Religious studies Paper 2 Flashcards
What is justice?
Comes from courts because they apply the law fairly, the process of allocating rewards or punishments/upholding what’s right, can be government passes a law which people think is unfair or unjust
Why do we need the law?
To protect the weak, to create peace for everyone to live in, to be kept safe from criminals, to give guidelines on acceptable behaviour, to be able to live without fear, to be protected from violence
What is a sin?
An action that goes against the will of God, some sins are crimes eg murder, other sins aren’t against the law eg adultery
What are the four theories of punishment?
Deterrence, Retribution, reform and protection
What is deterrence?
Discouraging people from doing something illegal, punishments should put people off committing a crime again or should stop others from doing it in the first place
What is retribution?
The idea that punishments should make criminals pay for what they have done. Makes the victim or victims family feel a sense of justice, the offender got what they deserved
What is reform?
Punishment should show the offender what they did wrong and help change them/reform them so they don’t do it again. This can be giving them education, skills or job training so that when they get out they can be a normal, nice, person
What is protection?
A purpose of punishment, to protect society from violent/dangerous criminals by keeping them in prison
What are arguments against deterrence?
It doesn’t work-nearly half of all criminals reoffend and prisons are full
What are arguments against retribution?
Doesn’t always work-some victims feel the punishments aren’t severe enough. In some serious crimes it can possible to argue that retribution is never achieved for the victim and their family
What are arguments against reform?
It is seen to go against punishment as it gives criminals more chances
What are arguments against protection?
It only works when the criminal is in prison but they can be released back into society
What is another argument against theories of punishment?
They do not focus on the causes of crime and therefore are irrelevant
What are Christian teachings on justice?
Jesus taught the golden rule, God is just and so people should behave in the same way, everyone will be judged on judgement day by God-if behaved justly they will go to heaven, It is up to God to decide who is truly sorry and to judge others
How do christians help out the world?
Ensuing resources are shared equally, giving to charity, campaigning for governments and organisations to help other nations and helping those who are oppressed
What are two christian charities?
Christian aid and CAFOD
What is christian aid?
Works in areas of poverty, helps those in need and campaigns against justice and oppression to the poor, seeks to change government policy and campaigns for an end to unjust debts imposed on poorer nations
What is CAFOD?
Catholic fund for overseas development, campaigns for justice for the poor and has campaigned against landmines, the debt owed by third world and for the rich to be more active in helping the poor and oppressed
What are muslim teachings on justice?
On the last day Allah will reward those who have been just and fair towards others, the qur’an teaches that Allah wants people to act fairly towards everyone, Justice is the basis of charitable giving in islam and prophet muhhamad always acted in a just way
What is the Shari’ah law of God?
Muslims believe that they should follow the rules et by shari’ah law, they believe that they must obey the laws of the country they are in even if they are not islamic, shari’ah courts have strict rules so they are fair e.g. all trials are public and shari’ah also has laws to help society function fairly e.g. not charging interests on loans
Why do muslims work for justice?
To obey the Qur’an, to fulfil Shari’ah , to fulfil the five pillars, to please allah as he is watching every action that they perform
What are some muslim charities?
Muslim aid and islamic relief
What is muslim aid?
It works to relive poverty and secure justice for the poor and oppressed. Also it aims to get richer nations to help poorer ones and remove oppression
What is Islamic relief?
It seeks to improve the lives people affected by poverty, wars and natural disasters and also provides energy food and medical relief
What is capital punishment?
Execution where the life of a condemned prisoner is taken away, abolished in the UK completely in 1998
What are non-religious arguments FOR capital punishment?
It is a deterrent to stop people committing crimes, It can make people confess quicker to get a lesser sentence, society can get rid of the most dangerous criminals and it is retribution for harming or killing someone else
What are non-religious arguments AGAINST capital punishment?
Countries with the death penalty don’t have a low crime rate, many people are executed but the found innocent, terrorists that are executed may be seen as heroes and can increase terrorist attacks and also execution could be an easier way out than living in prison
What are christian arguments for capital punishment?
The old testament teaches that the death penalty should be used for some crimes, Jesus never taught that it was wrong, in the middle ages the church used the death penalty on those who challenged the authority of the church and st paul teaches that christians must obey the laws of their country even if it includes the death penalty
What are christian arguments against capital punishment?
It goes against the sanctity of life argument, jesus taught that revenge is wrong, most churches have spoken out against capital punishment, the overall message of Christianity is love and forgiveness and jesus came to earth to save and reform people
What are muslims main view on the death penalty?
They favour it for some crimes but some muslims don’t want it
Where can the death penalty be used?
In all countries where there is shari’ah law because the Qur’an says
What crimes can the death penalty be used for?
Murder, rape, homosexual acts and apostasy
When is the death penalty used?
According to the Qur’an, its only a last resort after a fair trial. The criteria is very strict e.g. for adultery, four people have to testify and the victim/family has to agree with the death penalty
What are muslim arguments for the death penalty?
The Qur’an says it can be used for certain crimes, Shari’ah agrees with the Qur’an, Muhammad made statements suggesting that he agreed with the death penalty and also when muhammad was the ruler of medina, he sentenced people to death for committing murder
What are muslim arguments against the death penalty?
The scholars of Shari’ah do not agree when or how it should be applied, The Qur’an states that capital punishment is one option but not compulsory, Strict conditions given by te Qur’an are not often met and in some countries Shari’ah has been seen to have oppressed the poor and women who receive the death penalty for adultery
Why are there laws for drugs and alcohol?
Because of the potential dangers, the law protects consumers
What are drugs?
A chemical you put into your body that changes your mood or how you feel. Some are legal, some can be addictive, children need protection from some, some cause social problems and some can improve health
What are legal drugs?
Legal drugs such as painkillers are sold under controlled conditions in pharmacies, supermarkets and shops. Some are sold over the counter, others need a prescription
What are illegal drugs?
They are classified based on how dangerous they are, taking or selling class A drugs carries heavy penalties whereas lower penalties are given for possession or supply of lower class drugs
What are four types of drugs?
Stimulants, Hallucinogens, depressants, analgesics
What are stimulants?
They affect the central nervous system and increase brain activity (cigarettes, amphetamines and cocaine)
What are hallucinogens?
Drugs that change your sense and give the impression that things are there when they aren’t (LSD, magic mushrooms, cannabis)
What are depressants?
They slow down brain activity (alcohol, solvents)
What are analgesics?
Painkilling drugs (aspirin, paracetamol, heroin)
What are the UK alcohol laws?
Children under 16 not allowed in a pub/bar without adult, under 18’s not allowed to drink alcohol in pub/bar unless 16/17 and having a meal, alcohol can be sold 24 hours a day with a licence, it is illegal for under 18’s to buy alcohol, must have a licence to sell alcohol, it is illegal to (try) buy alcohol for a child
What are social problems caused by drugs and alcohol?
Crime, unemployment, homelessness and family breakdown
What are health problems caused by drugs and alcohol?
Overdose, Mental illness, serious illnesses and death
What are facts about alcohol?
Men - no more than 3-4 units/day. Women-no more than 2-3 units/day. Twice recommended amount=binge drinking, health problems= heart/liver disease, stroke and cancer, psychological/emotional effect also caused
What are facts about smoking?
Smoking leads to lots of health problems e.g. cancer, lung disease and high blood pressure, poor dental health and they smell of nicotine and smoke. The addiction can lead to a breakdown of social and romantic relationships
What are facts about (illegal) drugs?
Crime to fund addiction, unemployment, social disorder, loss of incentive to work and maintain a regular lifestyle, overdose is possible, psychological effects even after beating it and drugs affect the brain and can lead to mental illness and loss of brain function
What does the bible believe about drugs and alcohol?
The bible teaches that God created humans and shouldn’t abuse his creations, most christians believe taking any kind of drugs damages the body god created so is wrong
Why do christians believe that drugs are wrong?
Christians should follow the law of the land which they live in, illegal drugs are illegal because they’re dangerous, many illegal drug users turn to crime, drug abuse leads to family breakups/antisocial behaviour (it can change a persons behaviour)
What are christians reasons for drinking alcohol?
The bible does not forbid alcohol, Jesus drank wine and performed the miracle of water to wine, Jesus gave his disciples wine at the last supper and st paul told his friend Timothy to drink wine to help with digestion
What are christian reasons against drinking alcohol?
Drinking alcohol impairs a persons judgement and their ability to act in a Christian way, there are many other drinks available, alcohol today is much stronger than in the past, it is best to avoid offending others so don’t drink at all
Why are muslims against drugs and alcohol?
The Qur’an says intoxicants are forbidden, The effects of drugs and alcohol would mean muslims cant act in a muslim way, all muslims should obey the law of where they are and humans should look after the body Allah gave them/ also Muhammad referred to it as the mother of all sins
What is the definition of addiction?
A recurring compulsion to engage in an activity regardless of its bad effects
What is the definition of capital punishment?
The death penalty for a crime or offence
What is the definition of crime?
An act against the law
What is the definition of deterrence?
The idea that punishments should be of such a nature that they will put people off committing crimes
What is the definition of judgement?
The act of judging people and their actions
What is the definition of justice?
Due allocation of reward and punishment/the maintenance of what is right
What is the definition of law?
Rules made by parliament and enforceable by the courts
What is the definition of reform?
The idea that punishments should try to change criminals so that they will not commit crimes again
What is the definition of rehabilitation?
Restore to normal life
What is the definition of responsibility?
Being responsible for one’s actions
What is the definition of retribution?
The idea that punishments should make criminals pay for what they’ve done wrong
What is the definition of sin?
An act against the will of God
What are the causes of war?
Self defence, economics/natural resources, fear, national pride, fighting against injustice and aggression, racial or ethnic hatred, protecting people from persecution and exploitation
What was the Darfur war 2003-2007?
Civil war between the Sudanese army and a number of different mainly non-aran groups. Sudan is now split into two countries (Sudan and The republic of south Sudan) but the situation is still unsettled
What were the factors?
Economic/environmental, long-standing ethnic hatred, national pride and remote location
What was the economic/environmental factor?
Food and water shortages due to drought and increasing desertification forced many people to move south onto farmland already owned by others struggling to survive. Farmers were also growing cash crops reducing the amount of land available to grow food.
What was the long-standing ethnic hatred factor?
Both sides have a history of long-standing disputes over religious and ethnic issues. The government was accused of persecuting non-Arabs
What was the national pride factor?
The conflict in Darfur was part of wider conflict in the Sudan. Some parts of the anti-government forces wanted the south of Sudan to be ruled as an independent country. The government wished it to remain as one country
What was the remote location factor?
This area is remote with poor transport and communication links. When trouble began, it took a long time for other countries to find out By the time the international community found out, thousands were already dead or had lost their homes
What is the UN?
The united nations is an international body set up after the second world war to promote world peace and cooperation. There are 192 member nations who meet regularly at the UN headquarters in New York
What does the UN do?
Uses conflict resolution and reconciliation
What range of methods does the UN use?
Arms control and disarmament to reduce numbers of weapons of mass destruction, peace talks, trade restrictions, sending peacekeeping forces and military action
Has the UN been successful?
It has experienced both success (achieving peace and reducing human rights abuses) and failures (too late to prevent mass killing in Darfur)
What issues are the UN concerned with?
Issues that will have a long-term impact on world peace-fighting against poverty, campaigning for human rights and solving conflict issues
What is the UN’s basic aim?
To achieve world peace-the ending of war throughout the world
The first thing the UN did about the Darfur war was negation, what is this?
Once the conflict became known, the UN negotiated between the two sides, the sudanese government and the UN formed an agreement to stop the conflict. The government failed to follow the agreement Various peace deals were signed and broken but the UN had some success in getting both sides to talk
The second thing was sanctions, what were these?
Several countries stopped trading with Sudan. The UN threatened sanctions (e.g. to stop Sudan trading in oil). This achieved some response from the Sudan government to work with the UN
The third thing was peacekeeping forces, what is this?
A small African union peacekeeping force was allowed into Darfur in August 2004. Not until 2007 was an agreed peacekeeping force from the UN and african union allowed in. This is ongoing and has had some success in protecting civilians but has also come under attack from both sides
Where the UN successful or not?
The UN has at least managed to stem the number and frequency of killings and organised more peace talks. However, peace has still not yet been achieved and intervention was too late to prevent mass killing in Darfur
Why are there christian organisations for world peace?
Jesus taught the need for forgiveness, peace and unity
What are christian organisations?
World council of churches and pax christi
What does the world council of churches do?
Founded in 1948, encourages christians of all types to heal divisions between nations by talking, has been involved in struggles in South Africa, Sudan, Korea and Latin America
What does pax christi do?
International catholic organisation set up in 1945 to work for world peace, it is opposed to war and violence. Encourages governments to solve their disputes through discussion, economic justice and social justice
Why are their islamic organisations for world peace?
Protecting human rights, peace and freedom are essential principles of Islam
What are islamic organisations?
Islamic relief and the muslim peace fellowship
What does islamic relief do?
Founded in 1948 to help victims of war, has worked in Bosnia, Somalia and Iraq
What does the muslim peace fellowship do?
Founded in 1994 and works to promote world peace, works against injustice and reaches out to people of all faiths and tries to develop understanding and mutual respect
What do all these organisations do to try to obtain world peace?
Teach forgiveness, Campaign against oppressive governments, encourage peace talks, educate all involved and hold interfaith conferences
What is a just war?
A just war is one that is fought for the right reasons and in the right way. Theory developed by st Thomas Aquinas to help religious believers decide wether war is right. It has to be justified
What is the criteria for a just war?
Last resort after negotiation/non-violent methods fail, methods used are fair and reasonable, cause of the war is just (resisting aggression or injustice), no innocent civilians will be killed, there is a reasonable chance of success and it is fought with the aim of bringing peace
What are issues with just war?
Both sides in a war may claim their cause is just e.g. second world war, Hitler said the Nazis were right and just. Also just war theory has been manipulated by leaders to justify their actions e.g. in the Iraq war, the USA claimed they invaded for the force of good, but al-Qaeda claimed they fought in the name of Allah
What does the bible teach about war?
The bible has a message of peace, one of the titles given to Jesus was ‘prince of peace’. “blessed are the peacemakers” “love your enemies” “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword”
What do christians believe about the just war theory?
Some would follow the just war theory, it has been accepted by many christian churches and some teachings in the bible support it
Why do some christians believe in the just war theory?
There are situations were war is the lesser of two evils, Jesus taught that obedience should be shown to the government, sometimes violence is necessary e.g. in response to invasion and it is right to have armed forces to protect nations
What do other christians prefer to follow?
Pacifist principles, refusing to fight wars. They believe that disputes should be settled peacefully
What are the different types of pacifism?
Absolute pacifism-No engagement in military actions.
Relative/selective pacifism-No engagement in military action in certain circumstances.
Nuclear pacifism- No use of nuclear weapons
What are the reasons why christians may decide to be pacifists?
The ten commandments forbid killing, Jesus taught that people should love their enemies, nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction cause unimaginable suffering and jesus stopped his own followers from using violence
What does Jihad mean?
Struggle
What is lesser jihad?
Just war theory, a physical struggle or war. Although the Qur’an teaches peace, there are some circumstances in which the use of violence is allowed
What is greater jihad?
The struggle that muslims face within themselves in order to make them better Muslims and bring them closer to God. For example, studying the Qur’an, doing good deeds, attending mosque and fighting greed and envy