I have never flashed any links in, and I apologize if I was unnecessarily offensive. I realize Roman Catholics have always claimed never to worship relics, and draw an apparent line between veneration and worship...however I tend to apply the “duck test” over such things. (If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck...etc.) This being said, current Roman Catholic practice (vs. medieval) particularly in America, isn’t anything like as odd (in my opinion) as one sees in Latin America or Europe or other places—or which existed historically—particularly in the middle ages.
Followers of the bishop of Rome should know too, apologetically, your practices toward relics and statuary, etc. are a key bone of contention with other Christians. You don’t win points with anyone but other Roman Catholics, or Eastern Orthodox by pushing it...but again, I apologize if my response offended anyone.
My main point though is one doesn’t have to be a denier of miracles, or minimize the importance of the material world, or be an atheist anti-Christian, to be skeptical of the historic practices of venerating relics.
The current “Biblical Archaeology Review” has an interesting article on the tombs of the kings of Israel. The author says that the location of the graves was the locus of the kingdom (major paraphrase) and gives some Old Testament references.
If I have time later, I’ll put up some quotes.