Faith space

Charlotte jumps out of bed. Easter Day - hurray! She cannot wait for the Easter egg hunt. But is there something else she needs to do? Yes, of course - go to church.

For Christians, Easter is the most important time of year. This year it coincides with both Ramadan and Passover.

Good Friday commemorates the death of Jesus. According to the Bible, he allowed himself to be put to death to make up for the sins of the world.

But on the following Sunday he appeared to his followers as a living man. His promise of life after death is what makes Easter a time of celebration.

Easter also marks the end of LentIn the Christian calendar the period of penitence runs from Ash Wednesday (when penitents mark their foreheads with ashes as a sign of repentance) to Easter. Deeply significant in Christianity, it is followed by Easter Sunday. Easter and its symbolism coincide with the celebration of spring.. During it Christians are expected to devote themselves to prayer, give to the poor and partly go without food.

These are also expected of Muslims in Ramadan. Their fasting, though, is more extreme. They are not supposed to eat or drink between dawn and sunset.

This is seen as a way of thinking harder about Allah, or God.

Ramadan commemorates the month in which the QuranThe holy book of Islam, whose words are believed by Muslims to have been passed directly from God to the Prophet Muhammad in a series of visions spanning 23 years. was first revealed to the Prophet MuhammadMuhammad, born in 570 in Mecca, is the founder of Islam. . It ends with a festival called Eid al-Fitr, which in English means the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. Children may be given presents and clothes.

At the start of Passover Jewish families gather for a meal called a Seder.

During the meal, they read the story of their ancestors' escape from slavery in Egypt. This says that when Egypt's ruler refused to free them, God sent ten plagues to punish the country.

But God told the Israelites to mark their doorposts with lamb's blood so that the angel of death would "pass over" their houses and spare their children.

The Israelites left Egypt in such a hurry that the bread they were baking did not have a chance to rise. To commemorate this, the Seder includes flat bread called Matzah.

Yes: Without it we would live empty lives centred around worldly things like material possessions. And studies show that religious people are generally happier and healthier and live longer than others.

No: Religion belongs to a more superstitious age. We live in a scientific one and can establish rational explanations for how the world works. Many non-religious people have perfectly fulfilling lives.   

Or... Religion plays a vital part in keeping societies together - it encourages people to trust each other and engage with their local community. Discussing it helps us understand how others think.