Issues: Crime and Punishment

NO RETALIATION

Jesus was more concerned with people's inward honesty and morality, not outward shows of "being good".

In The Bible, Matthew chapter 5 verse 38 - 39 Jesus says "You have heard that the law of Moses says, 'If an eye is injured, injure the eye of the person who did it. If a tooth gets knocked out, knock out the tooth of the person who did it.' But I say, don't resist an evil person! If you are slapped on the right cheek, turn the other, too."

Jesus here is telling Christians that revenge is not an acceptable motive for punishment. Jesus also infers that criminal thoughts are as wrong as the criminal deeds themselves. Although most of us do not commit crimes regularly, we can often have criminal thoughts. These are not acceptable.

In The Bible, Romans chapter 12 verses 19 - 21, Paul (one of the first Christians) writes "Never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. Don't let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good."

This passage re-emphasises that giving punishments in order to seek revenge is not acceptable for Christians. Instead, punishments that overcome the evil with good would be better. Therefore many Christians believe the purpose of punishment should be to reform the criminal, to bring good from evil. Christians often work in prisons, befriending prisoners, running Alpha groups in prisons that seek to introduce the criminal to Christianity. Christians in the past have worked to improve the conditions in prison.