Crime and punishment

• Crime

  An offence which is punishable by law
• Punishment

  Something somebody receives after being found guilty of breaking the law
• The courts decide whether the accused is guilty or not guilty and if guilty, impose a sentence as punishment
• Life in prison

  The most severe sentence in the UK, reserved for the most serious crimes such as murder, rape and terrorist activity
• Shari'ah law

  Derived from the teachings of the Qur'an, Hadith and Sunnah, followed in some Muslim countries
• In some Muslim countries, such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the death penalty is the most severe sentence
• The death penalty does not exist in UK, and no legal punishment can deliberately cause any physical harm to the offender, whereas Shari'ah law allows corporal punishment such as caning
• Some people assume a good action is an action that does not break a law. However, there are many good actions that people perform that exist outside the law
• There is no law telling people that they have to give to charity or to help people in need
• Being kind and compassionate is a natural human reaction and has nothing to do with the law
• People who do such good things intend to do them; it is not accidental
• Some Christians and Muslims believe that adultery and abortion are wrong despite them not being illegal
• Actions encouraged by genuine religious faith are good
• Evil

  The opposite of good; a force of negative power which is seen in many traditions as destructive and against God
• Evil actions may cause suffering, injury or death
• Not all evil actions come from evil intentions (the plan that someone has before they act), sometimes a person may be influenced by the situation in which they find themselves
• Under Shari'ah law, the severity of the punishment depends on the seriousness of the religious value breached
• In the UK, the intentions of the criminal will often be taken into account when setting a punishment
• Many Muslims would claim that human beings are not perfect and make mistakes- evil actions may be blamed on not resisting temptation rather than the offender being wicked or evil
• Christians believe no one is evil and everybody makes mistakes. Because people are created good, there is usually a reason why they do wicked things (e.g. a psychological illness that should be treated in addition to the person being punished)
• Reasons why some people commit crimes

  • Poverty
  • Mental illness
  • Addiction
  • Greed
  • Hate
• Poverty

  Being without money, food or other basic needs
• Mental illness

  A medical condition that affects a person's emotions or moods
• Addiction

  A physical or mental dependency on a substance or activity
• Greed

  A selfish desire for something
• Hate

  The opposite of love, can lead to violence or aggression
• Society should ensure that nobody has to steal food. Christians support foodbanks and may campaign for the living wage and to improve public services
• Parents should teach their children the right way to behave through their own words and actions
• Christians believe that treating the causes of mental illness is the most loving and compassionate thing to do
• Christians are against taking illegal drugs and support rehabilitation as a way of defeating the addiction
• Christians permit alcohol but not to excess
• The Ten Commandments forbid envy and it is envy that often causes greed
• Jesus taught to love everybody, even enemies
• Some Christians may agree with opposition to unjust laws but only if no violence is involved and nobody is harmed
• Shari'ah law is believed to be God's law so it cannot be unjust. Therefore this is not a good reason for breaking the law
• Even though some people believe they have a justified reason for committing crimes, everybody must obey the law. This helps society to live in peace without fear of danger
• Christians believe God put the system of government in place to rule every citizen
• Regardless of the reasons why crimes are committed, most crimes are selfish because they harm innocent people in order that the criminal can get what they want or need
• Many Christians and Muslims condemn the crimes people commit but do not hate the people who commit them
• Attitudes to lawbreakers

  • Christians
  • Muslims