Oh, the shroud exists, that is not in question. What IS controvercial is whether or not the image on the shroud is the impression of the historical jesus.

part of me wants to believe its real but the other half can't grasp that this is the shroud it self.

the Catholic Church claims to have things like the blood of christ and other bits and bobs in different European churches. these kind of myths were used to draw people into churches and earn money.

Okay, from my two and a half years as a religion major, here goes. Yes, the Shroud of Turin exists. However, though many claim it to be the shroud of Christ, the common practice for Jewish burial back then was akin to the Egyptian way, in that strips of cloth would be wound around the body many many times until the bidy was fully encased, so as not to be able to smell it, since, according to rabbinical edict, touching a dead body or being near one, especially one that was decomposing (i.e. smelled) would be ground for religious impurity for up to 40 days. Hence the many layers and the incense. So, basically, what I'm saying is that the Shroud MUST be a fake, since to get the imprint of the entire body on one piece of cloth would require them to wrap the body contrary to common practice of the day.