Some time ago, I happened across a Facebook post. It was as if a hand had reached from the screen and seized me by the collar. That post pulled from my memory a deep regret that had disturbed me for close to a decade. The post was about a Christian school teacher who had put to her class a simple question: "Why do you believe Christianity is true?" Not what they believed - but why. Every answer returned to her was circular. "Because the Bible says so." "Because my parents told me." "Because I feel it." Not one child among them could furnish a single piece of evidence, nor construct an argument based on simple logic as to why they believed in God or why the central tenants of Christianity were true. Not one answer that would endure five minutes' scrutiny from the average atheist encountered among typical university professors. The teacher then turned the question upon her own twelve year old daughter - seven years a student in Christian education. The same result. Thirty seconds of silence... unable to answer.
I read that post, saw the direct parallel having raised my own children, and having one walk away from his faith. I had intended to raise my children to believe in God, and to understand that Jesus Christ died for the sins of mankind. I took them to church. Made sure the attended Sunday school. I tried hard to raise my kids teaching them what to believe... but I never showed them why it made sense. I never provided evidence that intelligence is embedded in the creation and design of our Universe and the life inhabiting it... Why it makes more sense to believe everything came from something vs everything came from nothing. I never showed them that faith can be grounded in logic, reason, history, and science - not just feelings, tradition, and memorized bible verses.
I failed. And for me and my son... I was more than a decade too late. That's a crushing defeat rooted in deep regret. This comes back often to haunt me.
Sadly, my experience is reflected in the statistics - this situation haunts many Christian parents: 60-75% of kids raised in Christian homes walk away from their faith by their early twenties*. Not because the evidence is against Christianity - but rather, because no one ever showed them the evidence for it.
After years of thinking about how badly I failed my own kids, and contemplating how I might possibly bring my son back around, when I saw that Facebook post - the lightbulb when off in my head. The idea to build this site was planted. I am not a theologian or a philosopher or a scientist. I'm just a Father who realized too late, the importance of grounding children's faith in solid evidence.
Maybe though, this effort might help other parents and other kids. Our children go out into an intellectually hostile world - we must equip them with more than feelings and memorized bible verses. Feelings don't survive a first-year philosophy class. Yes, faith must be grounded in scripture. But, people should also know WHY it makes more sense to believe in a Creator over evolutionary random mutation pseudoscience.
This curriculum is what I wish someone had given me when my kids were young. This is free. I made this to try and help the next generation answer the question: Why do you believe?
My prayer is that this resource makes a difference in the lives of all who find it, and use it to help others come to a better understanding of why to believe - not just what to believe.
All Glory to God.
- Gregg
Dedicated to my son Tyler, and my daughter Chloe. In retrospect.
* Studies by Barna Group and Lifeway Research have tracked this pattern for over a decade
The curriculum addresses every major argument students and seekers will encounter, including direct engagement with the most prominent critics of Christianity:
The case FOR God: the cosmological argument (why the universe needs a cause), the moral argument (where right and wrong come from), fine-tuning (why the universe's constants are perfectly set for life), the information in DNA, and the hard problem of consciousness.
Science and faith: why they are not enemies, what evolution does and does not prove, the origin of life, irreducible complexity, and the greatest scientists in history who believed in God.
The historical case for Christianity: manuscript evidence (5,800+ Greek manuscripts), archaeology, fulfilled prophecy (Isaiah 53, Daniel's timeline), non-Christian sources confirming Jesus, what Jesus claimed about himself, and the resurrection evidence (Habermas's five minimal facts).
Comparative religion: what makes Christianity unique, and a direct factual comparison of Christianity and Islam drawn from each religion's own authoritative texts.
The hardest objections: the problem of evil, divine hiddenness, Old Testament violence and moral difficulties, the claim that religion causes more harm than good, the "religion is just a brain trick" argument, and the challenge from the cognitive science of religion.
Practical application: what to say when someone challenges your faith, how to ask questions instead of lecturing, how to handle mockery with grace, and how to read different kinds of conversations.
The site engages directly with arguments from Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, Bart Ehrman, and J.L. Schellenberg - presenting their claims fairly and responding with evidence.
The Explore the Evidence section organizes the material by topic - the universe, history and archaeology, the resurrection, hard questions, philosophy, and responding to challenges - for anyone who wants to investigate at their own pace.
The Student Curriculum offers the same material in three grade-level tracks:
The Grades 3-5 Explorer track uses wonder, stories, and simple questions to introduce the biggest ideas. 13 lessons covering creation, design, science and God, the Bible, prophecy, Jesus, the resurrection, different religions, critical thinking, and standing strong when challenged. Each lesson includes a "Wonder of the Day," a quiz, and family discussion questions.
The Grades 6-8 Foundations track is the core curriculum. 19 lessons using everyday analogies, step-by-step arguments, and plain language. Covers cosmological reasoning, morality, fine-tuning, science and faith, evolution, manuscript evidence, archaeology, comparative religion (including Islam), fulfilled prophecy, the historical Jesus, Jesus's divine claims, the resurrection, divine hiddenness, the problem of evil, Old Testament difficulties, religion and harm, the cognitive science of religion, and practical wisdom for responding to challenges. Each lesson includes key terms, objections and responses, quizzes with detailed feedback, and discussion questions.
The Grades 9-12 Advanced track goes deeper. 14 lessons engaging formal philosophical arguments, primary historical sources, peer-reviewed scientific evidence, and advanced topics including the Kalam cosmological argument, the origin of life, DNA as information, molecular machines, irreducible complexity, textual criticism, Bayesian reasoning applied to the resurrection, Plantinga's Free Will Defense, the hard problem of consciousness, and quantum non-locality.
The word apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia - meaning "a defense" or "a reasoned answer." It doesn't mean apologizing for your faith. It means being able to give thoughtful reasons for what you believe.
The apostle Peter wrote: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." (1 Peter 3:15) This site is about doing exactly that - with logic, evidence, and intellectual honesty.
The arguments and evidence presented here draw on the work of some of the finest minds in Christian thought, philosophy, and science:
Additional insights draw on the work of Thomas Aquinas, Roger Penrose, Paul Davies, Robin Collins, David Chalmers, Thomas Nagel, Peter Williams, Gerald Schroeder, Peter Stoner, and current peer-reviewed research in quantum foundations and philosophy of mind.
No. This site is for anyone willing to look at evidence and think carefully. Whether you are a lifelong believer, a committed skeptic, or somewhere in between, the arguments here are presented as philosophical, scientific, and historical reasoning. You are invited to think, question, and disagree along the way.
This site is non-denominational and is not affiliated with any specific church, denomination, or institution.
This curriculum is designed to be used in classrooms, youth groups, homeschool settings, and family discussions. Each lesson is self-contained and can be taught in a single session. The quizzes provide immediate feedback, and the discussion questions are designed to spark real conversation, not rote answers.
The entire site is free to use, share, and distribute. No account required. No ads. No data collection beyond basic site analytics. If you find it useful, the best thing you can do is share it with someone who needs it.
We maintain a Recommended Reading page with the best books on each topic covered in this curriculum, organized by subject and reading level.
The scholars and institutions below offer outstanding resources for going deeper:
Apologetics opens the door to faith, but steady verse-by-verse Bible study is what produces spiritual growth. Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee is a free, verse-by-verse journey through the entire Bible, available in over 100 languages at ttb.org. It has been quietly shaping believers for over 50 years, and it is the natural next step from here.