Attitudes to Lawbreakers & Types of Crime (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A): Revision Note

Christian attitudes to crime and lawbreakers

• Most religious believers would say that crime is hardly ever justified, no matter what reason is given

• Christians think that God put government systems in place to keep order in society so that everyone can live a peaceful life without fear of danger

  • St Paul taught this principle to the Romans:

• The law should be respected, and offenders should be punished according to the laws of the land

• However, punishments should respect the idea that each person has dignity and rights

  • They should aim to rehabilitate the offender and restore them to be able to contribute positively to society and not to re-offend, if possible

• This follows the teaching and example of Jesus that rulebreakers should be given help and even forgiven for their wrongdoing

  • At his crucifixion, Jesus forgave a criminal who was dying on the cross next to him, telling the man

• Jesus taught his followers in the parable of the Sheep and the Goats that anyone who visited a prisoner was helping him:

Muslim attitudes to crime and lawbreakers

• Because Allah commands justice, crime is against Allah’s wishes for humans

• Muslims would consider crime to be a distraction from following Allah

• For these reasons, Muslims should avoid crime for any reason

• Instead, they should follow the teaching and example of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

• Allah created all humans as equals, and committing crimes against others is wrong because people committing such actions see other people as less important or significant

• Islam has a clear religious law, Shari’ah law, and this is the basis for state law in some Islamic countries, such as Saudi Arabia

  • In the UK, there are Shari’ah councils to help guide Muslims, but UK state law takes priority

• Shari’ah law classifies crime into four types:

  • Unforgivable crimes (Hadud crimes)

    • These include crimes prohibited in the Qur’an, such as adultery, theft, drinking alcohol or taking drugs

  • Forgivable crimes (Al-Jynayaat)

    • Crimes against the right of the individual, for example, bodily harm and murder

    • The victim or their family can gain credit by showing mercy.

  • Community crimes (Al Ta’azir) 

    • Crimes that affect the community, such as fraud and antisocial behaviour

  • Crimes against state law (Al-Mukhalafat) 

    • Crimes against state law rather than the Qur’an, for example, speeding

Religious attitudes to different types of crime

Hate crimes

• Hate crimes involve targeting people because of their race, gender, sexuality, religion, or disability

• Hate crimes often involve the use of violence or aggression against others

Christian attitudes towards hate crime

• Hate crimes are condemned by all Christians because everyone is created equal and in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) 

• They go against the Golden Rule, ‘in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you’ (Matthew 7:12)

• They break the command Jesus gave to ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ (Luke 6:31)

• St John called hating others as bad as murder: ‘Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him’ (1 John 3:15)

Islamic attitudes towards hate crime

• Hate crimes are widely condemned by Muslims because Allah created all humans as equal, and committing hate crimes involves seeing other people as less important or significant

• The Hadith teaches, ‘Hate your enemy mildly, he may become your friend one day.’ (Hadith)

Murder

Christian attitudes towards murder

• Murder is condemned

• The Ten Commandments specifically forbids it, saying ‘You shall not murder.’ (Exodus 20:13)

• Christians see life as sacred and God-given and believe that only God has the right to take life away

Islamic attitudes towards murder

• Murder is seen as a serious sin, condemned in the Qur’an  which says ‘Whoever kills a soul … it is as if he had slain mankind entirely.’ (Qur’an 5:32)

• One of the reasons murder is condemned in the Qur’an is because human life is sacred

  ‘So not take life which God has made sacred, except by right.’ (Qur’an 17:33)

• In some countries where Shari’ah law is followed, murder can be punished with the most severe punishment possible: the death penalty

Theft

Christian attitudes towards theft

• Theft is forbidden in the Ten Commandments, ‘You shall not steal.’ (Exodus 20: 15)

• Theft is generally seen as less serious than crimes such as murder

• The theft may have occurred as a result of addiction, poverty, or mental illness. These conditions would need to be addressed and the offender may need help

• However, theft is still a crime that results in a victim suffering a loss and would need to be punished by the state

Islamic attitudes towards theft

• Theft is forbidden and the Qur’an commands severe punishment: ‘Cut off the hands of thieves, whether they are man or woman, as punishment for what they have done - a deterrent from God.’ (Qur’an 5:38)

• If someone steals as a result of poverty, it is not justified, but Muslims should be involved in efforts to build a fairer society where theft is not considered necessary