Evidence (Discrediting and Supporting)

Analyzed by: Diamond Vu

Shroud of Turin from the novel "Evolution & Religious Creation Myths" Evolution and Religious Creation Myths : How Scientists Respond

Author: Lurquin, Paul F.; Stone, Linda

This excerpt details facts about the carbon dating of the Shroud.

"One interesting twist regarding variable rates of radioactive decay has to do with the dating of the Shroud of Turin (Italy). This large piece of cloth is purported to have been used to wrap the body of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion. Not everybody necessarily agreed that the shroud was genuine, regardless of their faith. In a courageous move, the Catholic Church allowed three independent laboratories to use the carbon-14 dating technique on small samples of the shroud. This particular technique works well with samples of biological origin, such as cloth, if they are not older than about 60,000 years. All three labs agreed: the Turin shroud was made in the fourteenth century. In other words, it is a medieval forgery".


Dr. Paul Lurquin is Professor of Genetics at the School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University.
He is one of the pioneers of the science of plant genetic engineering and the author of The Green Phoenix: A History of Genetically Modified Plants (2001).

Dr. Lurquin has written multiple books on the science of plant genetics and molecular biosciences.

I could not find how much experience he has, but his books have been written over ten years ago, so he has at least over a decade of experience.

About carbon dating: It is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 (14C) to determine the age of carbonaceous materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. (Wikipedia, Carbon Dating)

Assessment: Dr. Lurquin has the proper education to make his claim against the carbon dating of the Shroud. He has the knowledge of genetics and can assure that the tests from the labs proves to be true. The carbon found on the Shroud is dated back to the 14th century.



Analyzed by: Madeleine Vaughn

Scientific Journal Thermochimica Acta (Volume 425 Issue 1-2, pages 189-194, by Raymond N. Rogers) The article is available on Elsevier BV's ScienceDirect® online information site.

In 2005, Raymond N. Rogers published his findings that the Carbon-14 dating that was completed on a sample of The Shroud of Turin in 1988 was not valid, and that the Shroud is actually much older then those samples indicated.

Education – Raymond N. Rogers received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry in 1948 from the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. He also completed his Master of Science degree in Chemistry in 1950 from the University of Arizona.

Experience – Rogers was a Laboratory Fellow at the Los Alamos National Library at the University of California from 1981 to 2005. He was also a Fellow with a Top Secret clearance while he worked on research intelligence problems, as well as research on conventional weapons between 1982 and 1988. He was also on sabbatical from 1967 to 1968 to conduct research on the chemistry of deposits and artifacts of interest in archaeology and geochronology with the University of Arizona.

Accomplishments –. He received the Los Alamos National Laboratory Distinguished Performance Award in 1984. He received the Exceptional Civilian Service Medal in 1991 from the Department of the Air Force. His work on the Shroud was published in the scientific journal Thermochimica Acta.

Position - Rogers was the editor of a scholarly scientific journal, Thermochimica Acta, from 1970 to 1988. While with the Department of the Air Force, he was appointed to the Scientific Advisory Board in 1987. He was also appointed the Director of Chemical Research on the international Shroud of Turin Research Project in 1977. Rogers was also a Laboratory Fellow at the Los Alamos National Library at the University of California from 1981 to 2005.

Reputation – Rogers appears to be well-respected by his peers. He has been appointed to a number of prestigious positions throughout his career. He has held a Top Secret clearance and completed work with government agencies, indicating that he is knowledgeable enough in his field to be recruited by the government. His research on the shroud was submitted for peer-review and was found to be sound.

Bias – I do not believe that Rogers conducted his research with any bias. As the Director of Chemical Research on the international Shroud of Turin research project, he would be dedicated to discovering the chemistry of the piece being analyzed. I do not think that he would have any reason to skew his findings in either direction.

Analyzed by Jennifer Tavernier

The Grail, the Shroud, & other Religious Relics

Kenneth McIntosh, M.Div.

In the year 1898 the Shroud of Turin was discovered to be a negative image by a photographer named Secondo Pia. He took the first photographs of the shroud and found that when viewed as a negative image (with dark spots and light spots) the image on the Shroud becomes three dimensional. The science of photography was developed in the 1800's, therefore raising the question of how it could possess such properties if it is in fact from the times of Jesus.


The claim that the Shroud could not have originated from the time of Jesus is based on the originations of photography. The claim is featured in Kenneth Mcintosh's book The Grail, The Shroud, and other Religious Relics. The claim made is based on actual fact that photography was not developed until the 1800's. I searched for information on Kenneth McIntosh and any experience that would pertain to this topic but I could find none. I can only assume that this is a claim made by an observer with no actual experience in the field.