“ Christianity does not stand or fall on the authenticity or otherwise of the shroud. The New Testament is enough evidence.‘
I understand.
And please don’t take this the wrong way.
But then, the Shroud isn’t for you.
Many people have strong, unwavering faith. God Bless them.
Some of us go back and forth. Many are tempted. Faith is tested, constantly; when a Church is built, the devil pitches a tent across the street. I read once, and I am not saying this is dogma/Truth (but I buy it), that if demons weren’t invisible the sky would be darkened by them.
And there are those who are atheist or agnostic, but embrace free will and the pursuit of “why.”
The Shroud is for them; it stands as a beacon. Or, to use current syntax…
Society: There isn’t God; there is only science.
The Shroud: hold my beer….
I am glad Jesus left us The Shroud. Indeed, I am unaware of anyone saying “yea, I became an atheist because of the Shroud and that carbon dating” (which came from the patched piece of cloth).
Was this directed to everyone in your ‘to’ chain?
If so, I don’t know what you’re talking about.
The Shroud is an artifact, of interest to many people, for many different reasons. (One of the important scholars of the Shroud is a Jew.)
Don’t try to dictate who it is ‘For’. That’s not your job.
I believe the Shroud is genuine, but even if it isn’t, I don’t need to validate my belief in God and Jesus Christ from a 2000 year old linen. There is just too much evidence that it IS genuine. The pollen, the composition of the linen, even the bloodstains were shown to have hemoglobin present. That’s my recollection, anyway.
Jesus’ bodily imprint is what we see. How it got there, well, only God knows…