[RaceBannon]

It may be a genuine burial cloth, but there is no way it was Jesus' burial cloth.

[Destro]

Do an exoeriment I saw on the Discovery channel. Take your face or even a doll's face and rub it with some sort of cream like Nivea, then take cloth and cover the face - and then remove to see the image.

What you get is stretched out rubber like oval face rather than a photographic depiction.

[xJones]

My faith doesn't depend on whether the Shroud is true or not. But with all this attention on the Shroud, God help us if the Ark of Covenent is ever found.:)

[TradicalRC]

It may be a genuine burial cloth, but there is no way it was Jesus' burial cloth.

There is no way for you to make this statement authoritavely unless God revealed this specifically to you. Even the scientists are claiming an honest agnosticism.

As for it being an idol, you would probably have a problem with the woman who was healed by touching the tassle on Jesus' cloak or the men who were hoping to be healed by the shadows of the apostles as they passed by them.