Crime
- An offence which is punishable by law
- UK- magistrates/crown courts involved in cases against someone charged with crime
Punishment
- Something legally done to somebody after being found guilty of breaking the law
- Courts decide whether accused are guilty or not- impose a sentence (punishment)
- Most severe sentence-life in prison- reserved for most serious crimes e.g murder, rape
- Muslims follow Shari’ah law - comes from teachings of quran, hadiths
- Shari’ah law allows corporal punishment e.g caning- illegal in UK
- Muslim countries e.g egypt, syria have death penalty
Good intentions and actions
- Good action- an action that doesn't break law or one can perform outside of law
- Examples - No law saying to give charity/help people in need
- No law saying you must be kind and compassionate (is natural)
- People intend to do good actions
- Christians/muslims believe adultery and abortion are wrong (not illegal)
- Actions encouraged by faith are good
Evil intentions and actions
- Evil action- an action against the law
- Evil is the opposite of good, a force/negative power which is destructive and against god
- Causes suffering, injury, death
- Does not always come from evil intentions, instead influenced by circumstance
- UK- intention of criminal taken into account for punishment
- Christians believe everyone makes mistakes. reasons behind evil actions e.g mental issues
- Muslims believe humans are not perfect/make mistakes- evil actions blamed on not resisting
temptation and not they are evil
Reasons why people commit crimes
- Poverty
- Upbringing
- Mental illness
- Addiction
- Greed
- Hate
- Opposition to unjust laws
Christian attitudes to lawbreakers
- Law should be respected
- Offenders must be punished according to seriousness of crime
- Offenders have rights- no punishment inhumane/unfair
- Punishment should help them become a useful member of society/ not reoffend
- Parable of sheeps and goats
- Some- Punishment should be as severe and crime
, Muslim attitudes to lawbreakers
- Law must be obeyed (especially shariah law)
- Britain - Muslims support UK legal system ( not all laws e.g adultery)
- Shariah punishment fits seriousness of crime (prohibited in the Quran)
- Shariah punishments intended to be severe enough so offender does not re-offend
Different types of crime
- Hate crimes → Violence targeted at a person because of their …
race, religion. Sexuality, disability or gender
- Theft → Results in Victim suffering loss (less serious than others)
- Murder → Involve the ending of another’s life, victim can be put in great pain before they
die, some classed as hate crimes
Religious attitude to types of crime
- Christians/muslims condemn hate crimes
- Jesus teachings of love thy neighbour- show compassion, care and respect
- No crime shows love to victim - condemn criminal
- Only god has right to end life
- Sanctity of life
- Theft goes against 10 commandments, is never justified for need of food for family
Aims of punishment
Retribution → to get your own back
- Society gets its own back on the offender
- Criminals should receive back the same injuries/harm that their crimes caused
- Murder should mean criminal killed as punishment
- Christians believe ‘eye for eye’- not taken literally
- Christians prefer other aims (less harmful and more positive)
- Quran supports equal punishment for criminal
- Islam- Instead of murder, family can accept compensation- shows mercy
- Muslims agree retribution is favored because actions against law go against God
Deterrence → to put people off committing crimes
- Use of punishment a example/warning to others
- If punishment is harsh- less likely to commit crime/ repeating their crime
- Christians agree with deterrence but not corporal punishment- infringe criminals rights
- Christians oppose public punishment - offenders must be treated with respect
- Shari’ah punishments are public- deter people watching
- e.g amputation of thesis or executions of murderers
Reformation → to change someones behaviour for the better
- Offenders given treatment (counseling/community service)
- Helps them understand their behaviour was wrong as it harmed society
- Tries to change offenders attitude, can return to community as law abiding citizen
- Most christians favour reformation- positive aim
- An offence which is punishable by law
- UK- magistrates/crown courts involved in cases against someone charged with crime
Punishment
- Something legally done to somebody after being found guilty of breaking the law
- Courts decide whether accused are guilty or not- impose a sentence (punishment)
- Most severe sentence-life in prison- reserved for most serious crimes e.g murder, rape
- Muslims follow Shari’ah law - comes from teachings of quran, hadiths
- Shari’ah law allows corporal punishment e.g caning- illegal in UK
- Muslim countries e.g egypt, syria have death penalty
Good intentions and actions
- Good action- an action that doesn't break law or one can perform outside of law
- Examples - No law saying to give charity/help people in need
- No law saying you must be kind and compassionate (is natural)
- People intend to do good actions
- Christians/muslims believe adultery and abortion are wrong (not illegal)
- Actions encouraged by faith are good
Evil intentions and actions
- Evil action- an action against the law
- Evil is the opposite of good, a force/negative power which is destructive and against god
- Causes suffering, injury, death
- Does not always come from evil intentions, instead influenced by circumstance
- UK- intention of criminal taken into account for punishment
- Christians believe everyone makes mistakes. reasons behind evil actions e.g mental issues
- Muslims believe humans are not perfect/make mistakes- evil actions blamed on not resisting
temptation and not they are evil
Reasons why people commit crimes
- Poverty
- Upbringing
- Mental illness
- Addiction
- Greed
- Hate
- Opposition to unjust laws
Christian attitudes to lawbreakers
- Law should be respected
- Offenders must be punished according to seriousness of crime
- Offenders have rights- no punishment inhumane/unfair
- Punishment should help them become a useful member of society/ not reoffend
- Parable of sheeps and goats
- Some- Punishment should be as severe and crime
, Muslim attitudes to lawbreakers
- Law must be obeyed (especially shariah law)
- Britain - Muslims support UK legal system ( not all laws e.g adultery)
- Shariah punishment fits seriousness of crime (prohibited in the Quran)
- Shariah punishments intended to be severe enough so offender does not re-offend
Different types of crime
- Hate crimes → Violence targeted at a person because of their …
race, religion. Sexuality, disability or gender
- Theft → Results in Victim suffering loss (less serious than others)
- Murder → Involve the ending of another’s life, victim can be put in great pain before they
die, some classed as hate crimes
Religious attitude to types of crime
- Christians/muslims condemn hate crimes
- Jesus teachings of love thy neighbour- show compassion, care and respect
- No crime shows love to victim - condemn criminal
- Only god has right to end life
- Sanctity of life
- Theft goes against 10 commandments, is never justified for need of food for family
Aims of punishment
Retribution → to get your own back
- Society gets its own back on the offender
- Criminals should receive back the same injuries/harm that their crimes caused
- Murder should mean criminal killed as punishment
- Christians believe ‘eye for eye’- not taken literally
- Christians prefer other aims (less harmful and more positive)
- Quran supports equal punishment for criminal
- Islam- Instead of murder, family can accept compensation- shows mercy
- Muslims agree retribution is favored because actions against law go against God
Deterrence → to put people off committing crimes
- Use of punishment a example/warning to others
- If punishment is harsh- less likely to commit crime/ repeating their crime
- Christians agree with deterrence but not corporal punishment- infringe criminals rights
- Christians oppose public punishment - offenders must be treated with respect
- Shari’ah punishments are public- deter people watching
- e.g amputation of thesis or executions of murderers
Reformation → to change someones behaviour for the better
- Offenders given treatment (counseling/community service)
- Helps them understand their behaviour was wrong as it harmed society
- Tries to change offenders attitude, can return to community as law abiding citizen
- Most christians favour reformation- positive aim
