Download File - Social Sciences

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Crime and Punishment
Keywords
Crime: an act against the law
Judgement: the act of judging people and their actions
Justice: due allocation of reward and punishment/the maintenance of
what is right
Law: rules made by parliament and enforceable by the courts
Capital Punishment: the death penalty for a crime or offence
Deterrence: the idea that punishments should be of such a nature that
they will put people off committing crimes
Rehabilitation: restore to normal life
Reform: the idea that punishments should try to change criminals so
they will not commit crimes again
Retribution: the idea that punishments should make criminals pay for
what they have done wrong
Sin: an act against the will of God
Addiction: a recurring compulsion to engage in an activity regardless of
its bad effects
Responsibility: being responsible for one’s own actions
Why do we need laws?
• Groups need rules to organise the
behaviour of individuals – people know
what sort of behaviour to expect from
each other
• People can work and be involved in
business without someone else taking
the rewards for their work
• Protects the weak from the strong
• Keeps everything organised in an
advanced civilisation
Why Do Laws Need to be Just
(Fair)?
• St Thomas Aquinas says:
• Otherwise people will feel it’s OK to break
them and society may collapse
• If some are unjust, people may think all
are – if they were they would not be
fulfilling their purpose
• Otherwise people will not obey and will
campaign causing trouble in society
• If laws don’t create a just society, people
will think the legal system is not working
and may start a civil war.
Christianity and Justice
• Christians believe justice is important because:
• Bible – teaches that God will reward the righteous and punish
those who sin
• Bible – teaches that people should be treated fairly: ‘treat
others as you wish to be treated’.
• Jesus – teaches the rich should share their wealth with the
poor
• Christian Churches - campaign for justice and equality
• ‘…And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and
saviour…’
• ‘’Blessed are those who hunger and search for
righteousness’
• ‘Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of
God’
• ‘Love thy neighbour”
Judaism and Justice
Jews believe justice is important because:
• Jews believe that God is just and that people should try
to be like God
• Torah – contains a system of Justice
• Torah – teaches that God is a God of justice.
• Tenakh - people should be treated fairly and not
cheated.
• ‘Treat others as you wish to be treated’.
• World Jewish Relief - a charity that seeks justice for
the poor
• Jews are involved in the struggle for human rights:
• ‘Seek good not evil…then the Lord God Almighty will
be with you’.
• ‘Love thy neighbour”
Theories of Punishment (why
we punish people)
• Retribution
– Criminals should pay for their crime.
– They should suffer for what they have done
– Their punishment should match the crime
• Deterrence
– Punishment should put people off committing crimes
– If people know they will get a severe punishment they
will be less likely to commit a crime
• Reform/Rehabilitation
– Criminals taught not to commit crime again
– Looks at reason why they committed crime and tries to
resolve this
• Protection
– Protect society from criminals and their actions
Non-Religious Arguments For
and Against the Death Penalty
FOR
• Good deterrent
• Protects society
• Retribution
AGAINST
• How can we be sure they are
guilty?
• Statistics show it does not
work as a deterrent
• If a murderer knows they will
be killed if caught they are
more likely to kill more
people to avoid being caught
• Human life is too important
• Could argue life imprisonment
is worse
Christian attitudes towards
Capital Punishment
AGREE
-‘An eye for an eye and a tooth
for a tooth’.
- The Bible sets out laws and
the death penalty is a
punishment for breaking some
of those laws
- The Roman Catholic Church
and the Church of England still
officially support it.
- St Thomas Aquinas believed
that peace can be preserved
by using capital punishment
DISAGREE
-Jesus wanted to reform sinners
and it is not possible to reform a
person who has been killed
-Jesus banned retribution – “Do
not resist an evil person. If
someone strikes you on the right
cheek, turn to him the other
also.”
- Sanctity of Life
-Many Christian Priests, Ministers,
Vicars and Bishops have condemned
capital punishment.
-“Love thy neighbour”
- “Thou shall not kill”
Jewish attitudes towards
Capital Punishment
Most AGREE
Some DISAGREE
-‘An eye for an eye and a tooth
for a tooth’.
- The Torah sets out laws and
the death penalty is a punishment
for breaking some of those laws
-Jewish theory of punishment punishment should be for the
protection of society
-Talmud - capital punishment is
allowed
- Sanctity of Life
-“Love thy neighbour”
-Believe that the teachings of
the Torah and the Talmud need
updating
- “Thou shall not kill”
Christian and Jewish
Attitudes to Illegal Drugs
All Christians against it:
• “Body is a temple”
• Against the law
• Christian Churches say
people shouldn’t take
illegal drugs
• Effects could make it
difficult to worship God
All Jewish people against it
• Lack of concentration
which is needed to pray,
• Lack of concentration
which is needed to fulfil
Mitzvot (commandments)
and learn Torah
• Duty to honour your
parents
• The Torah says – “You
shall be holy”
Christian Attitudes to Alcohol and
Tobacco
Most - OK in Moderation
• Jesus turned water to
wine
• St Paul – Christians can
drink in moderation –
“Stop drinking only
water, and use a little
wine for your stomach”
• Jesus drank wine
• Alcoholic wine used
during communion
Some (Pentecostals, Salvation
Army, many Methodists) –
Total Abstinence
• “Body is a temple of the
holy spirit”
• Bible warns against
drunkenness
• Concerned by social and
health problems
• Many work with recovering
addicts
Jewish Attitudes to Alcohol
• Most Jewish people – OK in Moderation
• Tenakh –wine “gladdens the human heart”
• Use of wine required in some rituals
• BUT only in moderation:
• Tenakh – condemns drunkenness – anyone
under the influence may not perform religious,
legal or political functions. Forbidden to pray
until sober.
• Torah – “you shall be holy”– Jewish people must
be moderate in use of alcohol