Theme F: Crime and punishment/ wealth and poverty

Retribution - punishment should make criminals pay for what they have done wrong

Deterrence - punishments should put others off committing crimes

Reform - punishments should try to change criminals

Rehabilitation - criminals should be able to return to normal life

Corporal punishment - physical punishment such as flogging

Forgiveness - to grant a pardon to someone

Vindication - to  make sure the law is respected

Christians believe you are born with original sin but you are made in God's image

St Paul said you should uphold the law, Jesus punished the money changers by throwing them out the temple

Christian believe punishments ensure justice is taken, but revenge must not be taken

'forgive and you will be forgiven'

Forgiveness is key and Christians believe it should always be tried to use - the intention of forgiveness is to reform the criminal so they will not re-offend or face a punishment

God is the one who deals out punishment and you should not condemn others

Deterrence and protection can also be seen as important because it keeps society safe 

The old testament suggests retribution through 'an eye for an eye'

The parable of the sheep and goat teaches that those who help those in prison will go to heaven and have eternal life

Buddhist believe that everyone should show loving-kindness(Metta) and compassion, but acknowledge that some people cause harm to others

The noble eightfold path teaches Buddhists what they must do to reach enlightenment

Bad actions will influence your karma and result in a worse rebirth on the wheel of samsara

Buddhists say: you should uphold the law of the land unless it is corrupt

They emphasise that 

'we should not seek revenge on those who have committed crimes against use' - Dalai Lama

Reformation and rehabilitation is a priority

It involves physical harm for high case crimes

Christians believe in sanctity of life - all life is holy as it is created by God

For - 'an eye for an eye'

Against - 'if you have forgiven men who have sinned against you, your heavenly father will forgive you'

Buddhists believe in ahimsa - respect for all living things

For- it can be used as a deterrent

Against - the First precept says you should avoid causing harm

For - Principle of utility - action is right if it promotes maximum happiness for many people

Against - Retribution is uncivilized and it is a contradiction to condemn murder

Prejudice - judging someone because of who they are

Discrimination - putting your prejudicial ideas into action

Positive discrimination - those who receive negative discrimination benefit, this means people who are disadvantaged are then benefiting because they are disadvantaged

Scapegoating - blaming a person or group for the sins of others

The 2010 equality act aimed to bring together past anti-discrimination laws

As Christians are made in the image of God, they believe an action against someone is an action against God

'you are all one in Christ Jesus' - Galatians

Christianity is a faith for everyone, no matter on race, gender or sex

According to some the Catholic church is contradictory as it does not allow women priests, the church of England has allowed women bishops from 2014

Martin Luther King jr campaigned against discrimination against black Americans in the 20th century

Buddha was born into the Caste system, which to Buddhists is a form of discrimination

Buddhists teach that discrimination is an example of ignorance, and believing we are better than others is an example of craving - this can lead to Dukkha

They believe in equanimity - everyone is equal and should be treated equally

They should try to rid their minds of prejudice through discrimination - Metta Bhavana meditation develops love for each other

'always think compassion' - Dalai Lama

Relative poverty - When you are poorer than others around you, like being below less than the average income

Absolute poverty - When you do not have access to basic human needs like food, water and shelter

Causes of Poverty:

Climate - a harsh climate may prevent crops from being grown

Natural Disasters - these can destroy homes, crops and result in deaths

Unfair trade - some farmers in an LEDC are not paid proper value, organisations like fairtrade try to stop this as the farmer is given more of the profit

War - money can be spent on weapons rather than food production

Debt - an LEDC may take a loan from an MEDC, however, the interest is high and continues to grow 

Lack of Education - poorer children in an LEDC may not have access and so do not have greater chances in life

Christianity teaches there is nothing wrong with wealth but craving wealth is - they believe wealth should be used to help others less fortunate

God gives humans responsibility for the earth and therefore should be responsible for wealth - he did not intend for it to be taken advantage of

As human life is sacred all humans must be treated with dignity and respect - you should be compassionate and 'love your neighbour'

Christians believe you will be judged on what you have done - the parable of the sheep and goat suggests that people who care for others will be rewarded in heaven

The roman catholic church is criticised for the wealth it has, however, there is nothing wrong in wealth for Christians

Quakers try to reduce the inequality between poor and rich, by putting their ideas into action

CAFOD is a Catholic charity that works to end poverty and injustice - it helps all religions

'the earth belongs to everyone'

Fairtrade was set up by Christian Aid and CAFOD to create a sustained development to end poverty

Other Christian charities use volunteers to stop poverty by either visiting poorer communities abroad or by working in the UK

Save the Children reported that since the 1990's inequality has significantly increased 

All human beings should show compassion towards each other

They believe wealth is earned from good karma but is can cause dukkha through greed and craving

Monks live with only the necessities, which shows wealth is not always needed

Buddha found the best way to reach enlightenment was the middle way, and this is seen as a way to try to close the inequality gap

Right actions teaches Buddhists to help others in need and act with compassion - Buddhists try to get socially engaged with charity work

Buddhists give donations to monks who are part of the Sangha(community)

The Karuna trust believes in 'compassion in action' to help oppressed people to develop skills needed for the future

The charity believes in sustainable development

Buddhist global relief helps to stop the suffering of the poor

Fairtrade is also supported by Buddhists