In This Biography

Religion and Crime

What is Religion??

Religion is understood to be a system of beliefs and values associated with particular organizational forms (e.g. ritual practices, institutions), and with a supernatural deity embodying and emanating some absolute truths.

What is Crime??

Crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority.

Claims and findings between religion and crime in society are conflicted.

While others believe religion can cause crime and unruly behavior others believe religion can also help with good moral behavior.

People commit crimes and say “The devil made me do it” do we really believe in this??

We all know that God is stronger than the devil so I think it’s not the devil who is our problem but our own lack of self-control.

Religion can often help people better themselves and help the lives of others. On the contrary, it may seem that religion can do the opposite, causing people to be violent. Religion often gets blamed for acts of violence including suicide, martyrdom, and terrorism.

Criminological theories suggest that religion should reduce crime and delinquency by increasing social control and self-control and decreasing antisocial learning and the effect of the criminogenic strain.

However, examining religion as a driver of violent conflict, scholars have also been concerned with the extent to which religion may indirectly foster or tolerate violence.

It’s believed that one should be morally upright at all times because Morality influences how much shame a person feels, or should feel when committing a crime.

Through the centuries religion has played an important role in criminal justice. In the fourteenth century, the Puritans of England introduced the concepts of bail, protection against self-incrimination, and jury trials.

Religious organizations also sought to moderate punishment to fit the crime rather than setting harsh penalties on all crimes. They favored rehabilitation over retribution or vengeance. Some religious movements banned slavery, protected workers’ rights, sought equality for women, and set standards for “indecent” behavior.

Most religions enforce moral behavior through positive and negative reinforcement by infusing ‘god-fearing’ elements in scriptures, such as the concept of karma and reincarnation in Hinduism, heaven-hell, and salvation in Christianity, paradise, and hell in Islamism, peaceful afterlife and reincarnation.

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Religious commitment often carries with it the acknowledgment of divine presence and power in one’s life. One manifestation of this belief implies a relinquishing of personal or internal control and an acceptance of God’s will or external control” thereby helping people in bringing moral upright and reducing the crime rate.

Understanding how religion can prevent crime instead of promoting crime is important.

Let’s use some basic ideal practices of some religions in the world as a way to keep you away from crime

Hinduism

– wake up early before sunrise and clean yourself and your surroundings. Sit for prayer and long rituals keeping oneself focused on god before eating, starting work, and ending work. etc. which means each step in life goes with remembering god according to the situation and need. If exactly followed no time to do unacceptable practices or crimes unless an individual mind is unstable.

Christianity

– From the beginning of the day to the end of the day all work is done in remembrance of practices of Christ, like being good to all, service to humanity, peace, love, caring, charity…etc. All the services are done with the belief in god’s grace and care for needy ones out there in the world. If exactly followed there is no time for any individual in this faith to indulge in unacceptable crimes and threats to society. It so happens because of less inclination toward basic practices of faith.

You find crimes being done, the reason being individual egoistic priorities to develop and its adverse impact to society and less concern for needy along with least attention to the value of life on earth

Islam

– from waking up in the morning to before going to sleep, every true Muslim has to pray five times in accordance with the times mentioned as per faith. Food prepared, served, eaten..etc. every activity is done as per rules in faith. Almost every activity is bound to be done with utmost care and no other individual is harmed. If exactly followed no one gets time to commit mistakes or crimes unless until they take every single context in right and realist that is applied to every individual on the planet that is mentioned in the holy scripts.

You find crimes being done by some and this is done because they are misunderstanding the rules or clarity less knowledge in minds of this some followers and go against basic practices faith which is unacceptable by them.

Buddhism

– From getting up in the morning to resting at night, most of the day is carried with meditation and silent work. Most of the time is spent self-introspect and striving for stable-mindedness. The faith stress being calm, well behaved, sensitive, self-control…etc. If followed exactly no chance of misunderstanding, malpractices, societal imbalance…etc. can be found. Many are drawn towards unacceptable practices and uncaring nature which is found in this present practice.

In conclusion

Every religion is established to reform society and drive away from the darkness and bring down the rate of harm done to the life on the planet.

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