Theme E: Crime and Punishment
orporal Punishment
C
Physical punishments such as whipping
P
● rovides a deterrent and reducing crime is a good thing
● Teaches an offender a lesson so that they are unlikely to re-offend
● Some Christians support corporal punishment as they believe it is a good
form of discipline
○ “He who spares the rod hates their children but the one who loves
their children is careful to discipline them”
● Causes physical and emotional harm
● Goes against human rights
○ UN Human Rights states“ we have a right to be freefrom torture or
degrading treatment”
● Many Christians are against corporal punishment because it’s disrespectful
● They believe it’s positive sanctions and reformation
eath penalty
D
AKA Capital Punishment
E
● thically it is seen as wrong as it is against the sanctity of life
● Mistakes can be made and innocent people could be killed
● The most important aim of punishment is to reform, the death penalty
does not allow this to happen
● It is neither loving nor compassionate
● Most Christians don’t support the death penalty as it goes against the ten
commandments and ignores Jesus’s teachings of forgiveness
○ “Thou shalt not kill”
● Some Christians believe the death penalty is acceptable because they
support retribution
○ The punishment should fit the crime“a life for alife, an eye for an
eye, a tooth for a tooth”
● The death penalty is the most severe form of deterrence
Forgiveness
● I t enables people to move on and let go of the desire to see the other
person being punished
● Recognises that people can change
● Forgiveness isn’t a replacement for punishment
orporal Punishment
C
Physical punishments such as whipping
P
● rovides a deterrent and reducing crime is a good thing
● Teaches an offender a lesson so that they are unlikely to re-offend
● Some Christians support corporal punishment as they believe it is a good
form of discipline
○ “He who spares the rod hates their children but the one who loves
their children is careful to discipline them”
● Causes physical and emotional harm
● Goes against human rights
○ UN Human Rights states“ we have a right to be freefrom torture or
degrading treatment”
● Many Christians are against corporal punishment because it’s disrespectful
● They believe it’s positive sanctions and reformation
eath penalty
D
AKA Capital Punishment
E
● thically it is seen as wrong as it is against the sanctity of life
● Mistakes can be made and innocent people could be killed
● The most important aim of punishment is to reform, the death penalty
does not allow this to happen
● It is neither loving nor compassionate
● Most Christians don’t support the death penalty as it goes against the ten
commandments and ignores Jesus’s teachings of forgiveness
○ “Thou shalt not kill”
● Some Christians believe the death penalty is acceptable because they
support retribution
○ The punishment should fit the crime“a life for alife, an eye for an
eye, a tooth for a tooth”
● The death penalty is the most severe form of deterrence
Forgiveness
● I t enables people to move on and let go of the desire to see the other
person being punished
● Recognises that people can change
● Forgiveness isn’t a replacement for punishment
