Theme E - Religion, Crime & Punishment Flashcards
What is a crime?
A crime is simply an act which breaks the law
What is deviance?
Deviance is behaviour which is likely to attract punishment or disapproval
What is absolutist morality?
Absolutist morality is based on the belief that there are objective standards for what is right or wrong, which can be applied to any situation.
Who is most likely to believe in absolutist morality?
Religious people - fundamentalist Christians
What is relativist morality?
Relativist morality is based on the belief that each individual action must be judged by weighing up the circumstances of the situation. There are no fixed rules.
Who is most likely to believe in relativist morality?
Liberal Christians
What theory can relativist morality link to?
Situation ethics
What is deontological ethics?
Deontological ethics is concerned with the nature of the acts themselves. Acts are right or wrong in themselvses because of come absolute law, otr because they follow some duty or obligation
What are people’s actions according to deontological ethics?
Intrinsically right or wrong
What is teological ethics?
Teleological ethics is concerned with the ends or consequences of actions. The righteous or wrongness of an action is decided by the consequences that it produces
What are people’s actions according to teleological purposes?
Not intrinsically right or wrong
What are strengths of moral absolutism?
- Simple - as morality doesn’t change
- No loopholes. Not based on opinion and therefore cannot be based on being too subjective
What are weaknesses of moral absolutism?
- Doesn’t allow you to consider individual circumstance
- Does not consider if the consequences outweigh the act
What are hate crimes?
Crimes, often including violence, that are usually targeted at a person because of their race religion, sexuality, disability or gender
What do Christians believe about the inhuman treatment of offenders?
> Christians believe it is wrong. They hate the crime, but not the person. Offenders should be helped to change
What are the aims of punishment?
- Deterrence
- Reformation
- Retribution
What is retribution?
To get your own back - ‘an eye for an eye’
What is deterrence?
To put people off commiting other crimes
What is reformation?
To change someone’s behaviour for the better
How many crimes were punishable by death in the 1700’s
222
What are arguments for the death penalty?
- In Exodus, if there has been serious injury, men are just to take life for life - ‘eye for an eye’ - retribution
- Retribution in the form of the death penalty could be the only way for victims to get justice
- Many examples of death penalty in the Bible
- Utilitariansim - happiness for the greater good
What are argumentss against the death penalty?
- In the Bible, it says ‘There’s a time to be born and a time to die’
- God is the ultimate judge
- ‘Those without sin should cast the first stone’
- Death could be an escape from their crime
- If there’s a miscarriage of justice, there’s no way to remove them from their punishment
- Issues of racism, sexism, classism - bias
- Goes against sanctity of life - human life is sacred, holy, and precious
What is corporal punishment?
> To punish an offender by causing them physical pain
What are arguments for corporal punisment?
- ‘Eye for an eye’
- Deterrence
- Retribution
- Is used regularly and justified in the Bible
- ‘Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them’
- Utilitarianism
What are arguments against corporal puunishment?
- Doesn’t allow for reformation
- Jesus’ crucifixion - symbol of suffering, wrong to torture Him
- Sanctity of love
- ‘He who is without sin should cast the first stone’
- ‘Love thy neighbour’
- ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’
What is community service?
When a judge expects the defendant to do some work for the community e.g. decorating, gardening, litter picking
