One of the things we deal with a lot in our lives is trying to figure out when we are hearing a fraud and when something is the real deal. This happens in politics, religion and our personal lives. Mostly when we hear an important statement, about pretty much anything, we should check it out. Remember the old Reagan creed-- trust and verify. The Internet makes such research simple in some ways but then there are frauds that you might come across while checking a fraud; so it still requires common sense as a part of the research.
The link at the bottom relates to something I found while surfing around cable television-- something I do when in the mood for watching something but with nothing in mind. The topic I came across was called historic mysteries. That sounded good; and when I saw it was about the Shroud of Turin, I was sold-- figuratively speaking.
The Shroud of Turin is something Catholics might know more about than other Christians or religions. I first read about it many years ago when I was a Catholic. It has been claimed to be the burial shroud of Christ and is revered by the Catholic Church as well as many others who are believers in Jesus Christ's divinity. For awhile I had believed in it myself, but then read more facts regarding it and put it aside, as we do many things that come to us but we decide are not true.
The program was interestingly presented but left me thinking again about the truth of the Shroud of Turin. It more or less brought up some aspects to the shroud that seemed to leave it a mystery. At first I thought I need to research this to see what is new about it; then, like so many things, promptly forgot it-- until in a night filled with dreams and images where I woke up thinking I do have to look into the facts (as they are known) of this.
Could the shroud be the real burial cloth of Jesus? Might the images on the shroud, very familiar to me even before the program, really be Christ's face and body? Might they be there by a miraculous process of resurrection? Or was this whole thing created a very human way? The show left it leaning toward the former.
It matters because if it turned out to be true, it would be important to know and would answer a lot of other questions for me.
The claims explored on the show was that there is no paint on the shroud, no way that the image could be there physically leaving the impression only by magic was it possible. It went into various fine points of the shroud but left it as unknowable.
With some researching online and a link that Farm Boss came across, it appears that the origin of the shroud is very knowable and logical. How often things are like that-- if we take the time to look into them.
What interested me also about the information that I learned, besides the need for some people to perpetuate a fraud supposedly for a higher purpose, was how advanced in some areas the world was way before we think of it as being so. A lot of us have the idea that nothing much happened in technology until 'modern' times. The link puts the lie to that and gives an interesting look at not only the technology of the past but also the motivations that some have to defraud us supposedly in the name of a higher good.
The photo at the top has absolutely nothing to do with the topic here, but it was one of a few really exceptional photos from our recent Montana trip, the kind you could mount and hang on a wall. Getting it was a combination of lighting and luck to be driving where we were when we saw the herd of antelope. It was taken in the Big Hole valley, not far from Big Hole National Battlefield. Click on it to enlarge.
A fraud ? What matters is Jesus' message-that is real and alive ! :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd you belief in that is based on things like the Shroud of Turin as in someone else telling you something, you getting emotionally worked up over it and wanting to believe it. When it's the truth that they are telling you, that's fine but when it's a fraud, it's not fine. It uses lies to sell something. Anything real doesn't need lies as part of the package. And this shroud is most likely a total fabrication-- pardon the pun!
ReplyDeleteI've had an interest in the shroud for 30 years...it is not authentic, but certainly stirs up heart-felt controversy. As with so many religious traditions, if the "thing" helps to bring the faithful to a state of grace, fine. But I prefer my grace to be reality-based.
ReplyDeleteBreath-taking photo! I think it captures how spectacular Montana is. Good job!
ReplyDeleteShrouded in secrecy! We all have our cross to bear and I want a shroud T-shirt!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting subject, Rain. I know almost nothing about the Shroud Of Turin, not being Christian or Catholic--just what I have heard over the years. I will check out that link.
ReplyDeleteThat Photograph is BEAUTIFUL! I was able to make it bigger and than bogger again. To see these Antelope and the threatewning sky's...Gorgeous, bryond words.
Forgive all the typing errors--I guess I am very tired...(lol)!
ReplyDeleteI have always thought that many bodies were executed in the manner of Christ and wrapped in a shroud. If the Shroud was from that period it is an interesting thing but not likely to be Christ's.
ReplyDeleteLove the photo of Montana!!!
Rain, more recent scientific research has proved that the carbon dating was mistaken when it determined that the shroud was made in Medieval times. So that German researcher's information, whilst very interesting, is now out of date. The jury is still out on the whole Shroud question of what/when/where/why.
ReplyDeleteSee this link:
http://www.shroudstory.com/
I think it's all fraud, even my religion... but whatever gets you through the day without causing harm can't be a bad thing until the truth comes 'round.
ReplyDeleteNatalie, people will believe what they want to believe regarding the Shroud and mostly to suit what they already think. The issue of Jesus's authenticity does not rest on the Shroud to begin with. He could have been real and the shroud could have been faked just as OJ Simpson likely murdered his wife and the police did fake evidence. The issue with this wasn't about the date of the cloth which can be debated due to the possible fire making carbon dating impossible to use also the patches; but there was a lot more to the link regarding how it could have been made, the exactness of every symbol rather than how it might be with a 'real' body. It might well have been made during early Christianity which would make the cloth from that era given the techniques to do such were available back that far.
ReplyDeleteIf the whole point of Christ is to have to believe on faith, then the likelihood of any physical proof is about like many other things-- very questionable; but if someone likes to think it's real and magical, that's going to be what they believe. If they don't, likewise.
I felt if it's real I wanted to know, as it would matter to me. if there was no way man could have created it, that I wanted to know and looked at a lot of links pro and con. There are people who have spent their life trying to prove it is real. I don't have an axe in this and was open either way. My current opinion is that it's somebody trying to make the faith of others stronger by creating a physical evidence-- which does not mean there wasn't a Jesus Christ who was resurrected and all the rest. What I don't like is when people fake evidence as it only muddies the water. But some maybe need that to feel good about their religion.
Rain, I absolutely agree. My comment was simply to say that new research has made the earlier carbon dating invalid. I have an open mind about the whole thing and it doesn't matter to me whether the Shroud is 'real' or a fabrication. I've never thought that miracles are needed to prove that there is some kind of Divinity - life itself is miraculous enough and I'd rather look for the miracle in the ordinary than in a ghostly apparition.
ReplyDelete