Unit 8.4

Question 1

Why do some christians support capital punishment?

Answer 1

• old testament: ‘eye for eye, tooth for tooth’ ∴ punish people in accordance w their crime
• St Paul: the magistrate who holds authority ‘does not bear the sword in vain: for he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer’ ∴ Bible says law has authority to CP
• Decalogue: ‘thou shalt not kill’- CP affirms how severe going against this is
• Thomas Aquinas: ‘it is permissible to kill a criminal if it is necessary for the welfare of the whole community’ ∴ CP protects soc, and as TA christian role-model, other christians should follow his views

Question 2

Why are some christians against capital punishment?

Answer 2

• God made life: “so God created manning in his own image” ∴ we shouldn’t kill people, as we’re special, ∴ CP bad
• jesus saved + reformed, e.g. The Aldulterous woman, showing that Christianity is religion of love and forgiveness ∴ don’t have CP
• decalogue: “thou shalt not kill” ∴ CP is a sin!!!
• we should behave better than criminals: “Do not resist an evil person. if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also”∴ we shouldn’t stoop so low as to kill people by CP

Question 3

Why do we need laws?

Answer 3

• we live in groups ∴ need law to tell us what to expect, e.g. Stop at red light, ∴ we can assume people wont be run over by drivers not stopping
• modern soc + business couldn’t function, e.g. Law says employers must pay employees for work done, ensures people are paid for work, and don’t become poor
• protect weak from strong, e.g. Laws stay to not murder or steal ∴ keeps everyone safe
• advanced civilisations need laws to be organised, e.g. ‘Do not muder’ means unacceptable acts are punished , so leads to a safer society

Question 4

Why do some Muslims support capital punishment?

Answer 4

• Qur’an: “so not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden expect by [legal] right. This has He instructed you so theat you may use reason” ∴ CP acceptable when required
• Shariah law permits it sometimes, e.g. Deliberate muder, fasad fil-ardh (rape, homosexuality etc) ∴ big source of guidance for muslims
• Islamic philosophy thinks it acts as a deterrent, e.g. Public execution ∴ other people wont do it, so works
• Saddam Hussein- hung in Iraqi for crimes against humanity. Bc hung in a muslim country, and a muslim, muslims can use him as an example

Question 5

Why are some muslims against capital punishment?

Answer 5

• Qur’an, just an option, doesn’t have to be used, e.g. Can take payment instead. In Muhammad’s life, no-one hung for adultery, ∴ there are other options
• not always used fairly: Sakineh Mohammadi. Arrested for adultery and conspiring to murder. Sentenced to stoning, then hanging, then released. ∴ the original judgement was too harsh
• Quran is conditions for CP rarely met. Some people killed who haven’t done these things, which is unacceptable
• Scholars of shariah law disagree over when to use CP ∴ can be used incorrectly which is unfair, and doesn’t show the imp of justice in Islam

Question 6

Why do some christians support alcohol and drugs?

Answer 6

• Wedding at Cana: Jesus turned water into wine because it had run out. Therefore, if Jesus made wine, it can’t be that bad
• last supper: Jesus took cup of wine and told disciples “drink from it, all of you” therefore he is advocating alcohol so cant be bad. Also, in Holy communion
• St Paul told timothy to drink some wine “stop drinking only water and use a little wine because of your stomach”. therefore alcohol can have some benefits
• Old Testament: “may god give you…an abundance of grain and new wine.” therefore, alcohol is a blessing and something to enjoy

Question 7

Why are some christians against alcohol and drugs?

Answer 7

• Salvation Army believes it is too dangerous: “members of the salvation army freely and willingly refrain from the use of these substances in their own lives”
• God’s spirit is in us: “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the holy spirit… given to you by God?”. therefore we must not interfere w our bodies
• Grieg house: SA rehabilitation centre. If it has come to a point where we must set up substance abuse centres, then drugs must be bad, and no good comes of them
• alcohol and drugs harm society: 25% of hospital admissions alcohol related, tf to show agape do not use drugs/alcohol

Question 8

why does there need to be a connection between laws and justice?

Answer 8

• unjust laws mean people feel its right to break the law
• unjust laws are not fulfilling the promise of protecting the weak, etc.
• people will not obey and campaign against unjust laws, causing unrest in society, which could lead to civil war

Question 9

What is deterrence?

Answer 9

The idea that punishments should be of such a nature that they put people off

Question 10

For and against deterrence

Answer 10

for:
- done in public so people rare aware of severity of punishment, and don’t want to do crimes (and also the person who did the crime)
-people don’t want to be treated in a humiliating way
Against:
-prison figs increasing, and prisons becoming full
- doesn’t focus on root causes, tf irrelevant
-community service more effective at reducing reoffending rates
-doesn’t work- nearly half of all prisoners reoffend

Question 11

What is the Muslim view on drugs and alcohol?

Answer 11

• they are haram: “every intoxicant is khamr and every khamr is haram” ∴ strictly forbidden, so don’t do them
• Qur’an: “although they have some benefit for men; but their harm is far greater than their benefit” ∴ source of authority, so follow this advice
• Prophet Muhammed against them: “intoxicants are the mother of all evils. Alcohol is not a medicine but a disease” ∴ since he is a role model, they should follow his example and not use drugs/alcohol
• cause harm to society ∴ they must be bad, so don’t use them

Question 12

What are the laws on drugs and alcohol?

Answer 12

Alcohol:
• 16s or 17s can have a glass of wine/beer/cider w a meal, and if bought by an adult
• under 18s cant buy alcohol or have alcohol bought for them in a pub/public place
• can only give alcohol to under 5s if under medical supervision + emergency
Drugs:
Possession:
A (7yrs): heroine, morphine, ecstasy, LSD
B (5yrs): codeine, amphetamine, methylamphetamine
C (2yrs): ketamine, GHB, cannabis
It is a serious offence to supply people with drugs, or to grow/import/export them.

Question 13

Why are there laws to control drugs and alcohol?

Answer 13

• harm the individual, e.g. Alcohol causes liver failure and stops inhibitions ∴ accidents. As state’s duty to protect us, they should be illegal
• harm society, e.g. 11 ppl a week killed in drink driving accidents ∴ state should seek to prevent harm by regulating them
• state must show that it doesn’t condone drugs or excess alcohol. It must set a good example, otherwise more people will do drugs etc.
• if laws then it is easier to regulate. E.g. Pubs have the right to refuse service if someone is drunk, and police can search people for possession of drugs ∴ easier to protect soc from their harms

Question 14

How do alcohol and drugs harm society?

Answer 14

• traffic accidents: 11 people a week killed in alcohol-related accidents
• industry: poor work/absenteeism due to alcohol costs UK £2bn a year
• bad for health service. 25% of hospital admissions are alcohol related ∴ massive strain
• leads to abuse: 40% of domestic abuses cases and 33% of child abuse cases are alcohol related
• leads to lots of death: roughly 3,700 deaths in 2015 due to drugs

Question 15

What is retribution?

Answer 15

The idea that punishments should make criminals pay for what they have done wrong

Question 16

What are arguments for and against retribution?

Answer 16

For:
• gives victim a sense of justice (victim feels that crim got what they deserved + are suffering)
• offender may have to help directly, e.g. By community service ➯ positive
• all guilty people should be punished according to the severity of their crime
Against:
• victims may feel like they haven’t been punished enough
• victims perhaps feel justice hasn’t been achieved so can’t move on
• in serious crimes perhaps true retribution can’t be achieved
• CP is vengeance not retribution ➯ ‘morally dubious’?

Question 17

What is reform?

Answer 17

The idea that punishments should try to change criminals so that they will not commit crimes again

Question 18

For and against reform

Answer 18

For:
• educated people so know breaking law isn’t good
• can train them in jobs that don’t lead to crime
• offender may not feel resentful at being punished
• improves soc in general
Against:
• goes against punishment: not clearly signalling that their conduct is wrong
• doesn’t acknowledge to victim that they’ve been wronged
• hard to tell if it’s worked
• many programs can’t overcome criminal tendency- people wont change
• some punishments not harsh enough to change behaviour

Question 19

What is protection?

Answer 19

Punishing a wrongdoer by locking them in prison/CP to prevent them harming society

Question 20

For and against protection

Answer 20

For:
• removes offender from society+ restricts them so cant commit more crime
• makes public feel safer, especially from dangerous crimes, as know they’re no longer around
Against:
• prison expensive (£30,000 pp pa)
• many crims learn criminals skills from other prisoners
• prison record can make it difficult to get a job once released
• innocent fams of criminals suffer loss
• only works whilst locked away- once released they can commit crime again

Question 21

Why is justice important to Christians?

Answer 21

• imago dei: ‘so god created manning in his own image’ ∴ we should all be treated equally
• jesus’s teaching link justice w non violence and forgiveness: “do not pervert justice, so not show partiality to the poor or favouritisms to the great, but judge your neighbour fairly” ∴ these teaching source of authority, should be followed
• Jesus taught followed to overcome injustice w love, e.g. Healed le[per on sabbath + interacted w outcasts ∴ we should do as jesus do and be compassionate ourselves
• on judgement day god will judge us: parable of sheep and goats. Good good, go to heaven , sheep bad, go to hell. ∴ if we want to be judged well me must act justly

Question 22

What is an example of how justice is important to Christians?

Answer 22

• Christian Aid tackles root causes of poverty and tackles discrim, e.g. Women in Afghanistan
• CAFOD helps w cultural and legal issues, and makes sure ppl know their rights as citizens
∴ christian orgs promoting justice showing that its important to christians

Question 23

Why is justice important to Muslims?

Answer 23

• Qur’an says Allah wants people to acts fairly to each other: “believers, conduct yourselves with justice and bear free witness before God”∴ Muslims follow Qur’an so be just
• Zakat and Sadaqah show that justice is the basis of charity. Zakat: 3rd pillar. Give 2.5% of profit to help those less fortunate ∴ justice good as leads to more equal soc
• Shari’ah law requires justice for all. Based on prophet Muhammed and qur’an, which show that everyone is entitled to equal treatment. As most courts use it for punishment you must follow it, and be just
• Judgement Day, Allah will reward those who were just: “great is the guilt of those who oppress their fellow men… they should be severely punished” ∴ If you haven’t shown mercy you can’t expect Allah to.

Question 24

What is an example of how justice is important to Muslims?

Answer 24

• Islamic relief- charity which responds to disasters and emergencies, and promotes economic and social development for everyone.
• people donate to it (Zakat) to create a more equal society for everyone showing that equality and justice is important

Question 25

What is capital punishment?

Answer 25

• ending a criminals life for punishment
• illegal here; abolished for murder in 1965 and all crimes in 1998
• in 2004 UK agreed not to restore it for as long as it is part of the European convention

Question 26

What are non-religious arguments for capital punishment?

Answer 26

• reinforces idea that bad things happen to bad ppl. Japan only kills roughly 3 people a year, but supports it on these grounds, so that people think it’s fair that criminals are punished
• fair retribution: “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” found in ancient Babylonian law, and Bible ∴ you can only pay for life w a life. Since retribution major part of punishment, CP must be acceptable.
• deterrent- knowing that you could be executed for a crime makes you less likely to do it
• removes dangerous ppl from soc, e.g. Murderes/rapists. Best way to protect soc as they can’t reoffend

Question 27

What are some non-religious arguments against capital punishment?

Answer 27

• everyone has right to live- human right. As these are universally accepted, we should follow them + not have CP
• innocent people get killed/put on death row. In US, since 1973 130 people on death row have been found innocent and released. ∴ it is unfair for innocent people to be killed/suffer for years thinking they will
• many people believed retribution is wrong; “to take a life when a life has been lost in revenge, it is not justice” Archbishop Tutu. ∴ CP is morally wrong
• CP can be $$$, e.g, cost of convicting + killing Timothy McVeigh was $13m ∴ not a sustainable method of punishment

Question 28

Do some criminals deserve capital punishment? (For and against)

Answer 28

For: • only form of retribution for victims of psychopaths who show no remorse, e.g. John Wayne Gary raped then killed 33 people. CP in 1994
• CP reinforces idea that bad things happen to those who deserve it e.g. Japan leads to idea that crims are deservedly punished
• sharia law permits it when crime ‘undermines’ the state
Against: • all life value and precious CCC “God alone is the lord of life” ∴ no-one can take life away
• not justice, just legalised revenge, e.g. Into the abyss sandra stotler’s daughter described weight lifted off her shoulders after Mathew perry’ execution ∴ just temp relief for family, not wether punish fits crime
• verdicts always subjective- could be not guilt, e.g. Cameron Todd Willingham found posthumously innocent of killing his 3 daughters