Somebody is lying to you about Good Friday. The Bible says Christ had to spend 3 days and 3 nights in the earth. This means He had to die Wednsday evening and arise Saturday eveneng. So we now have Good Wendesday. I am not trying to be smart, please study the Bible and find out for yourself what it says. Please do not be deceived.

Harry Bujanowski, WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI. USA

Curiosities of Popular Customs explains: “It was the invariable policy of the early Church to give a Christian significance to such of the extant pagan ceremonies as could not be rooted out. In the case of Easter the conversion was peculiarly easy.” In The Easter Book, Weiser justifies all of this by saying that the church has ‘elevated the pre-Christian symbolism of nature into a Christian sacramental.’

Sincere Christians are concerned that the Bible says: “For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? . . . ‘“Therefore get out from among them, and separate yourselves,” says Jehovah, “and quit touching the unclean thing.”’” (2 Corinthians 6:14-17) Surely that would include customs that are clearly derived from—or unmistakably resemble—false religious practices.

George, Douglastown, Canada

“There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament,” states The Encyclopædia Britannica. It is rooted in pagan worship. While this holiday is supposed to commemorate Jesus’ resurrection, the customs associated with the Easter season are not Christian. Concerning the popular “Easter bunny,” The Catholic Encyclopedia says: “The rabbit is a pagan symbol and has always been an emblem of fertility.”

Easter’s ascendancy as a festival thus was not Bible based.. During that season, the ancients thought the sun was reborn after months of winter death. Catholic priest Francis X. Weiser admitted: “Some of the popular traditions of Lent and Easter date back to ancient nature rites.” These rites of spring were originally designed to “frighten the demons of winter away.”
But did not the church stamp out such paganism in her converts? (cont'd)

George, Douglastown, Canada

The message of Easter is that the extraordinary acts of
Jesus in submitting to the Will of his father Jesus demonstrated the love of his father for the world. It was not the case of Jesus being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was a victim of a plot that He chose to allow to happen. The same authorities had tried to arrest Him elsewhere in the temple and as He taught on the mountain but because it was not his time He slipped away and avoided them. No He was our Saviour by suffering and dying in an manner and shared with criminals . An act of total love following a public life of healing the sick, bringing good news to the poor, making the blind see and the lame walk, bringing dead people back to life in many different places, at different times and witnessed by many people. He died to overcome sin and weakness and to prove his power over Satan . His resurrection is the proof of that. Those who deny it simply deny the demonstration of the greatest act of love in history.

David Grace, Brisbane, Australia

Nice quote!

I am catholic and obviously there couldn't be Easter without Good Friday! That is true!

Andres , Guayaquil, Ecuador

A good article until it makes a completely unjustifiable leap in the last 2 paragraphs, which doesn't logically follow from what has been written earlier.
Sorry, I don't buy it!

Ian Taylor, Middlesbrough, Cleveland

You would be a far more effective preacher than the pious and unworldy who climb up into pulpits of a Sunday, or those slick televangelists who have turned religion into a sordid business.

Happy Easter!

Gervas Douglas, Andorra la Vella, Andorra

Great piece. Thank you.

David Lassiter, Stonewall, Louisiana

Well done, Gerard. Would that many ministers of Christianity could be so succinct.

To those who say Christianity has failed, I say this, you need to participate to prove its truth. Nothing else makes quite as much sense - so try it. Analyse it, pull it apart, criticise it constructively and you will find it has the ring of truth.

A happy Easter to you all.

Christine, London, UK

A correction to my last comment (first sentence):
'. . . . . none of the Good Friday story makes an iota of difference in the world WITHOUT the Resurrection.'

MG, Essex UK,

For years orthodox christian education emphasised..and still does... the 'ransom' element of the Incarnation death and ressurection of Jesus to placate the angry 'phychopathic' God the Father.who needed a blood sacrifice to atone or 'take the rap' for the sins of humanity.

This has led many of us to reject the notion that one of God's creatures (Jesus) can be more loving than God his creator. By accepting that Jesus is our brother and Emmanual...God with us, however, we are brought face to face with God in the world. It has taken me many years to modify that that earlier explanation of the Cruxifixion and see the mystery that is behind these events.

George Willis, Maryport, Cumbria, UK

Those who thought this did not make sense did you read the article fully or was it a glance

r, Atlanta, Georgia

Mr. Baker's essay clearly illustrates that the proofs for the existence of God can not be expressed by "world-immanent
syllogisms." The fundamental question is Why was He (God) conceived? Man, as Aristotle once posited, does not exist out of himself but out of the divine ground of all reality.
Many of the above comments are wonderful examples of the pathological derailment inherent in modernity, and so very informative. The philosophica/revalatory quest begins with the application of classical reason (nous); it ends with the pneumatic illumination, the communion with God.

Robert Cheeks, Lisbon, Ohio, USA

I agree with Gerard Baker 'Try as you might none of the Good Friday story makes an iota of difference in the world with the Resurrection'
There IS THE TRUTH to find about the death of Christ Jesus if anyone has the desire to find it, by reading the accounts in the Bible's New Testament . . try John's gospel from Chapter 12 . . this will make clear what happened from the Last Supper - betrayal in Gethsemane - Jesus before Pilate - the Crucifixion and Resurrection. Ignore the 'mumbo jumbo' (Matthew) and go straight to God's word!

Just to reiterate: The truth of Jesus Christ's crucifixion and resurrection is not too difficult to grasp if you only take the time to read the biblical accounts. May God bless you in your reading and reveal to you the truth of His word.

A Very Happy Easter to all. Jesus Christ IS RISEN INDEED!

MG, Essex UK,

The central message of the resurrection was summed up by Paul on 1 Corinthians 15 when he said that Jesus became a spirit.

Steven Carr, Liverpool,

Perhaps instead of remembering the death of millions, we should consider that maybe those 'Christian' hands weren't those of true Christians after all. Consider what being a Christian means, and then ask yourself if even the mainstream 'Christian' church can be considered a church of the one, true, and risen King Jesus Christ. All too often the secular world believes that every church and individual wearing the badge of 'Christian' in, in fact, a believer and follower of Christ, who is our living God. Christ has been made a mockery of by the modern church, especially the Catholic church, and the Day of Judgement will surely see them at their weakest and most inhonorable moment to date. I pray for everyone who bears false witness about their faith moreso than atheists and agnostics, for theirs will be a more fierce judgement because of their mockery of God in the name of the Risen Christ.

Adam M., San Angelo,

Out of all the people I would like to argue with, I will just offer the following idea to one, Harry, in Brisbane, Australia: If the Tomb was not empty, then Jesus was no better than a kook who thought he was God Himself. Not to put too fine a point on it, but on this assumption he cannot be thought of even as a *good man.*

Steve Perry, Napa, CA, USA

"He suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified,dead and buried. He descended into hell" is a statement in a few words which encapsulates enormous depths of human expereience.It lies at the centre of the Christian Cree. Of the Resurrection,Michael Ramsey,our 100th Archbishop of Canterbury said that if we do not distort or manipulate the scriptural evidence the only conclusion that we can draw is that he was raised from the dead! If this is so it has enormous significance and implication which theologians and others have been reflecting upon for 2000 years.

rbbwild, Thirsk, Yorks

Gerad Baker writes: "The idea that God himself suffered with us so we could all be saved is the central mystery of the story we remember this weekend."

Before 1492 the inhabitants of the Americas knew nothing of the resurrection and European Christians knew nothing of them. But according to the tenets of Christianity God knew they were there. The conclusion I draw is that God could not be bothered to save anyone except those who happened to catch the tail-end of the story because they lived near somewhere the Roman legions had marched. Would it not be more cost-efficient for God to reveal the truth at regular intervals on prime-time television?

Chris Sawyer, Strasbourg, France

Mr Baker refers to this doubtful man Jesus, but makes no reference to those who have suffered at the hands of Christians over 2,000 years. The followers of Jesus have all too often been abusers and tyrants.

Instead of remembering the death of one, we should reflect on the death of millions!

David Alexander, London,

Well said Mr. Baker, I cold not have said it better myself.

Ann, Seattle, USA

Andrew, many of us thought The Passion movie focused only on the physical torture, ignoring the truth behind it. We are not obsessed with degradation and violence- we see the human body as something sacred. I'm aware there are still people who practice physical mortification, but this is wrong.
Jesus didn't do that to himself, it was the cruelty of his executioners. The Ancient Romans were obsessed with violence, not Christians.

Madeleine Johnson, Watford, Britain

When reading the records of the empty tomb in the New Testament, so central to faith, it is important to remember the other New Testament texts attesting especial emptiness. Such are, for example Matthew's narrative of soul emptied after departure of good, and the vice, in fact, many vice, entering there (Matt 12:43-45 and cf. Luke). Also contemporary writer Philo of Alexandria tells exactly similar tale in Sacrifices of Abel and Cain 134-5, and De Ebrietate 1-10, and Q. Genesis. 4:220, commenting Genesis 27:30. Recalling the Easter, Matthew 6:19-24 describes freedom, different possessions and soul being filled with light, not with darkness. Philo of Alexandria writes those notices always when considering keen seeing, in Greek OKSUS seeing. And the Change, resembling even Easter hope, of last becoming first in Matt 20:1-16 finds exact parallel in Philo's Sacrifices of Abel and Cain 1-42. As well, gloriously, the empty tomb of Easter includes the New beginning!

Kim Limnell, Manchester,

Tony talks of the UK being a predominantly "Christian" country.

I wonder what that actually means.

What are the core indicators which define being a "Christian" and set him / her apart from other law abiding half decent human beings in our society?

Do people who are humanists , agnostics , atheists , pagans or others have much different outlooks towards their fellow human beings than so called "Christians"?

Maybe they might value the secular freedoms we enjoy somewhat more than Christians. After all these were won against Church opposition.

If inherent discrimination against women and others , closed minds , a reliance on biblical "truth" instead of fact based science and a blind acceptance of higher authority over ordinary people are Christian then I rather think this country stopped being "Christian" a century or so back.

Rob Green, Braintree, ENgland

Is this The Times' olive branch to its Christian readers?

Margarita, Crouch End , England

Gerard Baker writes; "The idea that God himself suffered with us so we could all be saved is the central mystery of the story we remember this weekend".

The inhabitants of the Americas knew nothing of the Resurrection before 1492, and European Christians knew nothing of them. But according to the tenets of Christianity God knew they were there. The conclusion I draw is that God could not be bothered to save anyone except those who happened to live near somewhere the Roman legions had marched. Would it not be more cost-efficient for God to reveal the truth at regular intervals on prime-time television?

Chris Sawyer, Strasbourg, France

My Dear MR Baker, as a practicing muslim I find your faith quite obvious and moving. Sir, have you never had the urge to try to seperate the truth of Jesus may peace be upon him, from the quite obvious contradictions associated with his faith. If you honour him be brave and read 'Christianity,a journey from fact to fiction' by Mirza Tahir Ahmad or check out alislam.org. Most respectfully,

Ghayyur Khan, Atlanta, USA

The earliest Christians believed Jesus was still alive, but that his body had been left behind.

The earliest reference to the resurrection is in 1 Cor. 15. There we learn that the Corinthians accepted the resurrection of Jesus, but still disbelieved that a dead body could rise.

This is impossible to explain, if they had been taught that Jesus dead body had risen. After all, modern Christians have no problem with the idea that God can raise dead bodies, because they have heard stories of how the body of Jesus was raised.

The Corinthians worry is easy to explain if they believed that Jesus was a god. Jesus had been a spirit before he became a human , and became a spirit again after he died. Gods can do that. However, we are not gods, and so the Corinthians wondered how we could follow Jesus , when our bodies , like the body of Jesus, would stay in the ground.

The Corinthians knew that God could breathe life into dead matter. God had breathed life into clay and created Adam

Steven Carr, Liverpool,

Simon,

Me and you are the product of evolution. A living tangible scientific proof.
Or where do you think you came from...magic dust and the odd spare rib?

Where is your god? When you and your kind show absolute proof then get back to me and my kind.

Your belief is unproven. Your evolution is undeniable.

F.F Sumers, London,

I can only admire your confusion over Good Friday and Easter. Here in the United States we have so many believers, and such a long tradition of religious "freedom" that the minds of many of our citizens are imprisoned by genuine belief in whatever their fundamentalist preacher says.

D. D., Albany, CA (USA)

Beautifully put, Mr. Baker, even though your thoughts will be lost on so many closed - mind unbelievers. For those who are sceptical but still have an ounce of genuine intellectual curiosity, might I recommend that they have a peep at "Who moved the Stone" by Frank Morison, ex atheist. Happy Easter.

michael, harrogate, UK

You are a good man and your article shows so much tolerence, patience and respect- not demanding people believe what you believe, just setting it out.

You rock! I hope you have a fabulous Easter, I know you will with such an understanding.

Madeleine Johnson, Watford, Britain

I should think "Ecce homo " has been googled quite a lot today.
Thank you Gerrard.

Peter Dunford, Bournemouth, UK

I grew up in Glasgow where Monday is the holiday. That was the day when we ate our Easter eggs. I associate the word Easter with Monday. Now I live in Edinburgh where the holiday Monday falls a week after Glasgow's. Easter still means the spring has come.
I have no sense that the Friday before Easter Monday is a holiday. Of course religious believers are entitled to celebrate their festival when they come around but they should not push them on the non religious majority.

Jon Flowers, Edinburgh, Scotland

"So isn’t it enough to believe that Christ was just a good man, a moral teacher, the classic victim of a cruel injustice? You can’t do it. Try as you might, none of the Good Friday story makes an iota of difference in the world without the Resurrection. Not just because without it Jesus is just another wronged man in a flawed world. But because it is only the shock of the empty tomb on Sunday morning that helps us to make sense of what happened on Friday."

Sir, a man persecuted for radicalising the day and killed (wrongfully) explains it all. You don't need an empty tomb to make sense of it. Goodness, that's your faith talking, not logic.

Henry, Brisbane, Australia

Thank you!!!! It's so lovely to see respect in the media around the most important time of year rather than deliberate and spiteful attacks as we try to celebrate our most sacred festival! Finally, a journalist who doesn't think he has to be sensationalist and insulting.

You are a good man and your article shows so much tolerence, patience and respect- not demanding people believe what you believe, just setting it out.

You rock! I hope you have a fabulous Easter, I know you will with such an understanding.

Madeleine Johnson, Watford, Britain

Gerard Baker's faith, that he can still make some sense of the 'events' commemorated on Good Friday and Easter, is touching, no doubt. But to suppose, at this particular historical juncture, that one man on a cross can possibly represent suffering humanity, that there were 'baying crowds' crying out for his blood, that it makes sense to speak of resurrection from the dead, and all the other impedimenta of Christian belief, really is stretching credulity. If all this bizarre story had actually made a difference, if the world had been measurably different aftterwards, then perhaps there might be reason to take a second look at the stories that Christians tell. But there has been no change. People still die cruelly and unjustly. Wars still mar the humanscape. And people of faith as well as unfaith still treat each other with scant respect. Why is this whole sad story still being taken seriously and celebrated with such fervour?

Greywizard, Windsor, NS, Canada

Just like the myth of evolution then! - for F F Sumers in London.

Simon Ferguson, Llanelli, Wales

"He suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified,dead and buried. He descended into hell" is a statement in a few words which encapsulates enormous depths of human expereience.It lies at the centre of the Christian Creed. Of the Resurrection,Michael Ramsey,our 100th Archbishop of Canterbury said that if we do not distort or manipulate the scriptural evidence the only conclusion that we can draw is that he was raised from the dead! If this is so it has enormous significance and implication which theologians and others have been reflecting upon for 2000 years.

rbbwild, Thirsk, Yorks

Thank you, Mr Baker. Your essay was beautiful and inspiring. A rare pleasure to find in the main-stream press lately. On another note, three comments were posted before andrew posts in #4 a non sequitur reference to the war against terrorists and terrorist states. The UK terror-apologists are slipping. NYTimes readers would never let it get that far!

Ken, Chicago, IL

You cant disbelieve in Good Friday without beng some sort of "Jesus was really a mushroom" crackpot. However disbelief in Easter is more coherent. So atheists can go to church today, of all days in the year, but they don't think that any Resurrecton followed. The message is therefore is it imprudent to be too good, a much better to be a Mohammed, whose men fought to keep him from being captured, than to be Jesus.

Malcolm McLean, Bradford, UK

The writings of Richard Dawkins are essential reading for all intelligent people. We must work towards increasing the proportion of the population who use rational thinking as the basis on which they run their lives and on which decisions are made affecting the whole world.

D S Harrison, Bradford, UK

"Eosturmonath, which is now interpreted as the paschal month, was formerly named after the [Saxon] goddess Eostre, and has given its name to the festival." 8th Century Christian monk Venerable Bede.

Could this explain why there might be some confusion over the meaning of Easter, a Pagan festival hi-jacked by an obscure Eastern sect?

Eggs were used by the Persians and Romans for some time before Jesus as part of the celebration of Spring rites.

Christianity invented nothing, it just stole its clothes from others and pretended it was something different - the difference was it collected money and introduced forced conversions and religious intolerance, whereas the existing "religions" did not.

John Bowman, Sarlat, France

Tony, your writing suggests, to me at least, that you believe that the christian doctrine is the only one which promotes the good values such as love and forgiveness. I believe that most religions promote such values in some way. Then again, religion itself is not the sole provider of such values and morals. The best way forward is to promote a values based education system which should feed through other institutions.

RV, London.

RV, London, UK

The death and resurrection of Jesus took place during the Jewish Passover feast. The feast of Easter dates from around 350 AD when the anti semitic roman emperor Constantine recognised christianity as the state religion and interfered with church dates and theology. Easter is riddled with paganism - the name Easter comes from the deity Eostre / Astarte. She visited the Earth using an egg as her means of transport. Rabbits and hares are symbols of pagan fertility rites and have no connection with the church.

What is integrity ? All the main denominations should abandon Easter and celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus at the same time as Passover.

Ken Cameron, Vienna,

Let us leave rationality and objectivity out of our minds, and enjoy and revel the mysteries of our religious celebrations and customs. They pep up our spirits and resurges our life with elan and vigour. As far as my knowledge runs, the age old custom of Easter Sunday and its associations with eggs and bunny dates back to the pre-christanity era of pagan days. Easter comes from the Anglo-saxon term for goddess of Spring. Easter bunny is the rabbit or hare who would hide the eggs in his pen and burrows. It was a nice past time for kids to hunt for them , as eggs represents the very essence and source of "Life". As emblem of existence and seed of life, they became the symbol of resurrection, the emergence of the spirit of Lord Jesus, on Easter Sunday.So as good and devout christians, we celebrate Easter with eggs, chocolates and fetes, far and beyond the grief and agony of the crucifiction of the Lord . The depth of grief etched in our hearts can't be imagined and is fathomless.

Sanjeev Dheer, New Delhi, India

So 2000 years ago God sent his only son to save human kind.
Didn't work did it!

Steve Byrne, christchurch,

Andrew,
I quite agree that it is vital that we shold be able to discuss (and criticise) things that are important.

What has irritated me more more than a decade is the smug self congratulation of those who blaspheme Christianity calling themsleves "courageous". I don't think that secularism has required much courage at any time in the last hundred years.

What has irritated me even more than that, is that none of these heroes who believe in free speech has got up to defend the right of any of us to call into question the beliefs of the followers of Mohammed in our own countries. The Danish cartoons affair was a disgrace. It is clear that it is the secular modernists who lack courage or any clear vision of what society should be.

I am sorry that this is a little off the Easter point, but Andrew makes a point that is commonly and erroneously made, and needs rebuttal .

David Croaker, Canberra, Australia

It saddens me when a great many people in a predominantly Christian country lack the basic knowledge about such events as Xmas and Easter which are central to our belief and culture. And yet we are wondering why is society in such a state, where nothing and nobody matters than oneself and how best to enjoy oneself. It is time the press stopped fuelling this down hill course and propped up the christian doctrine which is bases on love and forgiveness. Only then perhaps we can put a stop to this moral decline, where greed, selfishness and lack of respect for fellow human beings are the order of the day.

Tony, Halesowen, UK

Mr Baker writes well, but his article doesn't explain at all what cannot be explained; the whole Eastern business is an ununderstandable perversion of Passover or Pesach.
Why would the -highly unlikely- resurrection suddenly make it clear that "it was a man who represented all humanity who was the victim"? And that "God himself suffered with us"?

How many Gods are acknowledged by mr Baker? Does he think that religion means denial of plain and simple logic?

Ron van der Wieken, Amsterdam, Netherlands

And it's all superstitious rubbish...

F.F Sumers, London,

I agree with Marcelo's comments and in no way got the impression that Gerard Baker's article was "intolerant of religion".In actual fact quite the opposite and gently reasonable with a positive conclusion.
Perhaps Judy was predisposed to see an attack on religion rather than thought provoking comment on "the empty tomb"!

David Cotterell, Cheltenham, England

Regarding Michael Walsh's comment, I would like to add: Amen!

Peter Adam, Chevy Chase, MD

Easter remains a mainstream part of the British calendar in the same way as Christmas while other religious occassions are forgotten precisely because it has acquired its own identity as a non-religious holiday. From the positive point of view it means that it continues to be relevant to all those who arent religious and while those people may have only a general understanding of what it means religiously they will have some and it will seem less alien.

x, z,

Judy, did you even bother reading the article?

Steve, London, UK

Mel Gibson's film 'Passion of Christ' was an eye opener for me. It revealed a rather sick obsession with degredation and abuse. Until then, I had thought easter was about good overcoming evil. Well, it wasn't just the film itself, it was the way many Christians accepted it as a valid portrayal of their religion.
I disagree with Judy of Liverpool. Religious beliefs should be open to criticism. How would she feel if this country was led by someone who believed the world was secretly run by giant lizards? A tendency to believe impossible things is not reassuring. But it explains tony blair's belief in WMD in Iraq. This is not hatred, it is measured concern.

andrew, swindon, uk

Well done, Gerard Baker.
The courage of your Faith is itself testimony to the Power of Good Friday-Easter. That courage echos in the quality of all our work.
Happy Easter.

Michael Walsh, Sacramento, California.

I think Mr Baker, not even the best christian teacher would have explained it better. Your comment is more than a simple thought, is quite a lecture! It has it all, a bit of humour, lot of actuality, intelligent meditation..and of course..the "grand conclusion". Amazing.

Marcelo, Santa Teresita, Argentina

Yet another article that smacks of an intolerance of religion. Christianity is a choice and those who don't believe in it must learn to leave those who do, alone. The majority of people in this country still have an idea of what the celebration of Easter is about, whether they want to join in with Easter as a 'religious' celebration is up to them. The media needs to stop fuelling the current hatred being aimed at religious institutions by those who are self-interested minorities and dislike any form of criticism justified or not.

judy, Liverpool, england

Gerard Baker writes: "The idea that God himself suffered with us so we could all be saved is the central mystery of the story we remember this weekend."

Before 1492 the inhabitants of the Americas knew nothing of the resurrection and European Christians knew nothing of them. But according to the tenets of Christianity God knew they were there. The conclusion I draw is that God could not be bothered to save anyone except those who happened to catch the tail-end of the story because they lived near somewhere the Roman legions had marched. Would it not be more cost-efficient for God to reveal the truth on prime-time television?

Chris Sawyer, Strasbourg, France

Very succinct, Gerard. Would that many ministers of the Christian faith could do as well.

Christine, London, UK

A wonderfully apt and moving column. Thank you.

Jo, Cambridgeshire, UK

Matthew Parris was absolutely right. It is mumbo jumbo. It's a great story, I might even watch one of the films that will probably be shown this weekend depicting it. But it is just a story.

And Islam is mumbo jumbo too. This is a religion based on the words of one man who was an articulate chancer who got lucky and somehow managed to found a religion. The bizarre traditions and customs which surround it are utterly absurd and serve no useful purpose other than man's desire for such things. The violent reaction to anyone who dares to criticise this religion is an ancient means of preserving it and protecting it from analysis which might reveal it for what it is. Christainity used to do the same thing. Thankfully easter is now just a break

Whether you choose to publish those words is up to you but they represent the opinion of millions of people who wish we could inject a bit of sanity into these 'holy' festivals which litter our year and make people behave so ridiculously.

Paul Owen, Birmingham, UK

Hrothgar: "Easter" is derived from Eastra, which you can find readily using Google. There's a quick guide to some of the west European names and festivals hijacked by the early christians at www.heretical.com/miscella/origins.html.

That particular page also contracts christian love with jewish vengeance, [an eye for an eye, etc.]. However, when you look at the history of christianity --anti-women, pro-slavery, still virulently homophobic, two thousand years of wars, crusades, holocausts, burning, physical torture, psychological abuse, theocracies and religious manipulation-- you wonder how that particular myth ever arose.

Would it be an appropriate punishment to celebrate this Easter by coating the pope and other leading clerics in chocolate, and letting the masses lick them to death? Then, perhaps, we can bury the superstitious clap-trap and devote our thoughts and words to RATIONAL debate of the REAL threats facing us and our planet.

John Hunt, Isleworth, England

Thank you for your column. To paraphrase C. S. Lewis, to say Christ was merely a good man is patronising in the extreme. He was either a madman, a devil, or who he says he was. I believe the latter, and this Sunday will be reminded that He died so that I could live.

william Korach, st. Augustine , fL usa

Just one small point - Aostre isn't a bunny rabbit, she's a hare.

Ian Kemmish, Biggleswade, UK

'in Japan you will still find shops that sell images of Father Christmas nailed to a cross'

Is that true or did you make it up? There was an instance a few years ago where a single crucified Santa was put on display outside a shop, but if you're implying that the Japanese are now sell ing such images not as a joke but in the genuine belief that this is a Christian symbol, then I have to say it sounds like tabloid tosh to me.

Darren Ross, Sunderland, England

The faith thing is, to me, relative. When one considers the way Christianity has spread, I consider the origins. No mass communication, no global vision etc.
Jesus was a humble chap with a mission and to do that, he picked a few probably illiterate men. There must be something in it to have converted millions of people and survivede for so long.

Bob Chapman, Lowestoft, England

Take the crucifixtion and resurrection out of the context of the origins of the universe, the experience of God interacting on a personal, national or global scale in different ways and it will appear mumbo jumbo. Our life experience is multi faceted and the ignorance of many to these constituents leads to emmotional diatribes, a lack of rational thought or debate and insecure living - Acts 17 in the Bible speaks that it ever was so.

The triviality of a material world alone will never give aspiration, satisfaction, purpose or value to living.

Robert Whitrow, Northampton, UK

The decline in Christian belief has been ruinous for our civilization.I say that as an atheist.

Michael Rigby, Chorley Lancashire, England

"..compelling narrative of the Passion" Which pretty much sums it up. It's a nice narrative and people prefer pleasing stories to reality. But in today's world there are other pleasing stories this one has to compete with. Some of them might even have some contact with reality, such as scientific thought.

Sorry Gerrard, just because it's a nice story doesn't mean it's true. Shame on you for allowing childish emotion replace rational thought.

John Small, Faversham, UK

Jesus Christ was not a victim, he was an agent. The events of death and resurrection were all planned beforehand (an eternity beforehand). He came into the world to do the very things he planned to do, so that new life might be offered to the spiritually dead.

As to Matthew and the mumbo jumbo - I would quite like him to try saying those things about Islam, courage in both hands, and then see how he gets on with the consequences. But, go on, Matthew, take your shots at Christianity, it's free and cheap.

John, Birmingham, UK

Mathew is absolutely right - mumbo jumbo!
As for the origins of Easter, I seem to remember reading something about a Pagan goddess with name like Eastera or similar, the usual fertility stuff - hence eggs, etc.

Hrothgar, Schaumburg, Illinois, USA