The complexities involved in the Sentencing Phase - Research Paper Example

The Moral Dilemma a. Secularism vs. Religious Belief b. Violent & Non-violent Offences c. Love Research Paper: Abstract The teachings of Jesus Christ on non-violence, love for one’s neighbor, and forgiveness of sins pose a moral dilemma particularly for judges who are required to pass sentence on criminals convicted of crimes, as society may demand legal punishment for criminal offences but the Bible counsels one to forgive those who trespass against moral standards. Research Paper: There is a general misconception popularly that Christians are associated with deeply conservative political values and support public policies such as “tough on crime” campaigns, tougher sentencing laws for criminals, and even foreign wars in American politics.

It is difficult in many ways to understand how Christians became associated with these political ideas because practically they would seem to conflict directly with the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus counseled the practice of non-violence, love, and forgiveness to all his disciples. In considering what it means to be Christian, there are undoubtedly as many varieties of faith as there are individuals, for God and faith are very personal. From the Bible, it can be understood that to be “Christian” is to be an actual disciple of the living Christ, who taught as it is recorded in the New Testament and whose teachings have been preserved for over 2000 years by the Church.

Despite apparent differences between the various sects such as Catholic, Protestant, and so forth, all Christians can be said to be direct disciples of the living Christ, even in today’s modern world, because Jesus is timeless and ever-present as God’s love. Yet, one must recognize a difference between Christianity as a creed and being a disciple of the living Christ, for Jesus counseled to his followers to leave everything in this world and follow him. The criminal justice system today is surely no different than the Roman court of justice that sentenced Jesus to the cross, sadly as it may be, and despite the Bible being used in the courtroom to swear witnesses to truth, it cannot be said that the truth is actually being practiced there.

For example, it is well established that there is a different tone and content to the New Testament that is not heard in the Old Testament prophets, and this comes from the voice of Jesus preaching the power of love. For Jesus, love and God are identical. If one practices love, or feels love naturally for a person, animal, or other being, then the first and foremost feeling that is experienced is the wish never to harm that being. In daily life, people can clearly identify their feelings of love because they would always wish the best for those people that they love and want to protect them.

Thus, when one feels so much love for another person that they would do anything for them, even give their life to save them, then that is approaching the love that Jesus speaks of as Agape in the Bible. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi were both inspired by Jesus’ teachings on Agape to build their entire philosophy of non-violence on this basis. In doing so, they are following directly in the footsteps of Jesus, because Christ as a prophet Himself based his ministry on Agape and the power of forgiveness.

The legal justice system is also known as the criminal-industrial complex, a term that relates to President Eisenhower’s farewell address which warned of the dangers of militarism