Sadly, as the author admits, he gets his facts from Joe Nickell:
There is just no end of religious-proselytizing-as-news in the paper. Aug. 23 the Strib had a near-half-page article making it out that the Shroud of Turin might be authentic. This is a letter sent by Marie Alena Castle in response. Will it get printed? Doubtful!
Joe Nickell? This is great!
Joe is not your “average Joe”, by nature of former occupations of: undercover detective, teacher, draft dodger, river boat manager, carnival promoter, magician, investigator and spokesperson.
Joe impressed on me the difference between being a scientist and an investigator. Joe seems to have no significant credentials just as his mentor: James Randi. In both cases, the lack of single significant credentials is much more than offset by a more important broad area of knowledge. Joe remarks that a scientist tends to approach an investigation from the narrow view of his own specialty – where as a “jack of all trades” would come up with more avenues of investigation.
Anyways, Secular Sanity » Shroud of Turin easily debunked has a lot of facts wrong. The Atheist, the skeptic, the rationalist must accept the scientific facts just as any Christian should. To deny that the shroud is authentic requires a leap of faith. So does affirmation. But the evidence suggests that it is a late-Second Temple era burial shroud of a crucifixion victim. From that, much can be inferred.
“Joe remarks that a scientist tends to approach an investigation from the narrow view of his own specialty – where as a “jack of all trades” would come up with more avenues of investigation.”
Joe is not refering to rationalism, materilaims, etc- he is refering to the fact scientists tend to see problems through their own specialty and don’t think “outside the box”.
They also don’t expect their opponents to cheat- a failing that magicians don’t have.
The evidence that “suggests that it is a late-Second Temple era burial shroud of a crucifixion victim” also suggests a pretty odd position or combination of positons. It was also claimed to be a hoax by someone that claimed to have made it. Let the evidence be examined thouroughly. It will speak for itself. This thing gets dragged out every year with the inferrence that it is real.