Crime and punishment

What do all religions think about good & evil?

people should do good and avoid evil

in order to please god or allah

actions will be judged when dead

For Christians, there's a difference between a sin and a crime. A sin is when religious law is broken, i.e. when God's teaching is disobeyed. A crime is when the state laws are broken.

sheep and goats PARBLE  SAYS EVERONE WILL BE JUDGED SEPERATED INTO GOOD -SHEEP- AND BAD -GOATS

Jesus said helping another person is like helping him if ignore your ignoring him 'WHATEVER YOU DID NOT DO FOR ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE YOU DID NOT DO FOR ME'

Many believe that evil is caused be MISUSING FREE WILL

ORIGINAL SIN-ALL PEOPE BORN WITH CAPABILITIES TO DO EVIL

Muslim view

Teaches that allah is mericful and those done good sshall be rewarded but will come down harsgly those who do bad

'HE ADMITS WHOM HE WILL INTO HIS MERCY

'BUT THE WRONDOINGS HE HAS PREPARED A PAINFUL PUNISHMENT'

They will face day of judgement

The Bible says ‘obey the authorities’.

• People may use their conscience to decide right from wrong. Some say our conscience is using our knowledge of right or wrong to make decisions. It could be due to nurture or psychological. Others say it may be God telling us what we should do.

• Our conscience might conflict with the Bible or the law. If we need to steal to feed a starving family or the law was racist, we may decide to break the law or religious rules.

Laws are needed because:

• Humans live in groups so we need rules to guide behaviour.
• Without them modern society and business wouldn't be able to function.
• They protect the weak from the strong.
• Advanced civilisations like the UK need laws to remain organised.

There needs to be a connection between laws and justice because:

• Unjust laws may make people feel that it's right to break the law.
• Unjust laws are not fulfilling their purpose to protect the weak etc.
• People will not obey unjust laws and campaign against them causing trouble in society.
• Disagreement over the justice of laws may lead to civil war.

Many types of crimes:  murder, theft & hate crimes.  Christian, Muslim & Jewish views are against as they break religious moral laws.

Christians & Jews are strongly against murder considered worst crimeas breaks 2 of the ten commandments, and  goes against sanctity of life

Islam, the Qur'an also condems murder and theft

Theft and hate crimes disregard religious teachings that people tteated equally

Reasons for committing crime

1) poverty-desperation 2) upbringing-troubled childhood 3) mental illness 4) addiction 5) greed 6) hate 7) opposition to unjust law

Christian - stromgly aganst crom, they are tlod to care for others  'LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF'  Marck

However, you should oppose to unjust law and protest if unfair, e.g Martin Luther King.  May support breaking laws @we must obey god rather than mankind'

Reason behind crime taken consideration and many waat to help individual and tackle bigger issue -eg poverty so CHRISTIANS WORK TO PREVENT CRIMES

Muslims believe crime interrupts relationship with Allah, and doesn't allow muslms to fous on what matters - faith

Criminals will face YAWN AD-DIN day of judgement

Believe complusary charity donations ZAKAH-charitable donations help reduce crime. Alcohol, drugs and gambling are banned, reducing chance of addiction.  Children follow teachings to give best possible unbringing 

HOWEVRE SHOULD SPEAK OUT AGAINST UNJUST LAWS tjose gainst Allah's teachings

SHRAIAH COIUTS LOOK CIRCUMSTANCES THROUGHLY TO ENSURE RIGHT PUNISHMENT

Forgiveness comes from teh belief that God is merciful towards those that seek his mercy.  Many people today believs that it is important to forgive criminals so that they can be reconciled with community, as prison leads to reoffending

Atitudes to forgiveness (Christian)

forgiveness 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. 

Attitudes to forgiveness (Islam)

For muslims, forgiveness 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."

• 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.

There are many different attitudes in christianity to lawbreakers. some think the punishment should be as severe as the crime. others also think they should be helped to reform. 

• Christians believe that they can hate 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 believe 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 
• Being merciful is important, so reformation is important too

• Many Muslms believe in reformation & punishment should give crimnal sthe opportunity to see the error of their wasy
• Qur'an mentions puishments such as whipping that are carried out publicly - the aim to deter the criminal.  Some belivee this also reforms offenders and offer retribution
• The Qur'an state punishment shoudl fit the crime "an eye for an eye"but also states that the offender can sometime compensate the victim financailly

Types of punishment: Depending on severity of crime, criminals can be given various sentences, including prison, community service & in countries where it is legal (not in Eurpoe) corporal punishment.

Corporal punishment is punishment through physical pain.  However, prisioners have human rights and many argue that corporal punishment goes against this & promotes violence.  

Christian view: treatment of criminals

Mostly against corporal punishment. Many want 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 prison and you came to visit me" showing how they should 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 corporal 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

Islamic view on corporal punishment

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. 

Corporal 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. 

Under shri'ah law corporal punishemnt is permissable for crimes such as drinking alcohol and stealing.

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

Death penality isn't used much nowadays.  Soe belive that situation ethics should be applied, i.e. case-by-case basis

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

Chrstian view.  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

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.