Issues of Good and Evil

• Morality


  Principles and standards determining which actions are right or wrong
• Views on what makes an act wrong


  • If it breaks rules/the law given to us by society
  • For Christians, if it goes against the will of God revealed in scripture (sins)
  • If it does not bring about the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people (Utilitarianism)
  • If it is not the most loving thing to do in a given situation (Christian-situation ethics, followed by liberal protestants)
  • If it goes against purposes revealed in nature (Catholic Christians-natural moral law)
  • If it does not develop virtues but gives in to vices
  • If it goes against your conscience
• Absolute morality


  An act is either right or wrong regardless of the situation, culture or time
• Absolute morality


  • Divine command-Whatever God has revealed about how to behave in scripture, this must always be followed
  • Natural moral law-Nature has revealed to us what is the right way to behave, this should always be followed
  • Conscience-if this has been informed by absolute rules from scripture or the church, then it will tell you to follow these, regardless of the situation
• Relative morality


  What makes an act wrong or right will change according to situation, time or culture
• Relative morality


  • Utilitarianism-greatest happiness for the greatest number, what a person does will change according to the situation
  • Situation ethics-to do the most loving thing, this will change according to the situation
  • To practise the virtues, which virtue you practise will change according to the situation
  • Follow your conscience, if your conscience has been informed by a relative morality system, then what it tells you to do will change
• Pros of absolute morality


  • People don't have to think what to do in a situation, they follow the rules
  • For Christians, God has revealed the rules in the Bible, so they are following God's word which must be right
• Weaknesses of absolute morality


  • In following the rules it could lead to a lack of compassion
  • It does not consider the consequences of an action, just the action
• Strengths of relative morality


  • It considers the situation and what might be the best consequences in any situation, leading to a more compassionate outcome
  • It could bring about the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people
• Weaknesses of relative morality


  • A minority might suffer if it is for the greater good
  • People have to think for themselves in any given situation and they may find this too difficult and prefer the guidance of rules
• Sin


  An act against the will of God, a deliberate immoral action, breaking a religious or moral law
• Crime


  An act against the law
• Punishment


  A penalty given to someone for a crime or wrong they have done
• Justice


  Fairness; where everyone has equal provisions and opportunity
• Causes of crime


  • Poor parenting
  • Poor education
  • Poverty
  • Drug/alcohol addiction
  • Poor mental health
  • Peer pressure
  • Unemployment
  • Media
• Aims of punishment


  • Vindication-to uphold the law
  • Justice-to ensure fairness
  • Retribution-To ensure there is revenge
  • Deterrence-to deter people from committing the crime again or deter others from doing it
  • Reformation-to change the criminal for the better so they stop offending
  • Protection-to protect society from criminals
• Christian views on causes of crime


  • Traditional Christians-crime is caused by the original sin of Adam and Eve, passed down from generation to generation
  • Liberal Protestant Christians-crime is caused when humans turn away from God and what God wants humans to do and they give in to temptation
• Buddhist view on causes of crime


  Crime is caused by tanha (craving) which leads to the three poisons - anger, greed and delusion. Crime is when people commit unskilful acts which are motivated by these
• Evangelical Christian views on aims of punishment


  • Punishment should aim to bring about justice and vindication, they may even support capital punishment
• Liberal Protestant Christian views on aims of punishment


  • Punishment should aim to reform the offender and show forgiveness, they would support restorative justice and community service
• Buddhist views on punishment


  • People are punished by the law of karma, for every bad moral action there will be a bad consequence
  • They teach anatta, so the criminal can change and society must not give up on them, they must help them to change
  • They teach conditionality, the way we punish can set up conditions which will create more or less suffering
• John Howard was a Calvinist (Protestant) Christian prison reformer in the 18th century who wanted to improve prison conditions
• Elizabeth Fry was a Quaker prison reformer in the 19th century who emphasised the need to educate prisoners and try to reform them
• Nowadays in prison, prisoners are offered education, drug rehabilitation, training for work, counselling and chaplains, and are assured human rights
• Prison chaplains


  Ministers for their religion (e.g. vicar, Imam, Rabbi) or non-religious chaplains (e.g. Humanist) who are responsible for caring for the spiritual and other needs of prisoners
• What prison chaplains do


  • Care for the spiritual concerns of inmates
  • Counsel inmates on matters other than religious/spiritual concerns to support their rehabilitation
  • Help inmates continue to practise their religion
  • Help inmates re-join the community
  • Care for the spiritual needs of family members
  • In America, go with the prisoner to their death and provide spiritual support
• Why Christian prison chaplains do their work


  • Jesus taught to love your neighbour, helping inmates is the most loving thing to do
  • Jesus taught to love the sinner and hate the sin
  • Jesus showed the virtues of compassion, love, patience and kindness, chaplains are developing these virtues
  • The parable of the sheep and the goats shows Christians they should help those in need, including prisoners
• Christian chaplains in prisons help inmates by providing them with Bibles, praying with them, and helping them to re-join the community
• In America, Christian chaplains can go with the prisoner to their death and provide spiritual support right up until the end
• Why Christian chaplains do this work


  • Jesus taught to love your neighbour, love the sinner and hate the sin, and showed compassion, love, patience and kindness
  • The parable of the sheep and the goats shows Christians they should help those in need
• Why Buddhist chaplains do this work


  • It fulfils parts of the 8 fold path like right livelihood, right action, and right mindfulness
  • It sets up the right conditions to alleviate suffering for the criminal and their family
  • If a Mahayana Buddhist has taken the Bodhisattva vow, they have promised to alleviate the suffering of others
• The death penalty is only legal in the UK for treason and setting fire to a dock yard, not for other crimes
• Reasons why conservative Evangelical Christians support the death penalty

  • There are 36 capital offenses in the Old Testament
  • St Paul said the authorities have been put there by God, so the death penalty if lawful should not be resisted
  • In Amos it says "Let justice roll on like a river", and the death penalty is the only way to get true justice for very serious crimes
  • In Leviticus it says "an eye for an eye", so the death penalty is the only fitting punishment for breaking the commandment "You shall not kill"
  • Some Catholics advocate the death penalty based on a 1997 Vatican statement
• Reasons why liberal Christians and Catholic Christians do not agree with the death penalty


  • Only God can end life, "The days allotted to me are recorded in your book"
  • "You shall not kill" is a clear message from the 10 commandments
  • Jesus stopped the adulterous woman being stoned to death and said "go and sin no more", overturning "eye for an eye"
  • In 2018 Pope Francis changed the Catholic teaching on the death penalty, banning its use as it is "an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person"
• Christians teach that a person should always be forgiven, based on the teachings of Jesus
• Matthew 18:21-22: '"Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?" "No, not seven times, but seventy times seven!"'
• Matthew 6:14-15: '"If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins."'
• Other biblical passages on forgiveness


  • The Lord's prayer "Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us"
  • "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do" - Jesus' words on the cross
  • Jesus said to "turn the other cheek" when somebody sins against you
• Anthony Walker's mother and sister chose to forgive his murderers, and Amy Biehl's parents forgave her murderers
• Differences amongst Christians concerning the way to forgiveness


  Catholics believe forgiveness comes through confession and religious acts, while Evangelical Christians believe forgiveness is granted by God and reliant upon faith