Why People Commit Crimes Flashcards
Why might someone commit a crime?
Jealousy, Greed, No morals, Peer pressure, Neglect, Unfair laws, Mental illness, Family in prison, Gangs, Anger, Poor living conditions etc.
Why might someone commit a crime because of poverty/upbringing?
1) Someone who is poor might have more motivation to steal
2) May have less respect for the government and law
3) If brought up to believe that committing crimes is acceptable, it may also encourage them to do so too
What would a Christian response to this be?
1) May feel there are good reasons for committing crimes (eg. stealing to feed a starving family)
2) Everyone should obey God’s laws
What would a Muslim response to stealing?
If people are stealing, that means the community has failed.
Why might someone commit a crime because of mental illness/addiction?
1) Some mental illnesses influence people to commit crimes (eg. kleptomania - influences people to steal things)
2) Diminished responsibility - if people are not able to control their actions.
3) Addiction can contribute to crime
What would a Christian response be to addiction?
1) Treating the illness is the most loving and compassionate thing to do
What would a Muslim response be to addiction?
1) Drug abuse + drinking - not allowed. They are the work of Satan
Why might someone commit a crime because of greed/hate?
1) Greed can cause more complex crimes being committed (eg. tax fraud)
2) Hate crimes - hatred towards a person/group of people
What would a Christian response be to greed?
1) Jesus taught people not to be greedy
2) To be greedy is sinful “for the love of money is the art of all kinds of evil”
What would a Muslim response be to greed?
1) Greed is a temptation that should be avoided - distracts people from Allah
Why might someone commit a crime because of opposition to an unjust law?
1) Some people break laws because they disagree with them
2) Some people protest laws they believe are unfair
What would a Christian response be to unfair laws?
1) Laws shouldn’t be opposed because God wanted people to obey their rulers
2) Some laws that are not made by God are unjust so it’s ok to go against them
What would a Muslim response be to unfair laws?
1) In Muslim countries Shari’ah law is in place which are God’s laws and must be obeyed
