Theories of Punishment -
Watch the slide show below to see the theories of punishment -
Justice -
Justice is important for both Christians and Jews see the table below to find teachings for this -
Christians- " There is neither jew nor greek , slave nor free , male nor female you are one in christ Jesus " - promotes that we should all be treated fairly
- Jesus taught rich people they should share their wealth with the poor to try to create equality - The bible teaches God will rewards the good and punish the sinners in the afterlife - "blessed those who hunger and thirst for righteousness" - the bible teaches Christians should seek justice |
Jews- God created the world as a place of justice
- The torah tells Jews that God is a " God of justice " - All Jews should live their lives following the rules of the mitzvot they all follow the same rules therefore promoting justice - The tenakh tells Jews they should treat people fairly and not cheated |
Capital punishment -
Capital punishment is the death sentence which in some counties can be given as punishment for the worst crimes e.g. murder
Christians views towards capital punishment -
For- " An eye for an eye " - suggests if someone has committed murder the death penalty is an acceptable punishment
- St Aquinas said the death penalty is sometimes required to keep innocent people safe - The roman catholic church hasn't banned the death penalty - there are examples in the bible which suggest the death penalty is sometimes necessary |
Against- " Thou shall not kill " - capital punishment goes against this
- Christianity is based around reforming sinners you can't do this is you kill them - Jesus prevented a women being stoned suggesting Jesus disagreed with the death penalty - Most Christian churches condemn capital punishment |
Jewish views towards capital punishment -
For- The torah quotes " If anyone takes the life of another human being he must be put to death "
- The talmud allows capital punishment if the criminal knows the consequences of their actions or if there was two independent witnesses - Jews think that punishment should protect the venerable in society and they see capital punishment as the best way of doing this |
Against- " sanctity of life " - only God should be able to take a life not humans
- " thou shall not kill " - means the death penalty is wrong - They believe that teachings of the torah and talmud need updating |
Now try or plan this exam question -
D part - ' The death penalty should be used for the worst crimes '
Do you agree with this statement ? Give reasons for your opinion
Give resins why some may disagree with you
D part - ' The death penalty should be used for the worst crimes '
Do you agree with this statement ? Give reasons for your opinion
Give resins why some may disagree with you
Example answer -
I disagree with this statement. One reason for this is often you can't be completely sure you have the right person and if you were to kill the wrong person theres nothing you can do about it because their dead. One reason why some Christians may agree with me is the quote " Thou shall not kill " this suggests that we should't kill people even in the death penalty as its going against the 10 commandments . One reason some Jews may agree with me is the teaching they use Sanctity of life meaning life is special therefore only God should have the rights to take it not humans.
However some people may disagree with me one reason for this is they may feel that keeping prisoners for a life sentence could be very costly as they have to pay for their needs but if capital punishment is used its more economic. Some Christians may disagree with me one reason for this is the quote " An eye for and eye " this suggests that if someone has committed murder then they should have a punishment that is equal to the crime therefore capital punishment . Some Jews may disagree with me because they believe the protection of society is important and the best way to protect society from dangerous criminals could be seen to be to have them executed .
I disagree with this statement. One reason for this is often you can't be completely sure you have the right person and if you were to kill the wrong person theres nothing you can do about it because their dead. One reason why some Christians may agree with me is the quote " Thou shall not kill " this suggests that we should't kill people even in the death penalty as its going against the 10 commandments . One reason some Jews may agree with me is the teaching they use Sanctity of life meaning life is special therefore only God should have the rights to take it not humans.
However some people may disagree with me one reason for this is they may feel that keeping prisoners for a life sentence could be very costly as they have to pay for their needs but if capital punishment is used its more economic. Some Christians may disagree with me one reason for this is the quote " An eye for and eye " this suggests that if someone has committed murder then they should have a punishment that is equal to the crime therefore capital punishment . Some Jews may disagree with me because they believe the protection of society is important and the best way to protect society from dangerous criminals could be seen to be to have them executed .
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