Punishment

• Retribution


  Getting the criminal back for their crimes
• Christians may support retribution

  As the bible says "an eye for an eye"
• Jesus took a stand against retribution


  Emphasising forgiveness and mercy
• There is a clear difference between retribution and revenge
• Muslims believe punishment should

  Enable justice
• The Quran says "a life for a life, eye for an eye"
• Legal retaliation for crimes are permissible under Sharia law, e.g. use of capital punishment for murder
• Deterrence


  Threat of punishment putting people off committing a crime
• Christianity recognises the need to deter the person from doing it again and deter others as well


  With the intention to prevent greater harm
• Most Christians would oppose the harshest methods of deterrence because of their beliefs in the sanctity of life and compassion
• The Quran says to cut off the hand of thieves as a deterrent
• Punishment is meant to


  Show a message to society and to reduce crimes, it's not about harm
• Reformation


  Helping the criminal to see how and why their mindset/actions were wrong so they change for the better
• Christians believe it is their job to teach and educate criminals about the error of their ways


  As nobody is perfect and everyone is with sin, with no judgement
• Some criminals may not respond to change, raising the question of how many chances to give
• Muslims believe they have a duty to educate and to show people the error of their ways and to make amends
• God is all forgiving and all loving, so why not us?
• The idea of retribution is not sufficient, the person who suffered must have justice, and some crimes like murder are unforgivable, there must be a cut-off point
• Protection


  To keep criminals away from society so they cannot hurt others
• Christians believe that protecting society is important as human life is sacred as God created it
• Muslims believe the same, it could also be seen as justice