Christian Beliefs on crime and punishment

Quotes
1. "love your neighbor" - loving towards criminals, allow them to rehabilitate
2. Forgive and Forget - we should forgive criminals and help them re-enter society
3. "God made man in his own image" - linked to sanctity of life
4. "the Lord givith and the Lord takith away" - God should decide when people die, against death penalty
5. "you shall not kill"
6. parable of the unforgiving servant
  1. if we dont forgive people then we wont be forgiven
Capital Punishment (death penalty) - it is a sentence of punishment by execution
Capital Punishment
1. "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. As he has injured, so he is to be injured
2. "if any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her"
3. "you shall not kill"
4. Sanctity of life
5. Views on the death penalty
  1. Roman Catholic
    1. all life is sacred
    2. last resort
      1. not for revenge, common good
      2. right of state but not unlimited
      3. very rare circumstance
  2. Church of England
    1. sanctity of life, human life valued
    2. only God has the right
    3. retribution is wrong
  3. Human rights
    1. against human right to life
    2. no one has the right to take life
    3. effects innocent family members
  4. deterrence
    1. not a valid argument
    2. death penalty has been going for years and people still commit crime
  5. execution of the innocent
    1. death penalty cannot be taken back
    2. families will have been destroyed for no reason
    3. always that risk

Resource summary

	Created by anna.a.graysmith about 10 years ago