Religion And Rules Flashcards
Who decides what is right and what is wrong?
Laws decide what is right and what is wrong. They are decided by the state. Laws govern the behaviour of people who live in a particular country. They are formally enforced by the police and judiciary but also informally by all of us (peer pressure/social approval).
Religious laws
Religious people often have additional religious laws that they follow.
Sin
Sin in the world is where Eve eats from the forbidden tree of knowledge and then persuades Adam to do the same. God is disappointed and angry at their actions and banishes them from the Garden of Eden. Outside of the Garden Adam, Eve and all of their descendants are subject to pain and suffering. This is thought of as a punishment for this original act of sin.
Christian Teachings 1
Christians are taught that they must follow the laws of the country first and their religious laws secondly where possible. This is supported in the book of Romans (Bible) which states “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority that which God has established.” This means that governments are only permitted to exist by God’s approval. Can you think of any problems with this ?
Muslim laws 1
Muslims also have a set of religious laws known as Shariah law. In many Islamic countries Shariah law is the basis for state law. In Britain there are Shariah councils designed to help settle disputes between members of the Muslim community, however UK law takes precedence!
JUDGEMENT
Both Christians and Muslims believe that God/Allah will ultimately judge all of their actions in life. This will form the basis of God’s divine judgement and will also dictate whether we will be sent to Heaven or Hell.
Christian view of judgement: JUDGEMENT: Both Christians and Muslims believe that God/Allah will ultimately judge all of their actions in life. This will form the basis of God’s divine judgement and will also dictate whether we will be sent to Heaven or Hell.
Matthew 25:31-46
‘Parable of the sheep and Goats.’
Describes how everyone will be separated into good and evil in the final judgement’
QUR’AN 76:31
“He admits whom He wills into His mercy; but the wrongdoers – He has prepared for them a painful punishment.”
Types of Crime 1
Laws are designed to govern people’s behaviour and to keep people and society safe. There are two types of laws in the UK:
1. Bye-laws: are decided by local councillors and apply to local areas. An example is a restriction on areas where alcohol can be consumed. Breaking these laws can result in a fine but not a criminal record.
Types of Crime 2
- Parliamentary laws: are made by the government and apply to everybody in the country. There are non-indictable offences which include minor driving offences which a normally dealt with in a magistrates court. There are also Indictable offences which are much more serious and are dealt with in Crown Courts.
When a person breaks the law they have committed a crime.
3 types of crime
- Against the person (murder, rape, GBH, hate crimes)
- Against property (arson, burglary, trespass).
- Against the state (terrorism, selling state secrets, perjury)
Reasons for crime
- Upbringing
- Poverty
- Addiction
- Greed/Hatred
- Mental Issues
- Opposite opinion to laws
Evil vs Good
Evil is something that is profoundly immoral and wicked and is usually seen as depraved and malicious
Good is defined as morally excellent, virtuous, righteous and pious.
Christian view
Christians see evil as the abuse of the free will of God. For us to understand and appreciate good, evil has to
exist as a contrast.
Christians teach that the devil continually tries to tempt
people to behave badly.
Christians will be judged on their actions and must resist
evil.
Muslim view
Muslims teach that there was an Angel who was expelled from heaven called Iblis.
Iblis was responsible for tempting Adam and Eve to disobey god.
Iblis continues to tempt human beings who must resist the temptations to do evil.
Evil is seen as a combination of internal and external influences.
Evil - is it linked to Crime? Possible 12mark question
“All humans are born with the ability to be evil”
Some people believe that we each have the capacity to do evil - it is part of our mental make-up. Evil depends on our upbringing, the influence in our lives - when those influences are bad, they can trigger or sow the seeds for evil actions. However evil is not a force within us but rather a psychological phenomenon, so the person themselves has the potential to be evil. The level of crime depends on how much evil has been triggered.
“People are not evil, they just do evil things.”
Others say actions are evil, not the person themselves. However we cannot punishes action - we have to punish the person for committing the wrong/evil deed. Most religions believe that as it is the action that is evil, not the person, they are not themselves evil, so can be brought back to good ways. This thaffects how people view punishments too.
“All evil has to be punished severely.”
Evil, because of its wickedness, disturbs people’s sense of well-being and safety, thus having a great impact. The direct victims have to be helped, the person punished and everyone else reassured.
