Religion, crime and punishment Flashcards

Question

What are Christian views on crime due to hate?

Answer 1

Jesus taught Christians to love everybody, including their enemies 'Love thy neighbour'

Answer 2

Hatred is one of the the three poisons and one of the main causes of suffering

Answer 3

Sometimes people break a law they believe to be unjust in order to protest against it These could be laws based on inequality or that deny basic human rights

Answer 4

Some Christians may agree with this but only if no violence is involves and nobody gets harmed

Answer 5

Buddhists might disobey a law that expressed prejudice and hatred

Answer 6

Addiction takes away choice A person may need to commit crimes to fund their addiction

Answer 7

Addicts should be helped to defeat their addiction so they do not commit crimes Christians and Buddhists believe crime is very rarely justified Taking drugs goes against the fifth moral precept in Buddhism

Answer 8

In response to poverty, Christians believe stealing is wrong and they should help to create a society where it is not necessary to steal because of poverty Buddhists believe stealing is wrong because it contradicts the second moral precept and causes harm to others

Answer 9

A crime that is usually targeted at a person because of their race, religion, sexuality, disability or gender

Answer 10

Less serious than some crimes but still results in the victim suffering a loss

Answer 11

Viewed by many as the most serious crime

Answer 12

Christians condemn hate crimes because they believe God created all humans equal and no one should be singles out for inferior treatment When Jesus taught his followers to 'love your neighbour' (Mark 12:31), he meant showing compassion, care and respect to everybody

Answer 13

Hatred is one of the three poisons and the direct opposite of the emotions that Buddhists aim to develop: loving-kindness and compassion This means there is no justification for hatred or intolerance A person who acts from hatred causes harm to themselves and others

Answer 14

Theft goes against the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:15) Christians do not agree with any theft, including theft caused by need rather than greed

Answer 15

Theft breaks the second moral precept It also strengthens the habit of greed (one of the three poisons) It expresses a lack of respect and empathy for others

Answer 16

Murder is wrong because only God has the right to take life It goes against the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:13)

Answer 17

Murder breaks the first moral precept It inflicts suffering not only on the victim but also on their family and friends

Answer 18

Hate crimes usually involve violence and possibly killing Murder is unlawful killing Hate crimes result from prejudice, murder can have other reasons Murder is generally considered to be the worst Some murders are considered as hate crimes

Answer 19

Hatred of a criminal is not constructive Reasons why the criminal committed the crime should be considered Love and compassion are religious teachings that should extend even to criminals Christians and Buddhists believe in the importance of rehabilitation

Answer 20

Criminal actions can cause great harm and upset Some victims never fully recover from a criminal action Crimes break Christian and Buddhist teachings and morality Buddhism teaches that hatred is never justified as it only creates more suffering

Answer 21

Society, on behalf of the victim, is getting its own back on the offender Criminals should be made to suffer in proportion to how serious their crimes are In the case of murder, the murderer should be killed as a punishment

Answer 22

Paul teaches 'do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good' Many Christians focus on other aims of punishment which they believer are less harmful and more positive Some Christians support the death penalty by quoting 'life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth' But most think this means, for example, that murderers should be punished severely but not killed

Answer 23

Retribution is a form of violence and therefore wrong A person will suffer anyway, because of the principle of kamma 'we should not seek revenge on those who have committed crimes against us, or reply to their crimes with other crimes'

Answer 24

The idea of deterrence is to use punishment as an example and warning to others If the punishment is harsh, it may deter the offender from repeating the crime and others copying it In some countries, punishments are carried out in public as a form of deterrence

Answer 25

Although most Christians have no real problem with the idea of deterrence they do not support punishments that are excessively harsh They oppose carrying out punishments in public as these could humiliate offenders rather than treating them with respect

Answer 26

Deterrence may not work if people are in grip of the three poisons Buddhists might agree it is important to protect society from certain criminals by imprisoning them, but the motive here is the protection of society-not punishment or deterrence

Answer 27

Reformation aims to use punishment that helps offenders to give up crime and realise their behaviour is harmful This may involve therapy and counselling, community service and meeting the victims It is hoped that offenders will change their attitude and becoming law-abiding members of society

Answer 28

Most Christians favour reformation over other aims of punishment This is because it is positive rather than negative and works with individuals to improve their life chances It should not be a replacement for punishments but should happen alongside punishment

Answer 29

A criminal should be encouraged to recognise the suffering they have caused, apologise to their victims and even undertake corrective action Buddhism favours a justice system where criminals are encouraged to change and become more responsible and sensitive to others

Answer 30

Whatever the cause, Christians believe they have a duty to help those who are suffering Christians try to follow the example of Jesus since he helped people and encourage people to do the same Try not to cause others to suffer Apologise and try to repair the damage when you have caused suffering Suffering may strengthen a person's character and faith

Answer 31

Christians believe it is wrong to blame God for the suffering that results from humans actions This is because God gave humans free will: the ability to make decisions for themselves God has also given plenty of guidance on how to use free will responsibly The teachings and example of Jesus will reduce suffering if followed The role of the law is to give more 'compulsory' guidance about the best way to use free will, together with punishments for those who cause suffering by committing crimes

Answer 32

- Inevitable part of life - To overcome suffering, you must accept that suffering is a fact of existence - Following the eightfold path - Buddhists try to avoid causing others to suffer

Answer 33

The main punishment is a loss of liberty Prisoners are locked in cells for some of the day, and have to do manual work for little money Reserved for more serious crimes

Answer 34

Many Christians support the use of prisons for more serious crimes They also believe prisoners should be treated well, and involved in positive activities and education that help them to reform

Answer 35

The primary aim of prison should be to protect society from dangerous criminals Prison may also provide time and space for rehabilitation

Answer 36

Punishes offenders by inflicting physical pain Considered to be a breach of human rights laws Illegal in the UK and many other countries Muslim countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia use corporal punishment for offences such as gambling and sexual promiscuity

Answer 37

Christians do not support corporal punishment. It does not seek to reform an offender, so can be seen as a negative and harmful punishment. It does not show respect for the individual

Answer 38

Corporal punishment expressed violence and encourages resentment rather than reformation. It does not solve the underlying cause of crime

Answer 39

Includes work in the community, such as cleaning graffiti, decorating or clearing wasteland Used for more minor offences such as vandalism or benefit fraud May include treatment for addiction or medical conditions, counselling and education In some cases, a meeting may be set up so the victim can tell the offender the impact their crime had and the offender can apologise

Answer 40

Most Christian approve of community service as it allows offenders to make up for what they have done wrong, deters them from committing future offences and reforms them by making them realise the consequences of their actions

Answer 41

Most Buddhists approve of community service that helps to rehabilitate the criminal It needs to directly address the crime and help the criminal see the impact of their actions To be most effective, it also should address the needs of the victims

Answer 42

'eye for eye' suggests offenders who commit serious crimes should receive severe punishments

Answer 43

'love your neighbour' suggests criminals should be treated well All humans are deserving of respect as they are created by God The parable of the Sheep and the Goats teaches that showing kindness to prisoners is good Buddhist teachings emphasise compassion and loving-kindness Harming criminals goes against the first moral precept

Answer 44

Forgiveness is a key belief in Christianity as Jesus taught forgiveness and showed it in his actions Many Christians argue that forgiveness should not be a replacement for punishment. They believe the offender should be forgiven as far as possible, but should also be punished to ensure justice is done and to help the criminal reform themselves

Answer 45

When he was dying on the cross, Jesus forgave those who crucified him 'Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing' When asked how many times a person should be forgiven, Jesus said 'not seven times but seventy-seven times' Christians interpret this to mean there should be no limit to the amount of forgiveness they show to someone In addition, The Lord's prayer shows that Christians believe God expects them to show forgiveness to others. In turn, they will forgive them for the sins they commit ('Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us')

Answer 46

For Buddhists, forgiveness involved letting go of anger and resentment, as well as the desire for the offender to suffer through punishment Buddhism teaches that if people do not forgive they will suffer, because they will continue to be angry resentful. This means people should forgive others for the sake of their own health and welfare Criminals should still be punished by the law or because of the principle of kamma

Answer 47

* One day, while on a trip to a nearby village, the Buddha meets Angulimala, a terrifying robber who everyone fears. He cuts people’s fingers off and uses them to make a necklace * Angulimala tries to chase the Buddha after he walks past his den but no matter how fast he ran, he could never catch the Buddha-this is because he never harms, nor does he ever kill, and the Buddha explains this concept to Angulimala * The Buddha offers to be Angulimala’s friend and takes him on an ‘adventure’ where Angulimala decided to change for the better after he realises that he is tired of robbing people and having no friends * The King comes to see the Buddha alone because he is scared that if he was with guards, he would attract the attention of Angulimala. He was surprised to find out that Angulimala had been sitting next to the Buddha the whole time since he was unrecognisable

Answer 48

Many Christians believe that while forgiveness is important, it is still necessary to punish the criminal Buddhists emphasise the importance of apology and forgiveness and, when this happens, punishment is no longer necessary Christians practise forgiveness as an act of mercy because God expects them to forgive Buddhists practise forgiveness because if they continue to hold on to anger and resentment they will continue to suffer

Answer 49

The principle of utility states an action is right if it produces the maximum happiness for the greatest number of people affected by it If the use of the death penalty is proven to protect society - therefore creating happiness for a greater number of people - it can be justified It is justified retribution for people who commit the worst possible crimes It protects society by removing the worst criminals so they cannot cause harm again

Answer 50

The principle of utility states an action is right if it produces the maximum happiness for the greatest number of people affected by it If the use of the death penalty is proven to protect society - therefore creating happiness for a greater number of people - it can be justified It is justified retribution for people who commit the worst possible crimes It protects society by removing the worst criminals so they cannot cause harm again It could be used as a deterrent

Answer 51

There is a chance of killing an innocent person Eg. three people executed in the UK in the 1950s have since been pardoned, because new evidence has cast serious doubt over their guilt There is little evidence the death penalty is an effective deterrent Eg. the UK murder rate is no higher than in countries that have the death penalty Often the threat of punishment does not enter into the murderer's thinking It is not right to take another person's life. This does not show forgiveness nor compassion Society can still be protected by imprisoning criminals instead of executing them

Answer 52

The sanctity of life is the idea that all life is holy as it is created by God, and only God can take it away. This teaching is used to oppose the death penalty Ezekiel 33:11 teaches us that wrongdoers should be reformed (not executed) Some Christians agree with the death penalty and use teachings from the Old Testament to support their views 'Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed'

Answer 53

Most Buddhists oppose the death penalty because it goes against the first moral precept and does not allow the possibility of rehabilitation It also makes revenge part of the criminal justice system It is not possible to relieve the suffering of the victim by making the offender suffer Thailand, a largely Buddhist country, has capital punishment for more than 30 crimes. This shows that Buddhist principles don't always impact on government policy

Answer 54

Committing a crime is wrong whatever the reason/ all crime causes someone to suffer People should obey the law Christians and Buddhists believe it is wrong to commit crime because of poverty and that people should focus on creating a fairer society where the need to steal because of poverty is removed Those who commit crime through illness or addiction should be provided with treatment so they have no reason to commit crimes People who want to protest against an unjust law can do so legally eg through a peaceful protest

Answer 55

Society is not fair so crimes because of need/poverty are justified in some circumstances eg it is better to seal food than allow a child to starve Some laws are unjust and the only way to change them is to break them/peaceful protest is not always powerful enough to change the law All humans have a tendency to do bad things, including crime, because of original sin Those who commit crime because of addiction/mental illness cannot help it