GCSE Religious Studies

Theme E: Religion,
Crime and Punishment
Revision Booklet

Paper 2: Thematic Studies

 4 mark CONTRAST Questions
The religious tradition of GB: Christianity

Question 3
The 4 mark questions in Theme A can be either:

• Explain 2 contrasting beliefs about…

• Explain 2 similar beliefs about…
• Explain 2 contrasting views in contemporary
British Society about… You MUST discuss the
main religious tradition of GB: CHRISTIANITY.

Contrasting views in Contemporary British

society can only be on…

• Corporal Punishment
• Death Penalty
• Forgiveness

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Glossary

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Glossary

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 Christianity and the Law

Christians believe that law breakers should

be forgiven and given a second chance
but they need to be punished as well
during which time they are helped to
reform.

‘A man reaps what he sows’ (Galatians)

Christians believe they should work with

people to discourage reoffending and
although poverty cannot be used as an
excuse for breaking the law trying to
reduce poverty and bad social conditions
may prevent law breaking.

Christians believe that law breakers should

be encouraged and helped to repent (say
sorry) leading to forgiveness.

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 Christianity and the Law

Most Christians also believe that offenders should be

helped to change their ways so that they do not
reoffend once the punishment is over. In
the parable of the sheep and goats, Jesus gave
various actions that are pleasing to God, and these
include treating prisoners well…

“Come, you who are blessed by my

Father; take your inheritance,
the kingdom prepared for you since the
creation of the world. For . . .
I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

Some Christians believe a punishment should be as

severe as the crime committed. Others believe they
should be helped in order that they do not offend
again. They may hate the crime but not the person
who committed it. Christians believe that inhumane
treatment of offenders is wrong.
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Types of crime

There are three key types of

crimes:

• Crimes against the person –

offences causing direct harm to
a person, for example, murder,
rape, GBH and hate crimes.

• Crimes against property –

offences that damage or
deprive people of their
property, for example, arson,
burglary, trespassing.

• Crimes against the State –

offences that potentially
Hacking
endanger everyone or affect
the smooth running of society,
for example, terrorism, selling
state secrets, perjury.

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Causes of Crime

Upbringing
This might include the environment a person is
brought up in, the morals of the
family/friends/neighbourhood, whether a person is
surrounded by crimes or criminal activity and the
social and financial status of the family.

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Causes of Crime

Mental illness – The state of mind of a person may

lead them into crime. They might have serious
psychological issues with no understanding of right or
wrong; might feel no guilt or compassion for others;
might enjoy hurting others; might have educational
learning issues and be easily led into crime; or are
themselves victims of some event which has disturbed
their minds, for example, depression or an abusive
upbringing.

Addiction – A person may have an addiction, for

example, to alcohol, drugs, sex or money which leads
them into crime to feed their habit or their cravings.
They may even be addicted to crime, for example,
stealing.

Poverty – A person might commit a crime because

they see no other alternative way to survive. They
may have no money, no job or cannot provide for
themselves or their children.

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Causes of Crime

Greed/hate

Emotions are often responsible for crime, our reaction to

what goes on around us or what others have or do to us.

We always want more so inherently we are greedy. People

do bad things to us so hate leads us to take revenge and

commit crimes.

Opposition to existing laws

Some crimes are committed in protest about laws

that exist that are considered either unfair or for the

benefit of a select few in society. Sometimes laws

have to be broken to get laws to be changed.

Religious people often feel a duty to oppose unjust

laws.

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Aims of Punishment

There are 4 main aims of punishment:

• Deterrence
• Reformation
• Retribution
• Protection

Society sets up rules and we have to obey them or

face the consequences. However, what one person
thinks is very wrong, another person might consider
less so. That is why we have a judicial system that
sets tariffs for punishments to guide judges in the
sentences they hand down. A judge will also know
other information before they give a sentence. For
example, if the person has offended before,
information from psychologists and perhaps about
their home background. There are four main aims of
punishment.

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Deterrence

A punishment is meant to be unpleasant and a

deterrence, so that the offender is put off committing
crimes in the future. A burglar who gets sent to prison
for five years will hopefully not want to experience
that again and will find some other legal means to
obtain money and possessions. Also, we learn very
quickly that when we do wrong we may be punished,
so if they know what the punishment is going to be,
many people would be put off committing the crime
in the first place.

For example, the penalty

for drink driving in the UK
is a minimum 12-month
driving ban, a fine and
potentially a prison
sentence which deters
people from drink-driving.

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Protection

The whole point of having a legal system is to protect

society. Some criminals are dangerous and society
needs protection and the criminal needs protection
from society also. When a person shows no remorse
for what they have done and continues to be a
threat they have to be locked up for the safety of
others.

We lock mass murderers

away to prevent them
from killing any more people.

Types of punishment that offer protection:

• Prison

• Capital Punishment

• Curfews/Electronic tags

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Retribution

This is taking revenge on the offender; simply put it

means ‘getting your own back’. When people break
the law someone somewhere is almost always hurt,
even if it means they are just upset or angry. Most
people follow the law so it is not fair that a few
people want to just ignore the rules and do as they
please.

Society uses punishment to make the offender pay

for what they have done and show support for the
victim. They do this by demonstrating that the
criminal has not got away with hurting them. In some
cases retribution can be very severe. In the UK,
criminals can receive lengthy prison sentences; other
countries use capital or corporal punishment.

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Reformation

Obviously society cannot simply lock up

everyone who breaks the law and throw away the
key. Many punishments are given to try to change
the nature of the person who has offended. This
is because most people who break the law are
going to still continue to be part of society. It is
important to try to make these people realise
the effects their action had on others and then
hopefully they will not do it again. A graffiti
artist might be sentenced to work in the council
parks and gardens department. In prisons there
are usually education and work programmes
to support offenders in their rehabilitation;
this helps prepare them to rejoin society as a
constructive member.

Religious groups feel this is an important aim of

punishment.

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The UK Prison System

Prison is used as a
punishment across the
countries of the world as
society needs to feel safe
from dangerous people.
There are many types of
There are 123
prison in the UK, from high- prisons in the UK.
security to open prisons to Over 85,000
people are in
young offender institutions. prison in the UK.

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Alternatives to Prison

Parole – means that a person can be released early

having served some of their sentence. When on
parole they must live within the law and are
supported by a parole officer, who will help them to
reintegrate into society. The parole order may
require them to have treatment, for example, for
drug abuse. The aim is to help them avoid re-
offending and become active and purposeful
members of society.

Court Fines
The magistrates’ court may fine you for
committing a crime. They can also order you to
pay compensation to any injured party and
award costs against you.

The fine may be set at an initial hearing or as a

result of a fixed penalty notice (where the level of
the fine is set automatically).
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Community Service Order

Community service is often called ‘community

payback’ when referring to it as a punishment.
Community sentences can be given if the criminal
is convicted of a crime but are not sent to prison.
The punishments involve doing unpaid work in the
local community, like cleaning up a park.

Community sentences can be given for less serious

crimes such as damaging property or drink driving. It
is seen as more positive than prison and the judge
might think that it could have a better effect than
sending them to prison. Also, it allows people to
carry on working and doing the payback in the
evenings. This enables them to keep their job.

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Electronic Tagging

Electronic monitoring (known as ‘tagging’) is used in

England and Wales to monitor curfews and conditions of a
court or prison order.

If you’re given a tag, it will usually attach to your ankle. The

tag will send your location data to a ‘base unit’ in a place
stated in your court or prison order (usually your home). The
base unit constantly checks if you’re present during your
curfew hours. It will send an alert to a monitoring centre if
you’re not.

Prisoners serving between three months and four years can

be released early provided they agree to a Home Detention
Curfew Order.

Around 2,000 offenders are now fitted with tags at anyone

time. This is a much cheaper option than prison, costing
around £2,000 a year.

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Probation Order

Probation means you’re serving

your sentence but you’re not
in prison.

While on probation, you may have to:

• do unpaid work
• complete an education or training course
• get treatment for addictions, like drugs or alcohol
• have regular meetings with an ‘offender
manager’

You could go back to court if you break any rules of

your probation. For example, if you:
• do something your sentence bans you from
doing
• commit another crime.
• miss meetings and appointments without a good
reason
• behave in an aggressive, racist or other
unacceptable way at a meeting or
appointment.
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Corporal Punishment

Corporal punishment is to use

physical pain as a punishment for a
criminal act. It deliberately inflicts
pain through whipping, branding or
amputation (removal of a body part).
This type of punishment only remains
in parts of Africa, the Middle East,
Asia and South America.

Corporal punishment is illegal in the UK. Corporal

punishment was permitted in schools in the UK until it
was made illegal in 1987 in government-funded
schools and in 1999 in all other schools in England and
Wales. By 2003, it had also been banned completely
in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Imposing physical
pain on any person, no matter what they have done,
is completely unacceptable for most Christians,
although in 2005 a group of head teachers in private
Christian schools unsuccessfully challenged the ban
of corporal punishment in schools.
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Christianity: Corporal Punishment

‘I will punish transgressions with the rod’

(Psalm 89)

Some Christians use Psalm 89 to justify physical

punishment of children as chastisement. E.g.
smacking or caning children that are naughty.

‘He who spares the rod

hates their children, but
the one who loves their
children is careful to
discipline them.’

This teaching suggests that a ‘good’ parent will

discipline their child and use the ‘rod’ to make
sure they know right from wrong.

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Islam: Corporal Punishment
Islamic law allows corporal punishment.

‘A thief male and female cut off the hand of both’

(Qur’an 5:38),

Thieves will have their hands cut off

‘If a woman or man is guilty of adultery, flog each of

them 100 stripes’ (Qur’an 24:2).

Adulterers (cheaters) will be lashed with a whip.

In many Muslim countries, the Law of Compensation

can be used which swaps corporal punishment for
paying compensation. Some extreme Muslim groups
do use these punishments quite freely, though.

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 Corporal
Community Service Punishment Prison
Attitudes to Punishment

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Capital Punishment

Capital punishment is the killing of a criminal as punishment

for their crime.

• 140 countries have abolished the death

penalty in law or practice. 58 countries
retain and use the death penalty.

• In March 2005, the USA abolished child

executions, affecting over 70 juvenile
offenders on death row in twelve states.

• In the USA, since 1973, over 130 prisoners

on death row have been released after
their convictions were overturned.

• Methods of execution worldwide

include: firing squad, hanging, lethal
injection, stoning, beheading, gas
chamber, electric chair, crucifixion
(Sudan).
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Some arguments FOR capital punishment

• An ‘eye for an eye, life for a life’ means that

murderers should pay with their life.

• It is a deterrent, therefore it puts people off

committing horrendous crimes.

• It brings justice for the victims and their families.

• Life sentences do not mean life; murderers

walk free on average after sixteen years.

• It is a waste of resources housing criminals for

their entire life.

• This is the only way to totally protect society

from the worst murderer who it is believed
cannot be reformed.

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Some arguments AGAINST capital punishment

• Retribution is uncivilised;
two wrongs do not make a right.

• It is a contradiction to condemn murder and then

execute (kill) a murderer.

• Most murders are done on the spur of the

moment, so capital punishment would not deter.

• Victims’ families still grieve; killing the murderer

does not end the pain of loss.

• Legal systems can fail and innocent people can

be executed.

• All life is sacred and murderers should be given

the chance to reform.

• It is inhumane and degrading to put anyone

through the mental torture of death row.
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Capital Punishment – Christian Teachings

The sanctity of life is a teaching that God gave life and

only he has the right to take it away. In relation to the

death penalty, it appears to suggest that as executing an

offender is denying God’s right to take away the

offender’s life, it is wrong.

Do not Kill! – 10 commandments

(Exodus)

“Love your neighbour as yourself”

(Matthew)

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Capital Punishment – Christian Teachings

Christians who agree with the death penalty tend to

use teachings from the Old Testament to support their
views.

Their main justification is taken from Genesis:

“Whosover sheds human blood, by

humans shall their blood be shed.”
(Genesis)

“Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for

tooth.”
(Exodus)

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Capital Punishment – Islam Teachings

In some Muslim-majority countries, the death

penalty is used as a deterrent for offences such as
murder and rape. However, the victim or their
family are encouraged to show mercy by
accepting money from the offender to reduce the
penalty from death to imprisonment. A Muslim may
look to their faith in order to forgive the perpetrator.

“If a man is killed unjustly, his family

will be entitled to satisfaction.”
(Qur’an)

We ordained for them; life for life.

(Qur’an)

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The Treatment of Criminals

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The Treatment of Criminals

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The Treatment of Criminals – Elizabeth Fry

• Elizabeth Fry was a Christian who

was one of the 1st people to insist
that prisoners needed to be
treated humanely.

• When she visited Newgate prison

in 1813 she discovered that 300
women and children were
crammed into 2 cells, each
women had no more than 2m by
75cm of space each. The
prisoners slept on the floor without
bedding.

• Elizabeth visited the prison many

times and set up a school and a
chapel in the prison.

• She campaigned for fairer

treatment for all prisoners and
helped improve the prison system. 33
 The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the
angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All
the nations will be gathered before him, and he will
separate the people one from another as a shepherd
separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the
sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the Lord will say to those on his right, ‘Come,

you who are blessed by my Father… For I was hungry
and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and
you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger
and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you
clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I
was in prison and you came to visit me.”

Matthew 25

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Victims of Crime

Sometimes we get preoccupied with what should

happen to the criminal and justice being done.
However, there is the other side to crime … the victim
of it.

If you are a victim of a reported crime, then the

police will send you the contact details for ‘Victim
Support’, an organisation set up to help. Many
victims of minor crime would not need this service
but it is offered because we can never know how
each individual may react to those crimes.

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Forgiveness

Forgiveness is a core belief in Christianity and one that

Jesus emphasised in his teachings. Individual
Christians are expected to forgive others, regardless of
what they have done, and Christians believe that in
turn, God will forgive them.

The Lord’s Prayer says: ‘Forgive us our

sins, as we forgive those who sin
against us.’

‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother

when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’
Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but
seventy-seven times.’

Father forgive them,

for they do not know
what they are doing.
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Forgiveness

Christians believe that in their lives, they should follow

the example of Jesus, and this includes forgiving those
who do wrong things. In Judaism, those who have
wronged others should show remorse to their victims
and honestly and directly ask for their forgiveness
before they can expect to be forgiven by their victim
and by God. Christians don’t believe this is a
necessary part of forgiveness, but they do believe
that forgiveness is easier if the offender shows a
serious intention to repent and change their ways so
they can start afresh.

This is why many Christians believe that reformation

should be the primary aim of punishment. Nobody
would pretend that it is easy to forgive people who
have wronged you.

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Forgiveness

Some Christians, who have been victims of very

serious crime – for example having a family member
murdered – do not see a way to forgive. They seek
justice rather than forgiveness for these serious
crimes.

Prayer is often used by Christians to help them

forgive; they do so with the help of God. Most
religions believe that forgiveness is a quality of God,
to be copied by the believer. However, it is not an
easy virtue to put into action as many people have
suffered terrible crimes and will never be able to
forgive, but at the same time the hatred can ruin
their lives.

Religions would always urge people to forgive, but

never demand it as it is a personal decision. Those
who are able to forgive need to be commended
and those who cannot forgive need to be helped.

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Good and Evil

There are those who suggest that people who commit

the worst crimes are evil. But what exactly is ‘evil’ and
where does it come from? Similarly what is meant by
‘good’ and where does that come from?

Evil is something that is profoundly immoral and

wicked and is usually seen as depraved and malicious.

Good is defined as morally excellent, virtuous,

righteous and pious.

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Good and Evil

Most religious people believe that people who

do wrong are still redeemable, that they are not
themselves evil, and can be brought back to
good ways. Religions believe in evil actions
rather than evil people.

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 4 mark CONTRAST Questions
The religious tradition of GB: Christianity

Corporal Punishment

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 4 mark CONTRAST Questions
The religious tradition of GB: Christianity

Death Penalty

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 4 mark CONTRAST Questions
The religious tradition of GB: Christianity

Forgiveness

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 Paper 2: Theme E- PLC

This personalised learning checklist (PLC) is to help identify what and how to
revise. The middle column asks how confident you feel about each topic.
Red – Help!
Amber – Not 100% but nearly there.
Green - Bring it on! I know this!
Red
What you need to know Amber How can I revise this topic?
Green
I can describe the Christian attitude
towards crime and punishment.
I can identify the causes of crime and
why people commit them.
I can explain the 4 main aims of
punishment.
I can describe the different ways
criminals are punished (prison,
community service, electronic tagging
etc.)
I can describe the UK prison system
and why it does not always work as a
deterrent.
I can explain what corporal
punishment is and where it is used.
I can explain the Christian attitudes to
corporal punishment.
I can explain what capital punishment
is and where it is used.
I can explain the Christian attitudes to
capital punishment.
I can describe Christian attitudes to the
treatment of criminals (Inc. Elizabeth
Fry)

I can explain Christian attitudes to how

to treat/help victims of crime.

I can explain Christian attitudes to

forgiveness and link it to crime.
I can describe Christian attitudes to
good and evil.
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