Theme E: Religion, Crime and Punishment

Theme E examines religious and secular views on why people commit crime, the aims and methods of punishment, capital punishment, and the possibility of forgiveness and reform.

Causes of crime

Crime has many causes:

• Poverty and inequality: desperation can drive theft; lack of opportunity
• Addiction: people commit crimes to fund addictions
• Mental illness: some crimes are connected to mental health problems
• Upbringing and environment: social learning, peer pressure
• Opposition to unjust laws: civil disobedience (e.g. Rosa Parks)
• Evil intent / moral failure: deliberate wrongdoing

Religious responses: address root causes (poverty, injustice) not just symptoms; pastoral care for offenders.

Aims of punishment

Aim	Explanation
Retribution	Punishment = justice for the wrong done; "an eye for an eye"
Deterrence	Punishment discourages future crime (individual and general)
Reformation/rehabilitation	Helping the offender change and reintegrate into society
Protection	Keeping society safe from dangerous individuals
Reparation	Making amends to victims or society

Religious traditions generally prefer reformation and reparation — restoring relationships and giving people a chance to change.

Capital punishment

The death penalty. Arguments for: ultimate deterrence; retribution for the worst crimes; protection (prevents future harm). Arguments against: irreversible if wrong; does not deter; state should not kill; possibility of redemption. Most religious traditions oppose capital punishment; some conservative Muslim scholars permit it under strict conditions (e.g. hudud punishments).

Forgiveness

Central to Christianity ("forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us" — Lord's Prayer), Islam (Allah is Al-Ghafur, the Forgiving), Buddhism (releasing anger frees the mind). Forgiveness does not mean condoning the crime — it means releasing resentment for the sake of healing.

Exam focus

• Know the five aims of punishment and apply them to scenarios
• Evaluate capital punishment from multiple angles
• Explain the relationship between forgiveness and justice