Crime and Punishment

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Reasons for crime

Greed- to want more, so you commit a crime. in the ten commandments christians are taught not to covet.

Revenge- you want to feel even with someone who has hurt you, so you commit a crime against them

Boredom- there is nothing else better to do, and you may feel thrilled at rebelling

Sense of injustice- breaking the law in an attempt for the law to be changed- if it was based on predudice 

Drug addiction- people loose control of their thoughts and do things they normally wouldnt 

Influence of TV- people commit crimes they have seen on TV by people they admire, and so thin it is acceptable 

Poverty- people have to commit crime in order to survive, otherwise they couldnt pay for food ect. 

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Aims of punishment

  • Protection: where the punishment protects us from the criminal. Prison is an example of this.
  • Retribution: where the punishment allows the victims to ‘get their own back’. An example is the death penalty – this could be seen as ‘an eye for an eye’.
  • Deterrence: where the punishment puts others off committing the crime, and the same person reoffending 
  • Reformation: where the punishment reforms the criminal. It should make them into a better person, by seeing what they have done wrong.
  • Authority: anyone who breaks a law must be punished to show that the government has control.
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Attitudes to lawbreakers

  • there are many different attitudes in christianity to lawbreakers. some think the punishment shoukd be as severe as the crime. others also think they should be helped to reform. 
  • Christians belive that they can htate the cime but not those who commited it, and prisioners should be treated justly. eg in the parable of the sheep and goats Jesus said treating prisioners well was pleasing to God "for I was in prision and you came to visit me".
  • Christians do not belive in hate crimes or murder, god treated everyone equally, and no group of people should be singled out against others, including from different religions- as everyone should "love thy nieghour"
  • However Christians think that commiting theft out of need instead of greed, is better they believe the needy should be cared for and should have no need to commit crimes 
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Attitudes to suffering

Christians beilive they should try to help those who are suffering, as Jesus did, as Mary Keller said "We are never really happy until we try to brighten the live of others"

Terror actions such as the Charlson church shooting, questions why a fair God would allow people to suffer. however christians would argue that god also created free will and so cannot be accused. the teachings of Jesus help to guide christians freewill. 

Christans belive they cannot fully prevent suffering, but the sinner should repent for their sin, in order to recive God's forgivness. 

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The treatment of criminals (Christianity)

Christians such as Elizabeth Fry helped to improve living conditions for prisioners, as they are in prision to reform, not for revenge. christians believe in this as in the parable of the sheep and the goats Jesus says "I was in prision and you came to visit me" showing how they shoul treat criminals okay. 

Christians agree with prision for seious crimes, however they also beleive in helping those in prision, by educating and training them.  

Christians disagree with corpral punishment, as it is a violation of the human rights law. Jesus also always treated eveyone with care and respect.

Christians agree with comunity service as it allows the criminal to give back to their community, for minor crimes. 

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The treatment of criminals (Islam)

Muslims agree with the use of prisions, however in most Muslim countries prisions are mostly only used while the prisioner is awaiting punishment, instead of reforming them. 

Corpral punishment is the main source of punishment in Muslim countries. causing people pain to detter them and others. these may be considered inhumane, but Muslims argue being kept away from your family is worse. punsihments like this happen infrequently, but Muslim countries also have a lower rate of crime. 

community service is rarely given in muslim countries as it is not considered a deterant. 

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The death penalty (Christianity)

Christians are divided in beliefs on the death penalty: 

Arguments for:

  • It protects us as the criminal is no longer alive and cannot hurt us.
  • It is deterrence and puts criminals off crime.
  • It allows retribution – victims’ families can get their own back.
  • Some Christians agree with it as the Bible says ‘an eye for an eye’, which suggests you can take a life for a life.
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The death penalty (Christianity)(2)

Arguments against: 

  • The person could be found innocent later 
  • Only God has they right to give and take life, and so it is wrong for us to do so. 
  • Jesus taught of forgivness and caring 
  • two wrongs do not make a right
  • "Thou shall not kill"
  • it is inhumane
  • in the USA it does not actually decrease the rate of crime
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The death penalty (Islam)

Shari'ah law allows for the death penalty and can be caried out for a series of offences found guilty for. 

However an expression of mercy can be made, in return for compensation of the victims family (blood money). this the most preferable. 

" do not take life, which God has made sacred, exept by right. This is what he commands you to do so: so you may use your reason" 

although most Muslim states are for the death penalty there are muslim groups who argue the shari'ah law has been misinterpreted. 

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Attitudes to forgiveness (Christianity)

forgivness is a core belief in christianity, which Jesus emphisised. Christians should forgive others dispite what they have done, "Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who trespass against us" 

However forgiveness is not a replacment to punishment. however they should forgive a person an unlimited number of times. 

they believe forgiveness is easier if the prisoner has serious intention to repent. and so reformation is the primary aim of punishment. 

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Attitudes to forgiveness (Islam)

to muslims, forgivness satisfies the demands of society and the person who was wronged. it is no part of the punishment process. two catagories: 

- from God- only he can truly forgive and will forgive those who are truely sorry and intend to follow the faith again.

- from humans- establishs good over evil as humans should forgive those who ask for forgivness. if the forgiven act is unknowingly repeated it should be reforgiven, as there is no limit to God's forgivness. 

"pardon each others faults and God will grant you honour."

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