Religion, crime and punishment Flashcards
Forgiveness
Showing grace and mercy and pardoning to someone for what they have done wrong
Community service
Working in the community to pay back for a criminal act
Corporal punishment
Using physical pain as a punishment
Crime
An action which is against the law and incurs a punishment
Death penalty
A form of punishment where the offender is killed for their crime
Deterrence
An aim of punishment - preventing future criminals by harsh treatment of offenders
Hate crime
A crime motivated by hatred e.g. racism, homophobia
Poverty
Not having enough money to be able to live a comfortable life
Prison
A place where criminals are sent to withdraw their freedom as a punishment
Punishment
Something negative done to criminals by the state
Reformation
An aim of punishment - to try and reform criminals
Retribution
An aim of punishment - seeking a form of revenge on criminals
Good and evil intentions - C
Bible warns against having evil thoughts that lead to evil intentions
Avoiding sin and temptation will avoid crime
Attitudes to law breakers - C
Christians do not believe that people are evil but that people can be tempted to do wrong and break the law
Taught to “love the sinner, hate the sin” - meaning they should forgive and show mercy to those who have done wrong but who have admitted to their mistakes
Reasons for crime
Poverty - needing money or food
Upbringing - not taught the rights and the wrongs
Addiction - alcohol/drugs which cloud the brain or people might commit a crime to fuel their addiction
Greed - stealing things they desire which they cannot afford
Hatred
Opposition to unjust law - breaking the law to oppose unjust or hateful laws
3 aims of punishment: deterrence
Use punishment as a message to others considering committing crime
By giving one criminal a harsh punishment it may put other off committing the crime
3 aims of punishment: reformation
Change the criminals behaviour for the better by therapy, education or training
C: support as it is a form of “love thy neighbour”
B: story of angulimala - he was a murderer and the Buddha did not punish him but urged him to live a better life
3 aims of punishment: retribution
Society getting its own back on the offender
Old Testament: “eye for an eye” - so Christians would argue that this is a form of punishment according to the Bible
Forgiveness teachings
At the heart of Jesus’s teachings - show mercy and pardon someone for what they have done
When Jesus was crucified he said “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do”
Forgiveness leads Christians to support reformation as a aim of punishment as it allows the criminal to ask for forgiveness and to be forgiven
Buddhists - forgiveness is important is it expressed meta and allows them to get rid of hatred (one of the 3 poisons)
CA to prisons
Believe prisoners should be treated well
Some campaign for better prison conditions out of mercy
CA to corporal punishment
Physical punishment is harmful and negative (illegal in UK)
Rather reform a criminal then punish them in this way
community service beliefs
C:In favour as they repay their community as a punishment
Allows criminal to make up and it does not harm them
B: approve, helps to rehabilitate the criminal
3 poisons
Hatred, greed and ignorance - leads to suffering
Ahimsa
Do no harm or non violence
Story of angulimala
He was a murderer but the Buddha did not punish him instead urged him to live a better life - teaches that reformation to a criminal is important
1st moral precept
Do not take life
Kamma/karma
Unskillful actions lead to suffering and my doing skilful actions you gain good karma which will lead to enlightenment which is a Buddhists main goal
Sanctity of life
Life is precious and God given
10 commandments
Guide human behaviour
Do not steal and do not murder are part of this
‘Eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’
Old Testament teaching about retribution
‘Not seven times but seventy times seven time’
Jesus’s response when asked how many times we should forgive people
‘Love thy neigbour’
Love everyone as you would love your closest family
Parable of sheep of goats quote
“I was in prison you came to visit me”
In the New Testament Jesus preached forgiveness quote
“Forgive them father, they don’t know what they’re doing”
Lord prayer section on forgiveness - quote
“Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us”
Ten Commandment on stealing
“Thou shall not steal”
10 commandment on murder
“You shall not murder”
Genesis 9:6 quote, on punishment
“Who kills man, shall be killed themselves”
Dhammapadda 223 quote on overcoming hate
Conquer the hatful man with love; conquer the bad man with goodness
Dalai Lama quote on revenge
We should not seek revenge on those who have committed crimes against us or reply to their crimes with other cri
Views against death penalty
Chance of killing innocent person
Little evidence that it is a deterrent
Imprison instead
Views for death penalty
Principle of utility
Justified retribution
Protects society
Christians views of death penalty
Sanctity of life
‘Whoever shed human blood, by humans shall thier blood be shed’
Show forgiveness instead
Reformation definition
Change someone’s behaviour for the better
Buddhists views of death penalty
Breaks 1st moral precept
Ahimsa
Cannot relive suffering of victim by making offender suffer
Buddhist story of reformation
The story of Angulimala
Serial killer, Buddha showed compassion and encouraged him to follow teachings
