Cross Examined

The podcast is going on vacation. I've enjoyed chatting with you. I'll be focusing on the blog: www.patheos.com/blogs/crossexamined. Please visit!

Apologists love to bring up the women at the tomb. Women weren't reliable witnesses in Jewish culture at the time, so why would the gospel authors place them there if the story weren't true? However, a little scrutiny unravels this story. (For the podcast transcript, search for the title at www.Patheos.com/Blogs/CrossExamined)

Imagine throwing your Net of Truth into the water. You want to pull up truth and nothing but the truth. What is your procedure for winnowing fact from fiction? (For the podcast transcript, search for the title at www.Patheos.com/Blogs/CrossExamined)

How many days did Jesus teach after his resurrection? Was it 40 days as Acts says or less than one as Luke says? Matthew writes about an earthquake that opened graves and sent reanimated corpses walking around Jerusalem. Why didn't the other gospels write about this remarkable event? These and many more contradictions make us wonder if the gospel account is history or merely legend. (For the podcast transcript, search for the title at www.Patheos.com/Blogs/CrossExamined)

The crucifixion story? Not that big a deal. Here are 10 reasons why it makes no sense. (For the podcast transcript, search for the title at www.Patheos.com/Blogs/CrossExamined)

Religion and sports both have important dates throughout the calendar. They both have sacred designs and special clothes. They both have revered spaces. Superstition in sports is like supernatural belief in religion. They both create an "us" and a "them. " How far can we take this comparison? (For the podcast transcript, search for the title at www.Patheos.com/Blogs/CrossExamined)

The Christian accepts the claims of the gospels. Contrast this with another claim: that aliens have visited the earth. Since that claim beats the Jesus story on every point, does that mean you must accept alien claims? (For the podcast transcript, search for the title at www.Patheos.com/Blogs/CrossExamined)

An online Christian ministry has a flabby argument against homosexuality and same-sex marriage that needs dismantling. (For the podcast transcript, search for the title at www.Patheos.com/Blogs/CrossExamined)

Let's wrap up our analysis of a Catholic blogger's rant against atheism. He gives us three more arguments with which he's not impressed. Curiously, neither am I. (For the podcast transcript, search for the title at www.Patheos.com/Blogs/CrossExamined)

A Catholic blogger claims to have distilled atheists' arguments down to just two. And he's not impressed. (For the podcast transcript, search for the title at www.Patheos.com/Blogs/CrossExamined)