I was going to grade this book with four stars, since recent evidence published by researcher Ray Rogers in a peer reviewed journal established that it was a reweave... not the physics of a fire, bacteria or miracle... that altered the carbon-14 dating of 1988. Thus, one star should be deducted for delving into explanations that weren't necessary... for the inept carbon dating of 1988. But since this book has been given two poor ratings by skeptics, someone should make up for their bias. What? How could two individuals, untainted by faith, ever be considered "biased?" Easy. Lack of faith is a faith unto itself, Agnosticism and Atheism are religions by another name. Skepticism is a hymn sung by true believers. Open minded skepticism should be the standard... not a close minded, "that's impossible until you prove otherwise" skepticism. "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence," the skeptics love to say. But THEY appoint themselves as judges... as to what qualifies as "extraordinary." They know all the workings of the natural universe, and nothing shall violate their borders. Here is the indisputable proof that skeptics are biased... they quote the thoroughly discredited conclusions of Dr. Walter McCrone. McCrone never studied the Shroud in person. He looked at sticky tape fiber samples under his old fashioned microscope. Eureka! He saw a few paint particles! He saw iron oxide! his findings were a favorite topic of his OWN journal, "The Microscope." No need for scientific peers to get in the way, is there? McCrone determined that the Shroud's blood was made of "Vermillion"... he saw a handful of these particles. Guess what? There also happen to be pink nylon fibers found on those tape samples. Was he certain the blood wasn't comprised of pink nylon? After all, if particle evidence is the ONLY STANDARD BEARER here... Oh yes, the iron oxide particles McCrone observed were also evenly distributed over the Shroud, not concentrated witin the image area. They were found to be too "chemically pure" to have been pigment related... instead, these particles were the end result of "rhetting"... the ancient manufacture of linen. But of course, what would a particle analyst know of ancient forms of linen manufacture? Luckily, the other researchers of the Shroud of Turin Research Project were more comprehensive and less myopic. (And NO... they were NOT a bunch of zealous Christians, anxious to validate the relic... just ask Orthodox Jew, Barrie Schwortz! Their official findings never linked the Shroud to Jesus... read the PEER- REVIEWED journals for yourselves.) STURP researchers utilized tests such as ultraviolet and infrared photography, VP-8 image analysis, topographic imaging, low energy x-radiology, x-ray fluorescence, thermography, microdensitometry, electron energy dispersive spectroscopy and wet chemistry: generation of porphyrin fluorescence; cyanmethemoglobin and hemochromagen tests. For a short list... theirs is much longe
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