crime and punishment

crime

an offence which is punishable by law (eg stealing or murder)

sin

an act against the will of God, separates from God

punishment

something legally done to somebody as a result of being found guilty of breaking the law

christian attitudes to crime

christian’s are generally against people breaking the laws of their country without just cause. some laws in the UK could be seen as morally wrong by a christian, and may feel like they need to challenge that law. however, they believe that in general, laws protect citizens and should be respected

christian attitudes to hate crimes

christian’s condemn hate crimes more than any other crime, as God created all humans with equal value and no individuals of groups should be singled out for inferior treatment from others

buddhist attitudes to crime

theft breaks the second moral precept, which is to abstain from taking what has not been freely given. it strengthens the habit of greed, and weakens any tendency towards generosity. it leads people to place their needs above others, murder is the most serious crime because it contradicts the most basic buddhist precept, which is to not take life. traditionally, killing another human being is one of the causes for expulsion from a buddhist monastery. however, the story of the 500 merchants teachers buddhists that in some circumstances murder may be justified, such as to prevent someone harming or killing others

buddhist attitudes to hate crimes

hatred is one of the three poisons, and the direct opposite of the emotions that buddhists want to cultivate (metta and karuna). in buddhism, there is therefore no justification for acting in the basis of hatred or intolerance

aims of punishment

reformation: punishment should reform the criminal, making them a better person

deterrence: punishment should put people off committing crime

retribution: punishment should make the criminal pay for what they have done wrong

protection: punishment should protect society from the criminal and the criminal from themselves

reparation: punishment should compensate victims of a crime

views on retribution

christianity: an early form of retribution, introduced in the old testament, supports giving a criminal the same injuries as their victim. christian’s do not take this teaching literally but interpret it to mean that an offender should receive a punishment severe enough to match the seriousness of their crime. once this principle is established, christian’s prefer to focus on different aims of punishment

buddhism: retribution is a form of violence that contradicts basic ethics. committing violence against an offender doesn’t wipe the suffering caused by a crime, nor does it encourage the criminal to act better in the future

views on deterrence

christianity: christian’s believe every human being should be treated with respect, regardless of what they have done. making such an extreme example of offenders in an effort to persuade others to obey the law is not acceptable to many christian’s today

buddhism: buddhists might agree that it is important to protect society from certain criminals. for this reason they may support putting criminals in prisons. a person might be reborn in a realm of supporting if they act badly in this world

views on reformation

christianity: most christian’s prefer reformation because it seeks to help offenders by working with them to understand that their behaviour is harming others. it is hoped offenders will change their attitude, and reformation should be done at the same time as punishment

buddhism: a criminal should be encouraged to recognise the suffering they have caused and to apologise to the victims, perhaps even face to face. the overall aim of a buddhist approach to justice is to encourage the transformation of the criminal so that they begin to act in a more sensitive and responsible way

views on poverty as a reason for committing crime

christian - christianity condemns stealing, however it understands why poverty can lead to crime and so focuses on addressing worldwide poverty

buddhism - buddhism understands why poverty leads to crime but also that this can lead to harm to others

views on upbringing as a reason for crime

christianity - christian’s condemn crime but understand it may be difficult for people to remove themselves from a life of crime

buddhism - buddhism recognises that various conditions influence people’s behaviour and values, and that in order to live an ethical life, people need supportive conditions that encourage sensi

views on hate as a reason for crime

christianity teachers to treat everyone with kindness.

buddhists believe it is important not to feel hatred towards others, even when provoked

views on mental illness as a reason for crime

christians understand mental illness is not a persons fault and show compassion to the mentally ill.

according to buddhism, everyone sees reality in a distorted way, which leads people to inflict suffering on people

views on addiction as a reason for crime

catholics believe drunkenness is a sin and no denomination encourages excessive drinking

fifth moral precept teaches that buddhists should abstain from drugs and alcohol, otherwise you are less sensitive to others

views on greed as a reason for crime

ten commandments teachers to not covet (be jealous)

buddhism teaches that acting out of greed is unskilful and leads to suffering

views on opposition to unjust law as a reason for crime

christian’s believe to fight for the oppressed, like jesus did

buddhists may want to disobey a law that expresses prejudice and hatred

buddhist attitudes to suffering and causing suffering to others

suffering is a fact of human existence that does not require explanation. the teachings of metta and karuna inspire buddhists to help those who are suffering and to do what they can to reduce suffering around them. they believe law breakers should be punished fairly and with justice, and that victims must be helped. buddhists may also involve themselves in campaigns and charities to help those who are suffering. many believe that they do not just help people by meditating but also by being active in society

christian attitudes to suffering and causing suffering to others

there are two types of suffering: suffering caused by mora, evil, which is the actions of humans, and suffering caused by natural evil, for example floods and earthquakes. many people question why a loving God, who cares about his people, allows them to suffer. however, it would be wrong to blame God for actions of those such as the Charleston gunman. christian’s believe that Gos gave humanity the free will to behave how they choose. if they choose to follow the example and teaching of jesus and stay close to God then they will be rewarded in heaven

jesus taught that we should treat others with respect, love and kindness. scripture continually teachers that we are to love and live peacefully with one another

views on prison

buddhists believe the primary focus of prison is to protect society from harm. prison is seen as time and space for the offender to reflect on their actions and rehabilitate themselves

christian’s agree that prison should be used for the most serious crimes, but should also be used to support rehabilitation and provide education and training so offenders can better reintegrate and reduce offending

views on corporal punishment

buddhists believe it is forbidden. it is unskilled and violent, therefore it does not solve anything and is likely to encourage resentment rather than reformation

most christian’s do not agree with corporal punishment. christian’s focus on positive sanctions that help offenders realise the errors of their ways and reform. jesus always treated people with respect and christian’s should follow in his example

views on community service

most buddhists approve of community service that helps to rehabilitate the criminal

to christian’s it offers the offenders the chance to reform, and help the community positively. christian’s are in general agreement that it is a suitable punishment for fairly minor offences

christian views on forgiveness (+maureen greaves case study)

forgiveness is a core belief in Christianity and one that jesus emphasised in his teachings. individual christian’s are expected to forgive others, regardless of what they’ve done, and in return God will forgive them. however, many christian’s would argue that forgiveness is not a replacement of punishment, and it is possible to forgive someone and believe justice is done when the criminal is sentenced to a long term in prison.

on christmas eve in 2012, alan greaves was attacked on his way to church and died three days later. his wife maureen prayed at his bedside, and decided to forgive his killers, as alan would forgive them and she didn’t want to carry anger in her life.

buddhist views on forgiveness (+ahn huong nyugen case study)

buddhism teaches that it is important for someone to show forgiveness when they are holding onto a sense of being wronged, leading to resentment. forgiveness does not imply that a persons actions are acceptable - instead, it shows a willingness to move on and recognise that the other person can change. buddhism teaches that if people do not forgive then they will suffer, because they will continue to be angry and resentful. buddhism says that unskilful actions lead to suffering, so whether or not criminals are punished, they will face the consequences of their behaviours

ahn-huong nguyen is a zen buddhist from vietnam. she spent 10 months in a refugee camp, where she had met many women and girls who were raped by pirates. to begin with, she was very angry at the pirates, but through meditation she came to understand that the pirates were victims of their own upbringings and local environment - she could’ve been a pirate if she was male and brought up to accept piracy

christian views on the death penalty

in the old testament, the death penalty is consistent with teaching. in total, the old testament specifies 36 capital offences, including crimes such as magic, blasphemy, murder and idolatry. the new testament embodies the most famous execution in history, that of jesus on the cross. in matthew 7:2, it says “whatever measure you deal out to others will be dealt back to you” - it is unclear whether it us referring to God doing the dealing, or the state. this does not mean let the murderer get away with it, but instead means do not respond with violence, or “turn the other cheek”. the modern CofE believes punishment comes from God and we are not to take the life of another with our own hands. Jesus never denies the states authority to exact capital punishment, because he always believed politics and religion should be separate and never overlap.

Pope Pius said that when somebody kills someone, “he has already dispossessed himself of the right to love”, portraying capital punishment as suicide

buddhist views on the death penalty

buddhism exists in many forms so there is no unified buddhist policy on capital punishment. in terms of doctrine the death penalty is inconsistent with Buddhist teaching, because buddhists place great emphasis on non violence and compassion for all life - the first moral precept is to abstain from injuring or killing any living creature.

buddhists believe that if capital punishment is administered, it will have compromising effects in the offender and punisher in future incarnations. inhumane treatment of an offender does not solve their misdeeds or those of humanity in general, and it is impossible to administer severe punishment with composure and compassion

despite these teachings, many countries with a substantial Buddhist population retain the death penalty, and some of them e.g Thailand, continue to use it. No states have buddhism as their official religion. reasons why these countries retain the death penalty is because:

• there’s a long tradition of capital punishment

• as a reaction to long periods of political unrest or economic instability

• deterrence