Frank Turek

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| name = Frank Turek

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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|11|20}}

| birth_place = Neptune Township, New Jersey, U.S.

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| alma_mater = George Washington University (MPA)
Southern Evangelical Seminary (DMin)

| occupation = Christian apologist, author

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| title = President of CrossExamined.org

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| website = {{URL|https://crossexamined.org}}

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Frank Turek (born November 20, 1961) is an American Christian apologist, author, public speaker, and radio host. He is best known as the founder and president of Christian apologetics ministry CrossExamined.org. Turek has co-authored two books (Legislating Morality and I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist) with Christian philosopher Norman Geisler.{{cite web|url=http://www.outreach.com/events/christian-speakers/Frank-Turek.aspx|title=Biography|work=Outreach Speakers|access-date=19 June 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://familyactionorganization.wordpress.com/|title=Bio|date=16 May 2009|work=Christian Apologetics Radio Shows|access-date=19 June 2017}} In addition, Turek has authored two of his own books (Correct, Not Politically Correct and Stealing from God).

Turek hosts a call-in talk show called CrossExamined on American Family Radio. Turek also hosts a television show, I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, which airs on the NRB Network.{{cite web|url=http://www.voiceofrevolution.com/author/fturek/|title=About the Author|website=Voice of Revolution|access-date=19 June 2017|archive-date=18 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018221851/http://www.voiceofrevolution.com/author/fturek/|url-status=dead}}

Early life

Turek was born in Neptune, New Jersey, on November 20, 1961. Turek was raised Catholic, but he became a Protestant during his time as a Naval Flight Officer in the U.S. Navy after being recommended apologetic books written by Josh McDowell, in particular Evidence That Demands a Verdict and More Than a Carpenter.{{Cite web|date=21 October 2019|title=How do Catholics and Protestants differ on salvation?|website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlItQ496sOw|access-date=14 September 2020}} Turek earned a Master of Public Administration degree from George Washington University. He also earned a Doctor of Ministry in Apologetics degree from Southern Evangelical Seminary. Turek has taught classes in Leadership and Management at George Washington University.

Christian apologetics

Turek co-authored the book I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist with Norman Geisler. Turek frequently delivers seminars based on I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist at universities and churches throughout America. Turek is a creationist advocating for the pseudoscientific argument of intelligent design. Turek is a critic of macroevolution but believes that adaptations in species occur over time.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYvwbD6fta8 Intelligent Design] Frank Turek looks at Darwinian Evolution vs. Intelligent Design through the lens of astronomy, physics, biology, and reason.{{npsn|date=December 2020}}

In 2008, Turek and atheist Christopher Hitchens debated the existence of God."[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7WBEJJlYWU Does God Exist? (Frank Turek vs Christopher Hitchens)]" (9 September 2008). Uploaded 23 May 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2020. On March 31, 2009, Turek and Hitchens debated the topic of atheism or theism best explaining reality at the College of New Jersey in Trenton, New Jersey.{{Cite web|date=23 May 2011|title=What Best Explains Reality: Theism or Atheism? (Frank Turek vs. Christopher Hitchens)|website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDCDTaKfzXU|access-date=14 September 2020}}

Views

In the book I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, Geisler and Turek state that American culture demands truth from doctors, stock brokers, loved ones, etc., and yet does not typically demand truth when it comes to morality or religion. Geisler and Turek argue that truth is based in correspondence to an absolute reality, and is therefore not subjective. On this basis, Geisler and Turek argue it therefore follows that religious truth is also objective, and for one to claim "All truth is relative!" or "There are no absolutes!" is self-refuting.{{cite book|title=I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist|publisher=Crossway|year=2004|pages=36–37, 39}}

After arguing for the objectivity of truth, Geisler and Turek argue for the objectivity of knowledge. Geisler and Turek ask those who argue that one cannot know anything for sure if they can know that for sure. The duo argues that if the proponent is sure, the statement presented is, therefore, self-refuting and if the proponent is not sure, the presented argument collapses. Geisler and Turek conclude that people cannot be skeptics about everything, as the proponent would logically have to doubt skepticism: the more one doubts skepticism, the more certain they become.{{cite book|title=I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist|publisher=Crossway|year=2004|page=43}}

Geisler and Turek argue that the existence of God implies the possibility of miracles. Borrowing an illustration seminary professor Ronald H. Nash created (a metaphor of the universe representing an open box from a theistic worldview perspective), Geisler and Turek argue that the universe is effectively open for the creator of the universe to reach in and perform what one might call miracles.{{cite book|title=I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist|publisher=Crossway|year=2004|page=202}} Geisler and Turek expand on the metaphor by claiming, "a worldview is like a box top that allows you to place the many pieces of life’s puzzle into a complete, cohesive picture."{{Cite book|title=I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist|publisher=Crossway|year=2004|pages=132}}

=Marriage=

Turek argues in Correct, Not Politically Correct: How Same-sex Marriage Hurts Everyone that marriage lengthens lifespans of men and women, civilizes men, protects women, protects mothers, lowers welfare costs, and encourages a replacement birth rate, and he argues that same-sex marriage does none of these. After a student in a leadership seminar Turek taught in 2010 at Cisco discovered his views on marriage and reported them to the company's human resources department, Turek lost his position as consultant for Cisco.{{cite web|last=Lopez|first=Kathryn|title=Frank Talk About Marriage: The New Anti-Defamation Project|url=http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/278305/frank-talk-about-marriage-new-anti-defamation-project-kathryn-jean-lopez|publisher=National Review|date=26 September 2011|access-date=19 June 2017}} Bank of America also cancelled a seminar presentation for the same reason.{{cite news |last1=Black |first1=Nathan |title=Christian Consultant Fired by Bank of America Over Gay Marriage Book |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-consultant-fired-by-bank-of-america-over-gay-marriage-book.html |access-date=22 November 2022 |work=The Christian Post |date=4 September 2011}}

Bibliography

Turek's co-authored book Legislating Morality: Is It Wise? Is It Legal? Is It Possible? was the winner of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association's Gold Medallion Book Award Christianity and Society section in 1999.{{cite web|url=http://christianbookexpo.com/christianbookawards/gm1999.php |title=1999 Gold Medallion Book Awards Winners |publisher=Christian Book Expo |access-date=19 June 2017}}

Legislating Morality: Is it Wise? Is it Legal? Is it Possible? (1998) {{ISBN|978-0764220944}}
I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (2004) {{ISBN|978-1581345612}}
Correct, Not Politically Correct: How Same-Sex Marriage Hurts Everyone (2008) {{ISBN|978-1607081623}}
Stealing from God: Why Atheists Need God to Make Their Case (2014) {{ISBN|978-1-61291-701-6}}
Hollywood Heroes: How Your Favorite Movies Reveal God (2021)