Whatever the answer to that question, there is no reason not to examine the truth/falsehood of the Shroud. The truth cannot lead us away from Christ.
No, and no one who claims the Shroud is the authentic burial shroud of Jesus says what you say. Shucks, half the scientists working on the scientific research on the Shroud are not even believers.
Christian faith does not depend on relics, but it does depend on the reality of a historical event (or chain of events).
But just as you cherish your great-grandmother’s china or your grandfather’s war medals, all humans everywhere through all time have cherished tangible objects that connect them to cherished persons of the past.
Is that so hard to fathom?
Nope.
Interestingly they take our minds off of the object of our faith and breed idolatry.
Amen.
What would it matter if someone found every shirt and shoe Jesus ever wore? They are nothing.
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God." -- 1 Peter 1:18-21"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
No. However, that doesn't mean we should simply discard them when we find them.
Just suppose Christ did in fact, leave an image of his crucified body behind. Do you think he did so whimsically simply because he could, or do you think he might have had some reason for doing so?
Technically we shouldn’t have to rely on anything material to support our faith.
We should not be like Thomas and doubt until we have seen it and can touch it.
Relics should be seen as something to include in our faith, but not a necessity.