We commissioned a survey about the public perceptions of Easter and it is encouraging to note that it has prompted a lot of replies.
This is a link to the story and the comments www.clickliverpool.com/news/national-news/123525-easter-its-just-about-chocolate-isnt-it.html
What has come as something of a surprise is the number of readers who seem to be hostile to the concept of religion in general and Christianity in particular.
Some have tried to suggest that Hot Cross Buns have nothing to do with Easter - suggesting that it is somehow a pagan tradition marking the four quarters of the year, rather than commemorating the crucifixion.
While I accept that pagan festivals pre-date Christian ones, there is no doubt that for three centuries the hot cross bun in the UK has been traditionally sold and eaten during Lent, the 40 days before Easter.
Others have displayed opposition to the idea of religious observance and that it is a source of very real concern.
I find it quite disturbing. Many people trot out the accusation "Too many wars have been fought in the name of religion?" as a justification for dismissing and even ridiculing people of faith.
I can only hope that a lot of this is simply down to lack of knowledge about religion - as the Archdeacon of Liverpool Ricky Panter suggested in our article. I think Mr Panter has a point, but I'm not sure what he plans to do about it.
The reality, surely, is that both the Anglican and Catholic churches are failing in their duty to carry the vital and life-changing message of Christianity to the masses - falling back instead on serving dwindling congregations.
"We are left only with a rump of the Church" was the comment I heard from a Catholic priest in a church sermon recently. Depressing that he felt such a sense of defeat.
But the Catholics, always so strong in Livepool, are particularly on the back foot. Attendances at Sunday Mass - the focal point of the faith - have plummetted and continue to fall.
From personal experience I can witness that this is happening not only in Liverpool and the rest of the UK but also in throughout Europe and even Italy.
What to do about it? We for a start I'd like to see the churches - led by the clergy - taking a far more prominent role in public life.
I can't remember the last time I heard a priest on a radio or TV show in the region. Surly we should have priests and bishops on BBC Question Time and Any Questions occasionally, but it does not happen.
I think this means the churches are really are missing-out on opportunities to take the message of Christianity to the wider population.
In England we still give donations to help fund the churches in the Third World - "The Missions" we used to call them.
Nowadays it seems that the UK is a "mission territory" where the churches need to go out and preach the good news to the unbelievers.
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(Thu 10/11)
A tale of two museums
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Rosie Cooper - we need more politicians like her
(Mon 06/06)
