Cross Examined - Page 2 of 120 - An energetic but civil critique of Christianity from an atheist viewpoint

The Modal Ontological Argument? It Needs a Good Thrashing. (2 of 2)

January 23, 2019 By Bob Seidensticker

We’re halfway through our analysis of this obtuse argument. It’s a great example of an argument that’s useful because it’s confusing, not because it’s accurate. Read more

The Modal Ontological Argument? It Needs a Good Thrashing.

January 22, 2019 By Bob Seidensticker

197 Comments

We’ve looked at Anselm’s ontological argument, where God is defined into existence. Another variant is the modal version. It’s much more complicated, but does that make it any more convincing? Read more

The Argument from Mathematics Doesn’t Add Up to God (2 of 2)

January 19, 2019 By Bob Seidensticker

308 Comments

Let’s conclude our exploration of this new argument for Christianity. The Argument from Mathematics argues that math’s ability to explain reality is so extraordinary that it demands a divine explanation. Read more

Christian Historical Claims Are Surprisingly Fragile: a Case Study (2 of 2)

January 17, 2019 By Bob Seidensticker

70 Comments

What about the claims Christians make about early church history, claims that don’t come from the Bible? They’re stated with confidence, but what backs them up? We’ll take one famous example and dig into why one should accept it—or not. (Conclusion) Read more

Christian Historical Claims Are Surprisingly Fragile: a Case Study

January 15, 2019 By Bob Seidensticker

175 Comments

The Argument from Mathematics Doesn’t Add Up to God

January 12, 2019 By Bob Seidensticker

221 Comments

Here’s a new argument for Christianity: math’s ability to explain reality is so extraordinary that it demands a divine explanation. Take a look, and see if you find it compelling. Read more

New Testament Manuscript Reliability: the Visual Edition

January 10, 2019 By Bob Seidensticker

276 Comments

We’ve recently looked at the (literally) fragmentary early evidence for the New Testament. Seeing it visually, with the fragments building over time, helps illustrate the wide gap between originals and our best copies. Read more

New Testament Manuscript Reliability Less Than You’ve Been Told

January 8, 2019 By Bob Seidensticker

82 Comments

Let’s look at the earliest handful of manuscripts that give us our most reliable look at the New Testament. They’re a surprisingly shaky foundation on which to build the claim that we have recreated the originals. Read more

God Created the Universe From Nothing—Or Did He?

January 3, 2019 By Bob Seidensticker

261 Comments

That God created everything from nothing is a key Christian doctrine. But where does it say this in the Bible? Read more

Turning the Tables on Same-Sex Marriage? Not with THIS Argument (2 of 2).

December 31, 2018 By Bob Seidensticker

3,371 Comments

A Christian blogger offers six suggestions to improve the rhetorical position of Christians arguing against same-sex marriage. I agree with him that the Christian has an uphill battle, but these suggestions don’t make his hateful argument any more palatable. Read more