I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist

Is redefining Christianity to fit the current trends and fashions a modern phenomenon or a tale as old as time? Join Frank on this midweek podcast episode as he continues to go through C.S. Lewis’ essay, ‘Christian Apologetics’ which can be found in the book, God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics. WARNING: You may be prompted to add more C.S. Lewis books to your reading list as a result of listening to this podcast! To view the entire VIDEO PODCAST, be sure to join our CrossExamined private community. It’s the perfect place to jump into some great discussions with like-minded Christians while simultaneously providing financial support for our ministry. Listen to Part 1 here: http://bit.ly/3I9qFFM If you would like to submit a question to be answered on the show, please email your question to Hello@Crossexamined.org. Subscribe on Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/CrossExamined_Podcast Rate and review! Thanks!!! Subscribe on Google Play: https://cutt.ly/0E2eua9 Subscribe on Spotify: http://bit.ly/CrossExaminedOfficial_Podcast Subscribe on Stitcher: http://bit.ly/CE_Podcast_Stitcher  

What happens when “Christians” deny a core doctrine of Christianity? It seems that many people in our culture today are creating their own versions of the Christian faith based on their personal preferences and don’t care whether something is true or not. For them, it boils down to one simple question: “Is this going to work for me?” In 1945, C.S. Lewis did a presentation for a group of Anglican ministers which later turned into an essay called ‘Christian Apologetics’. In it, Lewis makes clear that the Christian faith has certain boundaries, and if you decide to step outside of those boundaries, “you must change your profession.” On today’s podcast, Frank goes through different sections of the essay to illustrate the different lessons we can learn from Lewis’ musings today—even though he voiced them over 75 years ago! In fact, there is so much to learn from this one essay that it wouldn’t fit into one episode, so be sure to watch out for Part 2 during the midweek podcast next week! To view the entire VIDEO PODCAST, be sure to join our CrossExamined private community. It’s the perfect place to jump into some great discussions with like-minded Christians while simultaneously providing financial support for our ministry. C.S. Lewis’ Book of Essays – God in the Dock: https://a.co/d/6VYrbYt If you would like to submit a question to be answered on the show, please email your question to Hello@Crossexamined.org. Subscribe on Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/CrossExamined_Podcast Rate and review! Thanks!!! Subscribe on Google Play: https://cutt.ly/0E2eua9 Subscribe on Spotify: http://bit.ly/CrossExaminedOfficial_Podcast Subscribe on Stitcher: http://bit.ly/CE_Podcast_Stitcher  

This internet age is full of trends. One of the latest is the trend to “deconstruct” one’s beliefs about Jesus and Christianity. If someone you love has done this, how should you respond? On today’s podcast, Alisa Childers joins Frank to offer insights on how you can make progress, especially when your loved one now thinks you are “toxic” and seems resistant to reason. Join our listeners as they ask questions related to their personal experiences, including: What is causing this trend? What are the top 4 reasons why people leave the Christian faith? What is “deconstruction” and how does it compare to having doubts? What if your pastor is showing signs of deconstruction? How do you talk to a spouse who belittles you and your beliefs? What if your child has been brainwashed by their spouse? Is it possible to have a relationship with someone who hates your faith? Should we be talking about this trend with our young children? And many more! To view the entire VIDEO PODCAST, be sure to join our CrossExamined private community. It’s the perfect place to jump into some great discussions with like-minded Christians while simultaneously providing financial support for our ministry. If you would like to submit a question to be answered on the show, please email your question to Hello@Crossexamined.org. Subscribe on Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/CrossExamined_Podcast Rate and review! Thanks!!! Subscribe on Google Play: https://cutt.ly/0E2eua9 Subscribe on Spotify: http://bit.ly/CrossExaminedOfficial_Podcast Subscribe on Stitcher: http://bit.ly/CE_Podcast_Stitcher  

The Bible is God’s Word. It contains history, entertaining stories, poetry, philosophy, and personal letters. However, the Bible is not just a list of wise sayings that can be pulled out as if from a fortune cookie. It is a unified work and must be carefully read and studied in context. So, the million-dollar question is: How can we know what parts of the Bible apply to us today? On today’s podcast, Frank responds to a listener who calls him a “heretic” for saying that Jeremiah 29:11 is not a promise to modern-day Christians. After all, if it’s not a promise, why is it in the Bible? And does that mean we should ignore other verses like John 3:16 too? To view the entire VIDEO PODCAST, be sure to join our CrossExamined private community. It’s the perfect place to jump into some great discussions with like-minded Christians while simultaneously providing financial support for our ministry. If you would like to submit a question to be answered on the show, please email your question to Hello@Crossexamined.org. Subscribe on Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/CrossExamined_Podcast Rate and review! Thanks!!! Subscribe on Google Play: https://cutt.ly/0E2eua9 Subscribe on Spotify: http://bit.ly/CrossExaminedOfficial_Podcast Subscribe on Stitcher: http://bit.ly/CE_Podcast_Stitcher  

How old is the universe? All Christians agree that “God created the heavens and the earth,” but WHEN? Join Frank in this special midweek podcast episode as he unpacks the age-old question that everyone won’t stop talking about! To view the entire VIDEO PODCAST, be sure to join our CrossExamined private community. It’s the perfect place to jump into some great discussions with like-minded Christians while simultaneously providing financial support for our ministry. If you would like to submit a question to be answered on the show, please email your question to Hello@Crossexamined.org. Subscribe on Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/CrossExamined_Podcast Rate and review! Thanks!!! Subscribe on Google Play: https://cutt.ly/0E2eua9 Subscribe on Spotify: http://bit.ly/CrossExaminedOfficial_Podcast Subscribe on Stitcher: http://bit.ly/CE_Podcast_Stitcher  

Do we need a Ph.D. in ancient Near East culture to understand what the book of Genesis really means? Some Bible scholars make it sound like we need to go way beyond just basic grammar skills to get a firm grasp of what is truly happening in the text. Why would God do that? In the first half of this week’s podcast episode, Frank continues the conversation from the past two weeks on Bible interpretation and the Book of Genesis and gives listeners a broad introduction to biblical hermeneutics. Then, CrossExamined speaker Dr. John Ferrer joins the program to do a deep dive into the interpretation of Genesis 1 and Exodus with a special emphasis on the striking differences between the Bible and Mesopotamian + Egyptian creation stories. Fascinating stuff! You’ll walk away with two helpful acronyms to keep in mind whenever you read the Bible as well as a better understanding of how God chooses to reveal Himself to us. To view the entire VIDEO PODCAST, be sure to join our CrossExamined private community. It’s the perfect place to jump into some great discussions with like-minded Christians while simultaneously providing financial support for our ministry. If you would like to submit a question to be answered on the show, please email your question to Hello@Crossexamined.org. Subscribe on Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/CrossExamined_Podcast Rate and review! Thanks!!! Subscribe on Google Play: https://cutt.ly/0E2eua9 Subscribe on Spotify: http://bit.ly/CrossExaminedOfficial_Podcast Subscribe on Stitcher: http://bit.ly/CE_Podcast_Stitcher  

Many have attempted to discredit the Kalam Cosmological Argument for God. Have they succeeded? Join Frank for this special midweek podcast episode as he hosts not one, but TWO of the most accomplished Christian philosophers, Dr. William Lane Craig and Dr. Stephen C. Meyer. Both guests present their own approaches to the argument and answer the main objections to it. And during the second half of the show, they tackle a long list of thought-provoking (and sometimes mind-boggling) listener questions! Including: If God created the universe, who created God? How is math the product of a mind? What does “began to exist” mean in the Kalam cosmological argument? How do we know the creator is the Christian God? What is the Borde-Guth-Vilenkin (BGV) theorem? Is it possible to reconcile young + old earth creation views? If God is timeless, how did He create time? To view the entire VIDEO PODCAST, be sure to join our CrossExamined private community. It’s the perfect place to jump into some great discussions with like-minded Christians while simultaneously providing financial support for our ministry. Connect with the guests: Dr. William Lane Craig: https://www.reasonablefaith.org/ Dr. Stephen C. Meyer’s website: https://stephencmeyer.org/ Dr. Stephen C. Meyer’s online course: https://bit.ly/3GL1qKB If you would like to submit a question to be answered on the show, please email your question to Hello@Crossexamined.org. Subscribe on Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/CrossExamined_Podcast Rate and review! Thanks!!! Subscribe on Google Play: https://cutt.ly/0E2eua9 Subscribe on Spotify: http://bit.ly/CrossExaminedOfficial_Podcast Subscribe on Stitcher: http://bit.ly/CE_Podcast_Stitcher  

Should we interpret the Bible literally? One of our recent shows has stirred up a hornet’s nest with regard to that question! Just HOW do we interpret the Bible? Can something be true, but not expressed literally? And if that’s the case, why would God make things so difficult for us to figure out? On this week’s podcast episode, Frank responds to a listener’s question that relates to the discussion he had with Dr. John Walton last week on the right way to interpret Genesis. He does a deep dive into Genesis 1:1 and explains that even though everything in the Bible is literally true, not everything in the Bible is expressed literally. He also walks listeners through a fun + educational thought experiment and shares some of the most popular Hebrew and Greek idioms we find in the Bible. If you (or the people you disciple) ever wished that the Bible had an EASY button you need to take a listen, because we might just change your mind! To view the entire VIDEO PODCAST, be sure to join our CrossExamined private community. It’s the perfect place to jump into some great discussions with like-minded Christians while simultaneously providing financial support for our ministry. If you would like to submit a question to be answered on the show, please email your question to Hello@Crossexamined.org. Subscribe on Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/CrossExamined_Podcast Rate and review! Thanks!!! Subscribe on Google Play: https://cutt.ly/0E2eua9 Subscribe on Spotify: http://bit.ly/CrossExaminedOfficial_Podcast Subscribe on Stitcher: http://bit.ly/CE_Podcast_Stitcher  

George Orwell once said, “In a time of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” Those seem like prophetic words as we watched two major news events unfold this past week. The first–Ivan Provorov, the Philadelphia Flyers hockey player who cited his religious beliefs for skipping an NHL-sponsored LGBTQ pride event. And second–Rebecca Phillips, a 17-year-old girl who reported a naked trans-woman she encountered after getting out of the shower in a California YMCA women’s locker room. Both Provorov and Phillips received criticism from the media and the general public for their actions, inciting a social media storm of name-calling and angry comments. On this midweek podcast episode, Frank takes a look at some of these comments and demonstrates with logic and reasoning how these hollow “arguments” against the actions of Provorov and Phillips point to a culture that puts symbolism over substance. Now more than ever, we need to calmly and reasonably stand in the way of evil by telling people the truth–even if they hate us for it. Why? Because that’s the most loving thing to do! To view the entire VIDEO PODCAST, be sure to join our CrossExamined private community. It’s the perfect place to jump into some great discussions with like-minded Christians while simultaneously providing financial support for our ministry. If you would like to submit a question to be answered on the show, please email your question to Hello@Crossexamined.org. Subscribe on Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/CrossExamined_Podcast Rate and review! Thanks!!! Subscribe on Google Play: https://cutt.ly/0E2eua9 Subscribe on Spotify: http://bit.ly/CrossExaminedOfficial_Podcast Subscribe on Stitcher: http://bit.ly/CE_Podcast_Stitcher  

Your children may know WHAT they believe about the Christian faith but do they know WHY? What happens when they leave the safe comforts of home and someone challenges their beliefs–will they know how to respond? Or maybe your child is already questioning the validity of Christianity and the Bible and you don’t even know it yet. Don’t panic! Former public-school teacher and certified apologist Shanda Fulbright is here to help! She says skepticism about God, Jesus, and the Bible usually begins during the middle school years, which is why we need to start teaching kids as early as possible about how God’s Word and God’s world connect. She sits down with Frank to explain the layered process parents should use to create a strong foundation for their child’s faith and also shares some of the challenges she faced as a parent and public-school teacher in California. Shanda also points out that many parents feel ill-equipped to teach their children the objective truth behind the Christian worldview because they were never taught it themselves. That’s where her online course (co-authored with Frank), Let’s Get Real: Examining the Evidence for God, saves the day! This course was specially designed for 6-8th graders and will take students on a challenging (but FUN!) journey as they dig in and become confident that Christianity is true and not just stories–that Christianity isn’t just an opinion or preference, but a belief based on FACTS. To view the entire VIDEO PODCAST, be sure to join our CrossExamined private community. It’s the perfect place to jump into some great discussions with like-minded Christians while simultaneously providing financial support for our ministry. ‘Let’s Get Real’ PREMIUM online course for kids: https://bit.ly/3jX4IS1 Shanda’s website: https://shandafulbright.com/ If you would like to submit a question to be answered on the show, please email your question to Hello@Crossexamined.org. Subscribe on Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/CrossExamined_Podcast Rate and review! Thanks!!! Subscribe on Google Play: https://cutt.ly/0E2eua9 Subscribe on Spotify: http://bit.ly/CrossExaminedOfficial_Podcast Subscribe on Stitcher: http://bit.ly/CE_Podcast_Stitcher