Proving the Bible’s validity isn’t an unusual topic for a Sunday sermon, but for Cross Examined — an organization geared toward the “75 percent” of Christian-raised students who leave the church during college — it is all in a day’s work.

N.C. State Cru presented “Jesus’ Resurrection: Myth, Hoax or Ultimate Answer” in association with Cross Examined as an attempt to prove their faith, not just to Christians, but to skeptics. 

Frank Turek, founder and president of Cross Examined, said he conducts seminars like the one Monday to address the concerns and questions of non-Christians. 

“This kind of thing isn’t typically done on college campuses. We’re here looking objectively to find answers,” Turek said. “Seventy-five percent of students who are raised in church leave it upon entering college, and we’re here to address those issues.”

Turk is a Christian apologist — a person who seeks to provide rational evidence of biblical validity — who travels to numerous college campuses to answer skeptics’ questions about Christianity.

“My job is to give rigorous logical, scientific, historical and evidential reasons for truth, the existence of God, the historical reliability of the Bible, the resurrection of Jesus Christ and other critical Christian beliefs,” Turek said.

While the primary subject of his lecture was on the resurrection, Turek discussed everything from evolutionary concepts to ancient history as a means of formulating a concise and effective argument. 

Turek last spoke on campus with Cross Examined in 2008 in Reynolds Coliseum. He said he tours the country not only to curb skeptics, but also to teach faithful Christians to defend themselves.

“Doing these lectures provides me with the opportunity to train students to effectively defend their faith, as well as entice non-Christians to give the Bible a closer look,” Turek said.

Cross Examined travels along Turek’s “apologetic” train of thought.

Turek and several students said Christians do not blindly accept things, insisting substantial evidence toward the resurrection of Christ and biblical truth exists. 

“One of the purposes of this seminar is to demolish the lie that faith and reason are separate by showing that faith is grounded in reason,” Turek said.

In addition to his involvement with Cross Examined, Turek authored three books that focus on apologetics, titled I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, Legislating Morality, and Correct, NOT Politically Correct.

Upon concluding his main talk, Turek opened the floor for questions.  

“Society tells us faith and science are at odds, but we believe they are complementary,” Jordan Penley, intern with N.C. State Cru, said. “We believe the gospel is extremely credible and the claims of Jesus Christ are worthy of consideration.”