Why an Atheist Thinks the Shroud of Turin is the Real Deal

The Four Image Options

But what do we mean? There is no denying that if this was a physical, bodily resurrection, as many Christians believe, it is to a modern understanding of science absolutely and unquestionably scientifically impossible. But it was always considered impossible from the first moment that followers of Jesus finally understood what had happened as resurrection. The tomb was empty and as the story goes Jesus had reappeared to some of them. It was either a miracle or there was some other explanation.  that he was resurrected. There was only one word for it. It was a miracle. It was an action of God. Can the shroud demonstrate this? There is no question that many are motivated by this. But how? Consider four options:

1.      Manmade: The images are manmade by some still unexplained method.

2.      Completely natural: The images are the product of a natural phenomenon. For instance, amine vapors emitted by a body after death might have reacted with the cloth.

3.      Partly miraculous: The images are formed by some natural phenomenon in conjunction with a miracle, for instance radiation emitted by the body of Christ during the physical act of resurrection.

4.      Completely miraculous: The images are produced miraculously as though God had said, “Let there be an image,” and there was.