RS: Year 9 Term 1: Good/Evil & Crime/Punishment

• Secular: Having a division between religion and the state
• Predestination: The belief that everything is already decided
• Original Sin: The first act of bad (Adam & Eve)

General:

• Free will given by God to let us decide to do good or bad
• Good cannot be appreciated without the prescence of evil

Jewish:

• Predestination occurs but we have free will
• You choose what to do but G-d chooses the outcome, you choose to be good/bad
• The Talmud teaches that everyone should learn the difference between good/bad
• The Story of Job shows that faith in G-d despite suffering will be rewarded

Christian:

• Catholic: Original sin causes humans to have an inclination towards evil, but sinners can penance and gain forgiveness
• Humans have free will to choose good or evil but suffering can cause good (empathy)
• Some believe that as God is a good power, Satan is an evil power
• Some also believe that God’s plan has suffering to prepare them for Heaven

Moral Evil: Conscious & deliberate immoral action eg. murder
Natural Evil: Natural bad events eg. natural disasters

Morals are a set of VALUES which guide us to act in ways which are positive and don’t cause HARM to ourselves or others. When someone commits an immoral act, they are encouraged to feel GUILT. In Christianity, good acts and attitudes are called VIRTUES. Criminal acts and attitudes are called SINS. These are punishable by CONSCIENCE (feeling guilt) or GOD.

• PROTECTION aims to prevent others from becoming crime victims
• RETRIBUTION aims to get revenge on the criminal and make them suffer as they have made others suffer by committing crime
• DETERRENCE aims to warn others off of committing crime for fear of repercussions
• REFORMATION aims to learn why people committed crime and solve underlying issues, and to make the criminals better people
• VINDICATION aims to show the authority of the law and remind people that order is created by following the law and respect the rule of law.
• REPERATION aims to repair the damage done by crime and make up for offences.

Christianity

• Do not support retribution due to the importance of forgiveness
• Support reparation as this leads to forgiveness whilst helping repair damage done
• Support reformation as this allows people to change their ways and stop more people from becoming criminals and so previous criminals can add value to the community instead.

Islam

• Retribution and deterrence is important as it keeps people from straying down the wrong paths and committing crime.
• Protection is important as the need to protect the Ummah trumps the importance of forgiveness.

Judaism

• People should take responsibility as they have free will. Punishment should aim to deter criminals, protect society, provide retribution and promote justice.

• Crime is caused by those who want retribution for their own suffering.
• Christians should turn the other cheek as God will punish sinners in Hell and reward believers in Heaven.
• Justice should and will be done in the afterlife, not on earth.
• Sinners should be helped to find another path and gain forgiveness.
• Christians should help to reform criminals and deter others by spreading God’s word.