Year 11 - Religious education
Opposition to an unjust law
Religion, crime and punishment
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils will study ideas of crime and how people may view crime is caused. From that, they will examine different ideas of punishing crime and treating criminals focussing especially on a case study of the death penalty and ideas of forgiveness.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain how a Christian's personal conviction may lead them to break the law, using Dietrich Bonhoeffer as an example.
Key Notes
- Personal conviction is a deeply held belief that leads someone to act according to their principles
- Christians are generally taught to obey the law
- Conscience is central to personal conviction, with different denominations emphasising its role in moral decision-making
- Personal conviction may override the law when the law is unjust, as Jesus' teachings prioritise justice and mercy
- Bonhoeffer's resistance to the Nazis illustrates how Christian faith can lead to opposing immoral laws
Vocabulary To Learn
- Conscience: the faculty said to enable us to make moral decisions, and to judge our own and others' actions
- Conviction: a deeply held moral or religious belief that guides a person's actions, even when it conflicts with the law or social expectations
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer: a German Lutheran pastor and theologian who opposed the Nazi regime
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Christians should always obey the law
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Personal conviction is a deeply held belief that leads someone to act according to their principles. Christians are generally taught to obey the law.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'Conscience'
the faculty said to enable us to make moral decisions, and to judge our own and others' actions.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Christians should always obey the law. Correction: While Christians are generally taught to respect the law, many also believe they must put God's will first. Some believe that when laws are unjust or cause harm, faith may require civil disobedience.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Different religious views about corporal punishment Study Guide
- Different religious views about forgiveness Study Guide
- Different religious views about the death penalty Study Guide
- Ethical arguments relating to the death penalty Study Guide
- Good and evil intentions Study Guide
- Reasons for crime: greed and hate Study Guide
- Reasons for crime: mental illness and addiction Study Guide
- Reasons for crime: poverty and upbringing Study Guide
- The aims of punishment Study Guide
- The concept of forgiveness Study Guide
- The treatment of criminals: corporal punishment Study Guide
- The treatment of criminals: prison and community service Study Guide
- Views about different types of crime Study Guide
- Views about people who commit crime Study Guide
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