Sign up to access the complete lesson and track your progress!
Unlock This CourseIn Punishment: Aims and Types you learned what punishment is and why societies use it. This lesson looks at how Christians think about it. For capital punishment, see Christianity and Capital Punishment.
Christians believe that God is just, so they believe that wrongdoing matters and should be dealt with. They also believe God is loving and forgiving. Most Christian attitudes to punishment come from holding these two ideas together.
Key terms:
Christians believe God cares about justice. The prophet Amos called on people to "let justice roll on like a river" (Amos 5:24). Many Christians say that punishing a wrongdoer is just, because it shows that the harm they did was taken seriously and that the victim matters.
Christians say a fair society needs rules that are enforced. Without punishment, the weak would be at the mercy of the strong, and people who obey the law would feel cheated. Punishment also tells everyone what is seen as acceptable and what is not.
Christians also see punishment as a duty of love. A parent who never corrects a child does not help that child to grow up well. In the same way, many Christians believe that a society which cares about people must deal firmly and fairly with wrongdoing.
The Bible has several teachings on punishment. They do not all say the same thing, and Christians weigh them against each other.
Here are the four aims, with the strengths and weaknesses that Christians point out.
Attitude: Christians believe that people are made in the image of God, so those at risk should be kept safe. Keeping dangerous people away from others is a way of loving your neighbour.
Strength: it keeps victims and the public safe.
Weakness: it can leave an offender shut away with no chance to change, and most prisoners are eventually released.
Attitude: this is the idea that wrongdoers should get what they deserve, and many Christians link it to "an eye for an eye". Others say it comes close to revenge, which Jesus rejected when he told his followers to turn the other cheek.
Strength: it treats the victim's suffering as serious and keeps punishments fair.
Weakness: it does nothing to help the offender change, and it can feed a cycle of revenge.
Attitude: Christians accept that the fear of punishment can stop people doing wrong. Speed cameras and heavy fines for dangerous driving are examples of deterrence.
Strength: it can prevent crimes before they happen, so there are fewer victims.
Weakness: some Christians say it uses a person as a warning to others, and people who do not expect to be caught are not put off.
Attitude: this is the aim most Christians support most strongly. Galatians 6:1-5 speaks of restoring a person gently, and Christians believe that everyone can repent (be truly sorry and decide to change) and be forgiven.
Strength: it treats the offender as a person who can change, and so reduces future crime.
Weakness: it does not always work, and some victims feel the offender is not being punished enough.
Christians also differ among themselves. The Catholic Church teaches that punishment should help to put right the disorder caused by the offence, protect public order and safety, and help the offender to change. Quakers, who believe there is something of God in everyone, often put the strongest emphasis on reformation. Other Christians put more weight on justice and protection, because they believe that sin is serious and that some people are a real danger to others.
Some Christians use Genesis 9:6 and Romans 13:1-4 to support harsher punishments. These are covered in Christianity and Capital Punishment.
Most Christians agree that punishment is needed, but they say it should be fair, limited and kept for a good reason. Many would say that the best punishment protects the public, treats the offender with respect, and gives them a way back to a better life. That is why Christians support work with prisoners, such as the work of Prison Fellowship described in Sin and Crime: Prison Fellowship and Street Pastors.
Question: Why might a Christian support reformation more than retribution?
Answer: Galatians 6:1-5 tells Christians to restore a person gently (point), and Jesus taught forgiveness and turning the other cheek instead of revenge (development). A Christian could argue that reformation follows these teachings, because it helps the offender to change, while retribution only makes them suffer (link to the question).
Paper 1, Peace and Conflict.
(a) Identify three aims of punishment. [3 marks] (AO1)
(b) Choose one religion. Outline two biblical teachings about punishment in this religion. [4 marks] (AO1)
(c) Choose one religion. Explain why there are different attitudes to retribution in this religion. [6 marks] (AO1, AO2)
(d) "Reformation is the most important aim of punishment." Evaluate this statement, showing you have considered different points of view. In your answer you should refer to at least one religion. [12 marks] (AO1, AO2)
(a) 1. Protection (1) 2. Deterrence (1) 3. Reformation (1)
(b) Christianity. Exodus 21:24 teaches "an eye for an eye" (1), which means that a punishment should match the harm done (1). In Matthew 5:38-39 Jesus taught his followers to turn the other cheek (1), which means that they should not take revenge (1).
(c) Some Christians support retribution because the Old Testament teaches "an eye for an eye" (Exodus 21:24), and they see this as a rule of fairness that treats the victim's suffering seriously. They believe God is just, so wrongdoers should get what they deserve. Other Christians are against retribution, because Jesus taught his followers to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:38-39) and not to judge others (Matthew 7:1-2). They think retribution is too close to revenge and does not help the offender to change. Christians therefore differ because they give more weight to different parts of the Bible. (Level 2: correct teachings used to explain the difference.)
(d) Plan. For: Galatians 6:1-5 teaches that a person who has done wrong should be restored gently; Jesus taught forgiveness and turning the other cheek; reformation reduces future crime and treats the offender as a person who can change. Against: some Christians believe justice and retribution matter most, citing "an eye for an eye"; victims may feel that reformation is too lenient; protection must come first if a person is a danger to others; non-religious people may argue that deterrence or protection work better in practice, whatever the religion. Conclusion (one possible): reformation is very important for most Christians, because it matches the Bible's call to restore people, but it works best alongside protection and fairness, so "most important" is hard to prove.
In (b), name the text, say what it teaches and add what it means. In (c), use the words "Some Christians... other Christians..." and give a reason for each view.