Does God Torture Souls in Hell?

CrossExamined
For many nonbelievers, the idea that God could punish his “children” with eternal “torture” is just too much to accept. They reject the notion of hell, often saying that they simply will not believe in such a God, as if their personal aversion to judgment and possible condemnation can somehow change reality. In responding to such a challenge, one can quickly be made to feel that we’re defending the … indefensible? We know that God can appear harsh, and that he will someday judge us, but is he actually callous and uncaring? The exact opposite of what one would view as a “loving father?” There is, of course, no emotionally satisfying answer to this challenge. There is no way to make someone feel good about a place of suffering, whether…
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Top 10 Podcast Episodes of 2025

Apologetics, Christianity, CrossExamined, Gospel, I don't have enough faith to be an atheist, Podcasts, Theology and Christian Apologetics
In 2025, we had unforgettable conversations with some of today’s leading apologists, archaeologists, pastors, theologians, philosophers, and Christian influencers who joined Frank to unpack today’s most compelling arguments and evidence for the Christian faith. From digs in the Middle East to Bible studies and political commentary, we covered a lot of ground and hopefully were able to help you answer some of the questions you’ve asked and encountered surrounding faith, freedom, and philosophy. We’ve kept up with the biggest news headlines and impact events, keeping you informed and engaged amidst the ongoing culture war from a Christian perspective. And then out of nowhere, we were hit with the most devastating tragedy, the martyrdom of our great friend Charlie Kirk–an event that not only shocked the nation, but by God’s grace,…
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The Book of Acts is High-Resolution Reportage Part 1

1st Century, Apologetics, Apostle Paul, Book of Acts, Christianity, CrossExamined, Gospel, historical apologetics, Jonathan McLatchie.com, reliability of the Bible
The book of Acts is one of the most fascinating books of the Bible. No other book matches its level of historical corroboration from both internal and external sources. The abundant evidence, that we shall sample in this essay, of Luke’s credibility and meticulousness as a historian, indirectly supports the credibility of Luke’s gospel (which is widely acknowledged to be written by the same author). Luke claims to have been a travelling companion of Paul for much of his travels (Acts 16-10-17 and later again from Acts 20:5, travelling with Paul as far as Rome). This places Luke in Jerusalem in Acts 21 when Paul visited the Jerusalem leaders. Luke tells us that “all the elders [including James] were present” (Acts 21:18). Luke also implies that he remained in proximity…
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The Contradiction In Demanding Extraordinary Evidence

CrossExamined
My last post discussed some of the problems with demanding “extraordinary” evidence before considering the possibility that an extraordinary event – like the Resurrection of Jesus – actually did occur. Setting artificial standards for evidence, I argued, does little to advance the goal of determining the truth. Skeptics often respond by insisting that nothing short of the miraculous will convince them of the existence of God. After all, they reason, if God did exist, would he not expect us to use the mind he gave us to come to our own conclusions about reality, conclusions based not on what others tell us but upon evidence and reason? Would he not expect us to work to separate fact from fantasy, and not just accept what someone else believes? When pressed, the…
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UFOS, Aliens, And Christianity

aliens, Christianity, CrossExamined, J. Brian Huffling, Jesus, Theology and Christian Apologetics, UFOs
By J. Brian Huffling many people throughout history and across the world have claimed to have seen UFOs and even have experiences with what are normally described as aliens. I’ve always had a casual interest in UFOs, but with the release of three Navy videos and the Unidentified documentary, I became more interested. It is probably safe to say that most people think that talk of UFOs and aliens is crazy; however, the evidence for such phenomena has been mounting to the point that the existence of UFOs is beyond question. This article will look at a brief history of UFOs, focusing mostly on the U.S., some of the claims people have made, an examination of prominent theories of what is going on, and an overall assessment. A VERY BRIEF…
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Why Believe? | with Dr. Neil Shenvi

AFR, Apologetics, app, cross examined, cross examined official podcast, CrossExamined, crossexamined podcast, faith, Frank Turek, God, google play, iTunes, Jesus Christ, Neil Shenvi, Podcast, podcasting, Radio, Radio Show, Spotify, stitcher, truth, Weekly Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Android | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | RSS Why believe in Christianity? Why believe that God exists? Aren’t there reasons NOT to believe in God? Reasons like: Evolution Evil Divine hiddenness For centuries, skeptics have disputed the claims of Christianity―such as the belief in an eternal God and the resurrection of Jesus Christ―arguing that they simply cannot be accepted by reasonable individuals. Furthermore, efforts to demonstrate the evidence and rational basis for Christianity through apologetics are often deemed too simplistic to be taken seriously in intellectual circles. And miracles? Ha! They’ll say anything is more probable than a miracle, even the idea that Jesus had an identical twin! In his new book, Why Believe: A Reasoned Approach…
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Is God Immoral when He Kills People? Plus Q&A | with Frank Turek

abortion, AFR, Apologetics, app, cross examined, cross examined official podcast, CrossExamined, crossexamined podcast, faith, Frank Turek, God, google play, iTunes, Jesus Christ, Podcast, podcasting, Politics, Radio, Radio Show, Spotify, stitcher, truth, Weekly Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Android | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | RSS If God made humans in His image, does that also mean we have the right to “play God” whenever we want? Many atheists and pro-choice advocates criticize God’s morality when He (ironically) “plays” God by taking life prematurely in the Old Testament. But they don’t bat an eye when advocating for abortion and call it a “moral right.” It doesn’t make sense! However, what about capital punishment? It seems like pro-lifers who support the death penalty are also contradicting themselves. What’s the difference? In this episode of ‘I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be An Atheist’, Frank continues the discussion from last week on how to answer some of…
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How to Answer Arguments for Abortion | with Frank Turek

abortion, AFR, Apologetics, app, cross examined, cross examined official podcast, CrossExamined, crossexamined podcast, faith, Frank Turek, God, google play, iTunes, Jesus Christ, Podcast, podcasting, Politics, Radio, Radio Show, Spotify, stitcher, truth, Weekly Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Android | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | RSS Have you ever found yourself at a loss for words when confronted by a zealous pro-choice advocate? Or maybe when a friend or co-worker started sharing their thoughts and opinions on abortion you couldn’t think of the right thing to say, so instead of speaking up you just kept silent? Now more than ever we need to effectively make the case for life, but sometimes the task is difficult because abortion is not intellectually complex–it is emotionally complex. Last week, Frank talked about the historic overturning of Roe vs. Wade. This week, he takes the discussion one step further and answers the most common abortion arguments, such as: Theocracy…
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The Babylon Bee vs. Postmodernism | with Kyle Mann

AFR, Apologetics, app, cross examined, cross examined official podcast, CrossExamined, crossexamined podcast, faith, Frank Turek, God, google play, iTunes, Jesus Christ, Kyle Mann, Podcast, podcasting, Politics, Radio, Radio Show, school shooting, Spotify, stitcher, Todd Herman, truth, Weekly Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Android | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | RSS Are you ready to laugh and think your way through a timely update of a classic tale? Kyle Mann, editor-in-chief of The Babylon Bee, joins Frank to discuss his new book, The Postmodern Pilgrim’s Progress (co-authored with Joel Berry). Part novel and part “sci-fi fantasy allegory”, The Postmodern Pilgrim’s Progress is a modern-day version of John Bunyan’s classic book and tackles subject matter that is unique to our culture today–including the prosperity gospel, deconstruction, humanism, evolution, skepticism, abortion, and more. Here’s a short excerpt from the beginning of the book: “On this journey, Ryan will learn something, which is more than most people who go on journeys can say. When he wakes up, he…
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Can We Create a Turning Point? | with Charlie Kirk

AFR, Apologetics, app, Charlie Kirk, cross examined, cross examined official podcast, CrossExamined, crossexamined podcast, faith, Frank Turek, God, google play, iTunes, Jesus Christ, Podcast, podcasting, Politics, Radio, Radio Show, school shooting, Spotify, stitcher, Todd Herman, TPUSA, truth, Weekly Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Android | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | RSS Frank has been speaking at 15-20 college campuses per year since 2007. The reason he goes there is because the college campus is probably the most anti-Christian piece of real estate in the United States of America. When we conduct a session on campus—it takes our team and a Christian host group on campus to do so—we are throwing a lifeline to the Christian students who attend, and we are putting a stone in the shoe of the skeptics who show up. But too few people are doing this. So when we find someone who is—and doing it remarkably effectively—we want to tell you about that person. In this…
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