“The Church just says that relics may be the occasion of God’s miracles, and in this the Church follows Scripture. The use of the bones of Elisha brought a dead man to life”
1. This wasn’t written about the church. It was written to Jews.
2. The Bible never encourages, commands or exhorts us to kiss, worship, venerate, fondle, pray to, etc any so called “relics”.
3. In the NT, we are not told to venerate shadows or hemorrages either... shadows and hemorrages are not even relics... unless you can show me the encased shadow of Peter?
“There is a perfect congruity between present-day Catholic practice and ancient practice.”
Ancient practice, sure. New Testament practice or Biblical teaching, no.
“If you reject all Catholic relics today as frauds, you should also reject these biblical accounts as frauds.”
What a Christian must reject is turning the miracles of Christ into an idol, turning a story into a doctrine, turning from the whole point of salvation to false religious practice.
What you are describing are human emotions, which come from natural law. Have you never seen someone kiss the photograph of a loved one? Following the death of Michael Jackson, music stores were packed with people purchasing "anything" Michael.
Ancient practice, sure. New Testament practice or Biblical teaching, no.
The Bible does not exhort anyone not to touch a tassel or bone. It relates actual events of just such occurrences. When the hemorrhaging woman touched the tassel of Jesus' garment, did he turn to her and admonish her for doing so? No, he acknowledged that he felt power drain from himself and assured her that her faith had cured her.
The New Testament provides examples of people being cured by touching a relic or walking in the shadow of an apostle. In Acts 19:11-12, Paul's handkerchiefs healed the sick and those with unclean spirits. This is another example of physical things effecting physical and spiritual cures.
And again in Acts 5:15, Peter's shadow healed the sick. This proves that relics of the saints have supernatural healing power, and this belief has been a part of Catholic tradition for 2,000 years.