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1=E, 2=D, 3=A, 4=F, 5=C, 6=B

1=E, 2=D, 3=A, 4=F, 5=C, 6=B. L.O. To understand Christian attitudes to capital punishment. Christianity and Capital Punishment. Capital punishment and the Bible. In the Old Testament some crimes were serious enough to receive capital punishment.

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1=E, 2=D, 3=A, 4=F, 5=C, 6=B

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  1. 1=E,2=D, 3=A, 4=F, 5=C, 6=B

  2. L.O. To understand Christian attitudes to capital punishment Christianity and Capital Punishment Capital punishment and the Bible In the Old Testament some crimes were serious enough to receive capital punishment. Capital punishment was understood as a deterrent, a means of protecting the public and a means by which God’s justice wasachieved. Punishment must always be in proportion to the crime. This is what it means when the Old Testament speaks of “an eye for any eye a tooth for a tooth a life for a life”. 1. What roles are performed by capital punishment in the Old Testament and what does it mean to speak of “an eye for any eye a tooth for a tooth a life for a life”.

  3. L.O. To understand Christian attitudes to capital punishment Christianity and Capital Punishment For Jesus, the idea of ‘an eye for an eye’ is to be replaced by forgiveness. He told parables of God’s forgiveness: The Prodigal Son and the Unforgiving Servant. Jesus saved an adulterous women from capital punishment. He forgave her and tells her to go and not to sin again. The Lord’s prayer Jesus speaks of forgiveness. He tells his followers they must be willing to forgive others as God is willing to forgive them and they must not to judge other people in case God judges them. We should love those who have harmed us and seek their reform. This is what Martin Luther King aimed to achieve. 2. In what ways do the teachings of Jesus about punishment differ from those found in the Old Testament?

  4. L.O. To understand Christian attitudes to capital punishment Use this slide and your notes so far to fill in answers to Q2-4 on the sheet In the Old Testament God is seen as a fair judge who punishes the wicked. There are many crimes which carry the death penalty. These include: Murder, kidnap, and hitting or cursing your parents, • In the same Bible passage (Exodus 21:12-28) we also read the basic principle of Old testament law “An eye for an eye, tooth for tooth,” Jesus rejected this he says: “You have heard it said in the past ‘an eye for an eye, tooth for tooth,’ but I tell you: ‘do not take revenge one someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek let him slap you on the left cheek too.”(Matthew 5: 38-39)

  5. Christian attitudes to Capital Punishment Answer Q 1 on the sheet • Can you name a famous person very important to Christianity who was executed as a criminal?

  6. Christian attitudes to Capital Punishment Christians believe that if people have done wrong they should be punished. • Punishment has a number of aims. • Deterring others  no evidence • Protecting Society  Prison does this • Revenge for the victim but is forgiveness better? • Up-holding the law  Prison does this • Allow the criminal to pay for their crime  • Reform the criminal making them good  • Punishment has a number of aims. • Deterring others • Protecting Society • Revenge for the victim • Up-holding the law • Allow the criminal to pay for their crime • Reform the criminal making them good Which of these aims would be served by capital punishment? Indicate your answer on the sheet and discuss.

  7. Christianity and Capital Punishment 1. The sanctity of life applies to all people including murders. 2. Only God should take life. 3. Christians are encouraged by Jesus to show forgiveness. ‘Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.’ (Matt 6) 4. On many occasions an innocent man/woman has been executed in error. ‘Do not put an innocent person to death’ (Exodus 23:6) 5. For Christians, punishment should be about reform. Capital punishment does not fit this aim. 6. Jesus died on the cross he was a victim of capital punishment Both the Catholic Church and the Church of England are against capital punishment. This is because: Use the information above to answer question 6 on the sheet.

  8. Capital Punishment: Case Study 1 What must it be like to be found guilty of a crime that you know you did not commit and when the punishment for that crime is the death penalty? This is what may have happened to Timothy Evans.

  9. Capital Punishment: Case Study 1 Timothy Evans was hanged on March 9th 1950. He was found guilty of the murder of his wife and baby daughter in the wash room of a house he shared with John Christie. Evan’s pleaded not guilty saying at the trial that Christie had killed both his wife and baby attempting to carry out an illegal abortion. Christie was the main prosecution witness. He denied this story and Evans was executed.

  10. Capital Punishment: Case Study 1 Three years later new tenants moved into the house. While decorating they discovered six more bodies behind a false wall in the kitchen including Christie’s mother. They had been wrapped in the same way as the body of Mrs. Evans. This new evidence changed things. Christie was executed for these murders in July 1953 and in 1964 Timothy Evans was pardoned (but he was dead). What problems with capital punishment does the case of Timothy Evans raise? A photo of John Christie Although Timothy Evans was pardoned. His conviction was never quashed so no one else was investigated for committing these murders. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-n7yNju8YQ Song 3 mins 15 seconds in.

  11. Capital Punishment: Case Study 2 When Britain had the death penalty it was only for those over the age of 18. 19-year-old Derek Bentley was hanged in 1953 for the murder of a policeman. With 16-year-old Christopher Craig he had attempted a robbery which went wrong. A policeman, PC Sidney Miles arrived and Bentley gave himself up. PC Miles ordered Craig to hand over the gun he was carrying. Bentley who had a low mental age said, ‘Let him have it.’ Craig shot and killed PC Miles.

  12. Capital Punishment: Case Study 2 At the trial Craig was too young to be executed and was sent to prison for 10 years. He was released in the 1960’s. Bentley, who had surrendered and had not fired any gun was executed because he was over 18. For forty five years people campaigned for Bentley’s name to be cleared but nothing could bring him back from the dead. Derek Bentley

  13. In 1998 Derek Bentley's niece was finally able to celebrates the quashing of Derek’s murder conviction. The court recognised that the sole person responsible for the murder of PC Miles was Christopher Craig. Craig also said this was the right decision. What problems about the death penalty does Bentley’s case raise? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiy6Dx8DvBw

  14. Read this one for yourself. Filling in the blanks. Case Study 3: Sister Helen Prejean and Dobbie Williams. 1. Who is Sister Helen Projean? Sister Helen Projean is a Roman Catholic Nun who worked as a ‘spiritual advisor’ to a number of criminals on ‘death row’ in the prisons of Louisiana USA. One of these men was Dobbie Williams. Like the Pope, Sister Helen is against the death penalty. 2. What is death row? Death row is the name given to the cells housing prisoners awaiting execution for their crimes.

  15. Sister Helen believes that no matter how bad their crime no one deserve to be killed. The criminal too is created in God’s image and so deserves respect, love and forgiveness. For Sister Helen there is more to people than the worst thing they have ever done in their lives. Sister Helen Projean. The film ‘Dead Men Walking’ is the story of her life with death row prisoners.

  16. 3. What was Dobbie William’s Story? One of the people sister Helen worked with was Dobbie Williams. Dobbie had seven half brothers and sisters and had known three fathers. He had been in prison for breaking and entering. On the day of his arrested with three others for the murder of Sonja Knippers he had been on home leave from prison. Dobbie claims he had not been part of the gang who had murdered Ms Knippers and there was no evidence that placed him at the scene of the crime other than what he said was a forced confession.

  17. 4. What happened to Dobbie? All 4 of the men arrested for the crime were black and they were arrested within five hours of the crime. Dobbie lived a few feet from house where the victim was murdered. But he had no alibi. Three police officers said they heard him confess to the crime and on this basis an all white jury sentence Dobbie to death. Dobbie’s defence wanted to prove his innocence with a DNA test but the DA Don Burkett refused to allow this. According to Burkett it is right to execute people found guilty of murder.

  18. Argument for Capital Punishment It was accepted in the Old Testament. It deters people from committing serious crimes like murder. It is the best way to express society’s horror at bad crimes. The death penalty is cheaper than keeping the criminal in prison for life. The majority of the public are in favour of having capital punishment. Argument Against Capital Punishment Jesus rejected it preferring forgiveness. It does not stop determined criminals or crimes of passion. It is uncivilised and mistakes cannot be corrected. A UN report in 1966 showed that life in prison was more likely to prevent murder than the death penalty. It punishes the murderer’s family. The fact the majority want it does not make it right. Many Christians like M. L. King, the Pope and Sister Helen Projean are against it because it offers no chance of reform. In USA you are 4 times more likely to have the death penalty for murder if you are black than white because of hidden racism. Choose three arguments from each side and remember them as part of revision homework

  19. Complete a part ‘e’ questions on capital punishment (e). ‘All convicted murders should be executed’.Discuss this statement.You should include different, supported points of view and a personal viewpoint.You must refer to Christianity in your answer Discuss and note down three good points you would make in your first paragraph Discuss and note down three good points would you include in your second paragraph? Now write in full (5 mins) your third paragraph (your view) Remember: “A significant issue raised by this statement is …”

  20. What is Social Justice? We also have to think about what it means for society to be fair. This is call social justice. Sometimes people are harmed by things like poverty or unemployment. Governments have a responsibility to ensure that this does not effect people too badly. Social injustice occurs when governments do not do this. Racism is also a cause of social injustice. Sometimes governments torture and put people in prison for expressing their beliefs. Sometimes the disabled say they are the victims of social injustice. To prevent social injustice people need to have their rights respected and have equality of opportunity. The UN Declaration of human rights aims to achieve this. Many of the human rights they list come from Christian teachings found in the Bible.

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