Chapter 21: Skeptics and Believers

Skeptics believe that the Shroud is a fake
Believers are skeptical about thin science

What motivates skeptics and believers alike are their strong convictions about their positions. But what agendas drive these convictions...

Let's start with the skeptics:

If the vast majority of the science experimentation and research performed on the Shroud points to it being the real burial cloth of Jesus Christ, why is it that people continue to glom onto the 1988 carbon dating results, which is thin science at best (given that substantial evidence exists to refute the findings)?

Why would it be so important to skeptics to prove the Shroud is a fake--what would they gain?

Why would proof of the existence of Jesus Christ and His resurrection be so threatening?

Are they trying to protect their own religious beliefs, which may differ from Christianity?

Or do they worry that science will be somehow tarnished should the authenticity of the relic be proven? Would not scientific methods be elevated if they were used to reveal such an important discovery?

Since skeptics have no control, would proof of their convictions make them believe they are in control of existence as they know it?

And what of believers:

If the Shroud were proven to be a fake, why would that change anything in terms of one's faith in Christ's death and resurrection?

Does faith requires tangible proof?

Do believers need visible evidence for emotional, self-esteem based reasons?

If the Shroud were proven to be real, does that prove Christians' beliefs are right and somehow they are vindicated?

Since believers have no control, would proof of their convictions make them believe they are in control of existence as they know it?

Skeptics and believers have more in common than they might realize. They also share frustrations related to their positions.

Skeptics must be spinning their heads wondering why 2 million people are expected to visit and venerate the Shroud by the end of the exposition (and so far the numbers are proving to be accurate).

Believers heads spin when they ponder the notion that, if the Shroud is indeed the real deal, why would millions more not be banging down the doors of the Chapel to witness it (especially given how seldom it is exhibited to the public). As a Christian, what more important relic could there possibly be?

In the midst of human skepticism and belief, the Shroud of Turin, encased in bullet proof glass and hanging in the Chapel, is impervious to our attempts to prove. It is suspended in a different dimension, one that exists outside our frame of reference and belies any need for disproving or proving.

There is no need to “try” to see the Sindone...just see.

The Shroud teaches us to perceive from a less linear and logical perspective. In fact, it opens the mind to an entirely different way of “seeing”...and the less we try, the more we see.

Just as the image
rests
on the very tops of the fibers
without trying to lock itself
into the weave of the cloth
so too can we
rest
our eyes
our minds
our skepticism
our beliefs
and take in this image
we cannot explain
but can allow
to rest in us