Issues Good and Evil

• How do we make moral decisions?

  We all have a conscience which helps us understand and make the right choice when reviewing a situation
• We make moral decisions using:

  • Conscience
  • The law
  • Religious leaders/community elders
  • Religious teachings
  • Past experiences
  • Reason and logic
  • Others values and beliefs
• The law - Laws are rules made by the government and exist to help maintain peace and harmony in society
• Religious leaders/community elders - Maybe people consult religious leaders or community elders for guidance and advice before making moral decisions as they usually have special training
• Religious teachings - Usually comes from religious texts such as the Bible for Christians
• Past experiences - The human brain has evolved to learn from previous experiences and use these reflections to make decisions in the future
• Absolute morality: This is when a person has a principle such as 'it is wrong to kill' and never alters it. They apply it to every situation no matter the context or situation. Catholics often have this approach
• Relative morality: This is when a person holds a principle but is willing to adapt or adjust it in certain circumstances. Church of England mainly take this approach
• Crime- A crime is an offence that is punishable by law.
• Causes of crime:

  • Lack of education
  • Lack of parenting
  • Poverty
  • Mental health issues
  • Addiction
  • Unemployment
  • Peer pressure
• Although there are many sins that can be punished by law, a great many sins are not considered crimes in modern society. For example adultery and working on a Sunday are sins but not crimes
• Punishment: A penalty given to people for a crime or wrong they have done

  People get punished with clear aims in mind
• Protection: This protects people from becoming further victims of crime. As a prison sentence removes a criminal from society innocent people are prevented from suffering
• Retribution: This means revenge. This is making criminals suffer as they have made others suffer
• Deterrence: This is to put people off of committing crimes all together. This was the aim of the death penalty, it served as a warning to others.
• Reformation: Punishment can only go so far if it does not address the causes of crime and the reasons why people become criminals, due to this we must try and reform offenders so we can fix the underlying problems and they can become better people
• Vindication: Through effective punishment the government and the law can prove that it deserves respect and should be followed. Punishment exists to prove the authority of the law and to remind people that without law and order, there is chaos.
• Reparation: This means repairing the damage done through crime this can be done through things like clean up schemes and allows for offenders to try and make up for the crimes they've committed
• Justice: Fairness; where everyone has equal provisions and opportunities
• Christian attitudes towards punishment and justice:

  Christianity is a religion of forgiveness and as such Christians do not support the idea of retribution as a purpose of punishment.

  Christians do believe in justice which means that forgiveness and punishment should go together

  Christians try to follow the example of Jesus who forgave those who betrayed him
• Prison reforms: Many people believe prison should be for rehabilitation and reform

  Elizabeth Fry - Quaker prison reformer dedicated her life to improving the state of British prisons . She was a passionate advocate of education in prisons

  John Howard: Protestant Christian and inspected prisons in 18th century. He called for basic but essential provisions such as clean running water, separate cells for women and men and access to doctors.
• Prison chaplains: Have a very demanding and essential job

  • Counselling to inmates
  • Supporting them through their rehabilitation
  • Seeing to the spiritual and often religious needs
• The death penalty is a punishment used for the most violent and worst crimes and is used to deter crime.

  • Still legal in 80 countries
  • Abolished in the UK in 1969

  E.g. Electric chair, lethal injection, hanging, firing squad, gas chambers
• Arguments FOR the Death Penalty:

  • Only way to truly protect society
  • In Britain a life sentence is 15 years
  • There must be an ultimate punishment for the worst criminals
  • Only way victims receive closure
  • Some people cannot be reformed
  • Life terms in prison are very expensive
• Arguments AGAINST the Death Penalty:

  • It is just state sanctioned murder
  • Evidence that innocent people have been killed
  • Does not deter criminals
  • Only God has the right to end a life
  • Two wrongs don't make a right
  • Forgiveness is important
  • Disproportionately affects ethnic/religious minorities and people in poverty