Crime and Punishment

• Methods of execution used in countries that still practice capital punishment

  • Lethal injections
  • Electric chair
  • Gas chamber
  • Firing squad
  • Hanging
  • Decapitation
  • Shooting under anaesthetic
  • Stoning
• Public opinion on the death penalty in the UK

  Shifted from 75% in favor in 1983 to 48% in favor in 2015
• One argument against the death penalty is that innocent people may be wrongly convicted and executed, as evidenced by cases where individuals have been later pardoned due to new evidence
• Countries where the death penalty is still legal

  • China
  • Afghanistan
  • USA
  • North Korea
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Taiwan
  • Sudan
• Execution methods have changed as governments seek cheaper and more humane ways to carry out capital punishment
• 82% of global nations do not use the death penalty
• Some argue for abolition of the death penalty due to the risk of wrongful convictions and the ethical concerns surrounding taking a life as punishment
• Factors that may have influenced the decline in support for the death penalty in the UK since 1983 include changes in societal values, increased awareness of the potential for wrongful convictions, and shifts in public opinion influenced by various factors such as media coverage and education
• The concept of "death row" has been popularized in media representations from countries like the USA
• Less humane methods of execution still in use in certain countries

  • Decapitation
  • Shooting under anaesthetic
  • Stoning
• The Devil or Satan


  An evil power in the world, though less powerful than God, who tempts Christians to behave badly
• Evil


  A combination of internal factors, such as selfishness, and external factors, such as the influence of the Devil and natural disasters
• Corporal punishment


  Physical punishment that causes pain, such as whipping, branding, or amputation
• Corporal punishment is not used in the UK, where it is illegal, or in most democratic countries
• Religions in the modern world

  • All, except Islam
  • Disagree with the use of corporal punishment
• Corporal punishment in Islamic countries

  Sanctioned by the Qur'an and considered effective as a deterrent, despite being seen as inhumane and barbaric by some
• Some argue that while corporal punishment may serve as a deterrent, it is also inhumane, barbaric, and ineffective in reforming criminals, as it can lead to them becoming hardened
• Community service


  Individuals spending a set number of hours working on projects to repair the damage caused by less serious crimes, such as vandalism or petty theft
• Community service

  • Allows individuals to contribute to society
  • Can be done around working hours
  • Enables individuals to remain with their families
• Aims of community service

  • Reformation
  • Deterrence (making individuals highly visible in their orange jackets)
  • Retribution (matching the project to the crime committed)
• Concerns about community service include a lack of available projects suited to the crimes committed, community service being seen as too lenient, and poor monitoring and management resulting in incomplete hours or misconduct without consequences
• Matthew 6:12: '"Forgive those who trespass against us"'
• Parable of the unforgiving servant


  Teaches the importance of forgiveness by illustrating the need to forgive others repeatedly, emphasizing the concept of forgiveness seventy times seven
• Forgiveness is considered essential as it enables wrongs to be acknowledged and relationships to be rebuilt. However, forgiveness is seen as a process rather than a single action
• While forgiveness cannot be taught, individuals can learn to forgive through their personal experiences, interactions with others, religious teachings, and through experiencing forgiveness themselves
• Forgiveness


  The act of granting pardon for wrongdoing and giving up resentment and the desire for revenge. It involves remembering, analyzing, understanding, accepting, and moving forward from the wrongs done
• Stories of forgiveness in the Bible

  • Jesus forgave the adulterous woman
  • Jesus visited Zacchaeus, enabling him to make amends and reform his ways
  • The Parable of the Prodigal Son
  • The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
• Why Christians believe they should forgive others

  Because they will be forgiven by God for their many sins
• The consequence mentioned is that if one does not forgive others, their Father will not forgive their sins, highlighting the importance of forgiveness in Christianity
• Christianity


  A religion of forgiveness, love, and compassion, emphasizing the importance of forgiveness in its teachings
• Luke 6:37: '"Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven"'
• Forgiveness in the Lord's Prayer


  Christians ask for forgiveness of their sins as they forgive those who sin against them, highlighting the importance of forgiveness in Christian practice
• Forgiveness in Jesus' Beatitudes

  "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy," emphasizing the importance of mercy and forgiveness
• People who have demonstrated forgiveness

  • Gee Walker, the mother of Anthony Walker who forgave those responsible for her son's murder
  • Martin Luther King Jr., who emphasized forgiveness as a constant attitude rather than an occasional act
• Importance of forgiveness

  Allows victims to let go of negative feelings and move on
• Forgiveness


  More about the victim than the criminal, helping the victim to let go of feelings of revenge and move forward
• Forgiveness does not mean condoning, accepting, or excusing the crime committed
• Beliefs about criminals and forgiveness

  • Some criminals repent and earn forgiveness, while others do not repent but are forgiven anyway
  • Society deals with criminals through punishment, while victims can choose to deal with them through forgiveness
• Teachings supporting forgiveness in Christianity and Islam

  • In Christianity, Jesus taught to forgive "seventy times seven"
  • In Islam, it is taught that Allah will be merciful to those who show mercy
• Example of forgiveness from the Bible

  • Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery, telling her to "Go and sin no more," demonstrating forgiveness and mercy