I have recently come across an eschatological position that has…
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12Aug 2026 by Post

The Anatomy of Deconversion

Anatomy of Deconversion, Apologetics, apostasy, Christianity, Deconstruction, discipleship, Doubt, Evangelism, Gospel, John Marriott, JonathanMclatchie.com, Theology and Christian Apologetics
For many years, I have had a fascination for the reasons why people deconvert from the Christian faith. I have, without exaggeration, viewed many hundreds of deconversion testimonies on YouTube, purchased and read books by deconverts, followed the blogs of deconverts, and personally interacted with many who have either given up their Christian faith or are considering doing so. I was therefore interested to pick up The Anatomy of Deconversion: Keys to a Lifelong Faith in a Culture Abandoning Christianity, by John Marriott, a professor of philosophy at Biola University. [1] Marriott’s doctoral dissertation focused on the subject of deconversion, so he is certainly well qualified to speak about the issue at hand. In this book review, I will offer a summary of the research conducted by Marriott (outlined in the first…
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11Aug 2026 by Post

Can We Believe in a God Who Cannot Be Observed?

2. Does God Exist?, Apologetics, Atheology, BellatorChristi, Brian Chilton, Christianity, Divine Hiddenness, Evidence for God, Gospel, Problem of Evil
Recently, I came across quite a few people who have asked a similar question. Some have been patients, congregants, and even other pastors who have been approached with the same kind of questions. The question that resonates with so many is this: “If I cannot see God, how can I believe in him?” Or, in other words, “Can I believe in a God who cannot be seen or observed?” The question is an important one. It addresses ontology and metaphysics (that which exists), epistemology (How do I know what exists?), and relationality (does God desire a relationship with us?) This question is not a new one either. It is rooted in an apologetics issue known as the problem of divine hiddenness, or simply the hiddenness of God. The problem of…
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05Aug 2026 by Post

I’m Not a Christian Nationalist—I’m an American Nationalist Because I Follow Jesus

Apologetics, Christian Nationalism, Christianity, Church & State, FreeThinkingMInistries, Gospel, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Politics, Religious Freedom, Theocracy, Tim Stratton
Over the past several years, one of the most controversial phrases in American politics has been Christian Nationalism. Depending on who you ask, the term now refers to everything from patriotism to theocracy, to racism, to authoritarianism, to simply displaying an American flag in church. The phrase has become so elastic that it often communicates more confusion than clarity. For that reason, I have largely stopped using it. So, let me be clear. No, I am not a Christian Nationalist. I am an American Nationalist precisely because I am a committed follower of Jesus Christ. At first glance, that may sound contradictory. It isn’t. Words Matter Years ago, I defended what I understood “Christian Nationalism” to mean. At the time, I argued that if the phrase simply meant affirming America’s…
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03Aug 2026 by Post

Where Do You Go When Your Child Asks a PhD Level Question?

Apologetics, Christianity, Doubt, Family Apologetics, Gospel, Hillary Ferrer, Jonathan McLatchie, MamaBearApologetics.com, moms, Relational Apologetics, TalkAboutDoubts.com, Theology and Christian Apologetics, tough conversations
[Editor’s Note: This blog was originally posted at MamaBearApologetics, so its tone and original audience and intent are for moms ministering to their children. That said, the content applies to all sorts of discipleship settings – pastors, parents, teachers, and more]. We all know those conversations are coming. Whether it’s from your college freshman, agnostic uncle, deconstructing niece, or a seasoned atheist brother-in-law, you’re dreading that conversation. You may feel intimidated or just ill-equipped. But guess what!? You are not alone! Too many of us are under the misconception that we have to have the answers for every question, every challenge to Christianity that could come our way. But not having the answer doesn’t mean you have failed, and it doesn’t mean that the answer isn’t out there. We are…
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29Jul 2026 by Post

The Coming Battle for America’s Soul

Apologetics, Christian Conservative, Christianity, Democratic Socialism, FreeThinkingMInistries, Gospel, John Ferrer, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Political Commentary, Political Theology, Politics
[Editor’s Note: I wrote the following post on social media, and it was picked up by Tim Stratton at FreeThinkingMinistries.com. The opening section, below, has been added to clarify how this kind of political commentary bears upon Christian theology and apologetics.] A Brief Theology of Politics     You’re about to hear a rant on Democratic Socialism. So, I want you to hear the heart behind that rant first. As a Christian, I care about people. Caring about people, I have to care about politics, at least insofar as it affects people. I want people to follow Christ. I want to see marriages restored, families healed, within thriving communities, and a flourishing society. All of that, for me, stems from the humanitarian heart of Christ’s life and teaching. And bringing my Christian…
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22Jul 2026 by Post

Nine Clarifications Before Critiquing Old Testament Slavery

Apologetics, Christianity, Gospel, Is God Good? Biblical Ethics, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Old Testament, Sean Redfearn, slavery, Theology and Christian Apologetics
Slavery in the Old Testament is a favourite topic among critics who wish to denigrate the moral character of the God of Israel. In my experience, critics will predominantly cite Exodus 21:20-21 or Leviticus 25:44-46 to appeal to a notion of horrendous oppression towards foreign slaves within the nation of ancient Israel – even though there are, by my count, at least 20 other passages in the Torah that are relevant to having a well-informed conversation on the topic. Still, the above two passages need to be engaged with, and I refer readers to a host of excellent resources that respond to the claim that the Old Testament endorses chattel slavery.[1] What do you mean by Old Testament slavery? In this article, I wish to propose a simple tactic for…
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20Jul 2026 by Post

A BRICKMAKER Defense for God’s Existence

2. Does God Exist?, 3. Are Miracles Possible?, Apologetics, bellatorchristi.com, Brian Chilton, Brickmaker, Christian Apologetics, Christianity, God’s existence, Gospel
Recently, several people have approached me and asked if there are good, simple ways to defend the existence of God. Some have said, “You cannot see God, so how do I know for sure that he’s there?” This seems to be one of the most pressing issues that I have seen as of late. In my book Layman’s Manual on Christian Apologetics, I offered a five-point acronym to defend God’s existence; the acronym was called BRICK (BVG theorem, right conditions, information, compassion and ethics, and the Kalam cosmological argument). [1] The book was published in 2019. Since then, I have come across numerous other reasons to believe in God’s existence. With a few adaptations, we can expand BRICK to a BRICKMAKER defense. Let’s take a look at ten good reasons for believing in God’s existence.…
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