Theme E- Crime and Punishment 🚔💰

Question 1

What is a crime?

Hint: set by who?

Answer 1

• a crime, is an offence that breaks the law, set by the government

Question 2

What does the word ‘punishment’ mean ?

Hint: legal

Answer 2

• a punishment, is a legal consequence given to someone, who is found guilty of breaking the law.

Question 3

What are Christian and Buddhist attitudes towards actions and intentions

Answer 3

• the Bible warns against having any wrong thoughts or intentions, because in Matthew 5:27-28 it teaches ‘But I tell you anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart’
• Evil actions (e.g- violence) are seen as sinful, and therefore against God.
• ; in Buddhism, actions are seen as unskilful and skilful, rather than good and evil

Question 4

What is a Christian attitude to law breakers ?

Answer 4

Christian:

• the parable of the goat teaches that helping offenders is good
• offenders have basic rights, so shouldn’t be given a humane punishment because, Jesus taught to ‘love thy neighbour as yourself’ in Mark 12

Question 5

What are Christian and Buddhist teachings to murder ?

Answer 5

MURDER:

Buddhist:

• wrong because it break ahimsa and the first moral precept (which is a key teaching in Buddhism).
• causes suffering for the victim + families.
• contradicts the ‘right action’ (which means to practise the five moral precepts).

HATE CRIMES:

Christian:

• God created everyone equally, so hate crimes are wrong.
• Jesus taught to ‘love thy neighbour’.

Buddhist:

• hatred is one of the three poisons and contradicts 3 emotions that Buddhist aim to develop: loving-kindness and compassion.

Question 6

What are the three main aims of punishment?

Answer 6

1) deterrence
2) retribution
3) reformation

Question 7

What are all the six aims of punishment?

Hint: reparation

Answer 7

1) vindication
2) reformation
3) protection
4) deterrence
5) retribution
6) reparation

Question 8

How can a loving God cause people to suffer?

Answer 8

• Because God gave humans free will, therefore it is the misuse of that free will which makes peolle suffer
• If teachings and examples of Jesus are followed, this will reduce suffering.

Question 9

Explain one religious beliefs about suffering

Answer 9

1) One contrasting Christian belief is that it is wrong to blame God for suffering. This is because Christians believe we suffer because of a misuse of free will, known as the original sin, which resulted in Adam and Eve being cast out from the Garden of Eve.

This is seen is Genesis 3:23 as it states ‘The Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden’. Therefore this is a contrasting religious belief about suffering because Christians believe that suffering is because of an abuse of free will.

2) A second contrasting belief about suffering is that although it is not caused by anything, it is an unavoidable part of life which Buddhists accept, but then try to overcome it by following the Eightfold path + other teachings such as the five moral precepts.

Question 10

What are Christian and Buddhist attitudes to prison ?

Hint: more

Answer 10

• Christians may support prisons for more serious crimes. [such as murder]
• ; Buddhists may argue whilst prison provides time and space for rehabilitation, the primary aim of prison is to protect society from dangerous criminals. [as it is the most compassionate thing to do]

Question 11

What’s a Christian attitude to corporal punishment ?

Hint: mistakes

Answer 11

FOR:

• In proverbs 13:24 it states ‘spare the rod, and spoil the child’- if you don’t punish (children) someone for what they do wrong, they can’t learnt.
• therefore in this view, it’s the most loving thing to do for one’s personal development (because they can know and learnt to not do their mistake again) as Jesus taught to ‘love thy neighbour’
• evaluation-But they aren’t learning, they’re only afraid and it breeds hatred- it’s not loving to create an atmosphere of fear as Jesus taught that ‘God is love’ meaning we should also show love to each others- this includes those who have done wrong.

Question 12

What’s a Christian attitude opposing corporal punishment ?

Answer 12

• corporal punishment is immoral because, we should not cause harm to anyone, including our enemies.
• this is because Jesus also taught to ‘love your enemies’ [Matthew 5: 43] and Christians aim to follow God’s teachings in the Bible but how is causing someone physical harm loving?
• If it not only harms a person who is made imago dei but causes mental suffering (in the image of God)- as in Genesis it states ‘in his own image’, God made humans in his own image, so no one has the right to harm what God made.

Question 13

What are Christian attitudes to community service?

Hint: Don’t have to recite everything from this flashcard! Just two key points for Christianity

Answer 13

Christian:

• Christians might agree with community service, rather than corporal punishment. This is because it is the most loving thing to do as it treating people with kindness + respect rather than causing them physical and potentially psychological damage.

In addition to this, Jesus taught to ‘love thy neighbour as yourself’ and this strengthens the argument because treating people with kindness + love follows Gods teachings that are found in the Bible.

Furthermore this is a stronger argument than ‘spare the rod, spoil the child’ because although it is found in the Bible- (which the word of God, so Christians would take it very seriously), it directly contradicts the key teachings that Christians are taught to follow in the New Testament.

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Question 14

What are Buddhist attitudes to community service ?

Answer 14

• community service can be the more compassionate thing to do for offenders because corporal punishment and prisons can breed hatred- which is one of the three poisons.
• ; community service reforms offenders and helps them to reform because, Buddhism teaches that everyone can change.

Question 15

What are Christian attitudes to forgiveness?

Answer 15

Christian:

• Jesus forgave those who crucified him as in Luke 23:24 it says ‘Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing’, likewise Christians should do the same if they want to be forgiven because in the Lord’s Prayer it says ‘forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us’.

This teaches Christians that they must forgive others, otherwise God will not forgive them for their trespasses.

• Jesus said ‘not seven times, but seventy-seven times (Matthew 18:21-22) therefore there should be no limit to how many times we forgive a person.

Question 16

What are Buddhist attitudes to forgiveness?

Answer 16

Buddhist:

• Buddhism teaches that we should forgive others, otherwise we will suffer. This is because holding onto resentment + anger is not healthy because, it can harm people’s own [health and welfare] as constantly holding resentment + anger can take a toll one one’s mental health.
• But this doesn’t mean they won’t be punished because the principle of kamma/karma teaches that unskillful actions lead to suffering.

Question 17

What does forgiveness mean?

Answer 17

• forgiveness, means to pardon and to show mercy, to those who have done wrong.

Question 18

What is the death penalty?

Answer 18

• the death penalty, is whenba criminal is put to death for their crimes. [though this is now illegal in the UK]

Question 19

What are two arguments for and against the death penalty?

Answer 19

FOR:

• Some Christians agree with the death penalty because of Old Testament teachings such as in Genesis 9:6, where it states ‘Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed’.
• retribution (one of the aims of punishment) can be justified for people who commit the worst of crimes such as murder.

AGAINST:

• However this is a flawed argument because most of Jesus’ teachings are about loving those who do wrong as he taught to ‘love your enemies’.
• Furthermore, the death penalty contradicts core Christian teachings that are found in the Bible such as ‘thou shalt not kill’, so the death penalty is never right. In addition to this, some may argue that this is hypocritical because the death penalty is normally for criminals who commit the worst crimes such as murder + by taking their life, aren’t we as bad as them?

Question 20

What are two arguments for and against the death penalty?

Answer 20

FOR:

• it protects society from horrendous criminals, so they can’t harm again + some may argue that the most loving thing to for everyone else would be to remove them from society.
• As the principle of utility states that an action is right if it produces, the maximum happiness for the greatest number of people, affected by it. This is because Jesus taught to ‘love thy neighbour as yourself’.

AGAINST:

• the death penalty breaks the sanctity of life (life is God-given + sacred, so only he should take it), so it is wrong.
• Buddhism also teaches that the death penalty is wrong because it contradicts the ahimsa (non-violence) + the first moral precept

Question 21

Give four arguments against the death penalty + refer to religion

Answer 21

• the death penalty breaks the sanctity of life (life is God-given + sacred, so only he should take it), so it is wrong.
• Buddhism also teaches that the death penalty is wrong because it contradicts the ahimsa (non-violence) + the first moral precept
• it’s makes revenge a part of the justice system which is what Buddhist aim to avoid as it is unskillful.
• it’s never possible to relive the suffering of the victim, by causing suffering to the offender

Question 22

What are some argument against the death penalty?

Answer 22

• doesn’t allow reformation. Reformation is important for Buddhists because Buddhism teaches that everyone can change. (Even murderers- story of Angulimala).
• other aims of punishment can (such as protection) suggest that criminals can be imprisoned, instead of executed.
• it’s not an effective deterrent because evidence has shown that the UK murder rate isn’t as high in countries who use the death penalty a punishment.
• we are all made in God’s image as Genesis it states ‘in his own image’ so taking life is never right because God cares about every individual which is reinforced in Luke 12:6-7 as it states ‘Yet not one sparrow is forgotten by God’.

Question 23

Give a Christian reason that supports and opposes corporal punishment.

Answer 23

• life for life, eye for eye and tooth for tooth’- Leviticus 24:19-21. If someone (seriously) harms us, we should match what they have done to us- [this upholds retribution which is one of the aims of punishment].
• However this is a weak argument because a Christian may have differing views on this, because in Romans 12:17-19 it teaches Christians to not ‘repay anyone evil with evil’ so even if someone does something evil that is worthy of corporal punishment, it’s never right because it doesn’t show respect for the offender.

Question 24

Give a reason why a Buddhist might have a different view about the death penalty.

Answer 24

• it prevents someone from escaping the cycle of samsara’.

Question 25

What is a Buddhist attitude to law breakers ?

Answer 25

• Buddhism teaches that everyone can change.
• this is because, the story of Angulimala: a person who killed multiple people is a prime example of how Buddhists believe in reformation.
• therefore rather than punishment because it causes suffering to the offender, (which Buddhists aim to avoid, Buddhists may support reformation instead of retribution.

Question 26

What’s a religious belief about suffering, in Buddhism ?

Answer 26

• a belief about suffering is that although it is not caused by anything.
• but it is an unavoidable part of life which Buddhists accept, but then try to overcome it by following the Eightfold path + other teachings such as the five moral precepts.

Question 27

What are Christian attitudes to murder ?

Answer 27

• Christian:
• Jesus taught to ‘love thy neighbour’ and taking a life, is always wrong because it breaks the sanctity of life
• humans are made ‘in his own image’ (God’s own image, so taking life is never right).
• breaks the ten commandment ‘thou shalt not kill’

Answer 28

hatred is one of three poisons which Buddhists aim to not have a grip because it leads to suffering as it keeps you trapped in the cycle of samsara (rebirth). [Corporal punishment causes hatred because it harms you physically which is not right

• It’s not compassionate because it can lead to mental health issues such as depression or trauma, Buddhists are taught to show karuna (compassion) and aim to follow ahimsa (non-violence), it also doesn’t have a loving-kindness (metta) mindset which is what Buddhists aim to have.

Question 29

What is a religious reponse to theft ?

Answer 29

• theft contradicts the Ten Commandments, ‘Thou shalt not steal’.
• and theft is unskilful because, it contradicts the second moral precept (to refrain from taking what is not freely given).
• this then strengthens greed in people which can lead to further unskillful actions, which will generate bad karma. (Greed is one of the three poisons).