Crime on Buddhism and Crime in Christianity - Literature review Example

Crime on Buddhism and Crime in Christianity India is a country in South Asia. Geographical-wise, it is the second largest in the world and the second most populous country. Its population is roughly of about 1.2 billion people. Being in located in the east, the county is considered an orient by the western world. The country is a home of many religions among them the Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. Other religions that have been introduced into the county over the time include Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism and Judaism. Every religion has its definition of what is right and wrong. Besides, Opinions on how the state should deal with criminals differ from one religion to another (Madan, 1992). According to the law, crime is a wrong against the society. On the other hand, a criminal is a person who does a wrong to the state or another person. The state is the custodian of the society. It plays the role of maintaining law and order. Hence, crimes are punishable by the state. (Dostoyevsky and Garnett 1990). The level of crime rate in the world is on the rise. India, just like many of the countries in the world is battling to lower the offence rate. In 1998, it reported 61.8 million criminal cases and 6.64 million in 2012. Some of the crimes in India include money laundering, illicit drug trafficking, illegal firearms trafficking, fraud, human (women and children) trafficking and money laundering. Organized crimes are rampant in the city of Mumbai. Although illegal drug trafficking it is not yet as pronounced as in the western world, it is still a worry to the state. Human trafficking is rampant due to continued growth in commercial sex business. Buddhism view on crime Buddhism is a religion that has its origin in Northern India. Its ancestor was Siddhartha Gotama. Later, he came to be known as Buddha. Buddha means one who is enlightened or awakened. He noted the suffering in the world and set out to find solutions, through meditation and analysis. Currently, the religion has around 300 million followers after 2500 years of growth. The doctrine is found in the values of leading a moral life, being mindful and aware of thoughts of others and developing wisdom and understanding (Harvey, 2001). According to Harvey (2001), Buddhism defines a criminal as a person who causes harm unto himself and unto others. In its teaching, Buddhism sees crime more than just a physical process. It is an aggregate of five harmonized components that are threaded together to form a stream of consciousness. The stream of consciousness changes depending on the circumstances. Each phase of the stream of consciousness represents a different individual and may result in actions that harm others and oneself. According to Buddha, failure to control greed, delusion and hatred results into crime. He holds that it is due to the wrong conception about the non-existence and existence that people commit evil thus bringing evil in the society. The religion identifies five major crimes as injuring a Buddha, Matricide, Patricide, killing an Arhat and creating a schism in the society of sangha. Matricide is the offense of killing ones mother while patricide is crime killing ones mother. Creating a division is the sin of causing disunity among the Buddha community. The religion forbids a person who has almost attained full enlightenment (Arhat). It was an offense to harm Buddha, the spiritual leader on whose life and teachings the religion of Buddhism is found. It is believed that committing any of the five sins would prevent one from attaining Nirvana. In his life, the Buddha had dealt with some crimes and criminals. An example is Aṅgulimālā, who was a serial killer and Alavaka, who was a bandit. In Vinayapiṭaka, some monks tried to misrepresent Buddhism and dispense Buddha for their personal gains. Devadatta was an arrogant man who went further and conspired to kill Buddha (Harvey, 2001). Buddhism believes that actions are driven by an intention. Therefore, the best corrective punishment should be aimed at transforming the whole being. Offenders are required to confess and promise not to repeat the crime. Punishment is seen as revenge for the wrong doings and a deterrent to the rest of the society. In addition, disciplines maintain peace in the society. The mind being the source of many good and bad ideas, psychological rather than physical punishment is desired. Hence, the corrective measures aim at introducing the mind to the right understanding so that all the actions can be beneficial to oneself and others. The religion requires that offenders be treated with compassion and tenderness. Lawyers and judges are needed to be free of personal gain motives when administering punishments to the wrongdoers (Harvey, 2001). What types of punishments are imposed in Buddhism? In his book, Harvey (2001) points out that Buddhism is against the death penalty. The religion cherishes life and does not condone killing of offenders. However, other punishments such as removal from public office, disqualifications from holding a public office, confessions before a panel and banishment are allowed. Buddha advocated that no penalties for the reformed persons, who have confessed their sins and agreed to lead a healthy life. However, those that fail to admit should be exiled but still be allowed to live a virtuous life. Monks and nuns that misrepresent the order of religion should be disqualified and removed from such offices. He advocates showing love towards offenders a way of helping them conform to the right norms. Prisons should not be used as venues for inflicting physical pain on the offenders. Rather, they should be centers where the offenders are informed of the right values of life to help them achieve enlightenment. The Buddhism views on punishments are widely gaining acceptance in many jurisdictions. Many prisons have programs for making prisoners better persons (Anderson,2002). Prisoners are taught on the best side of life, how to live a crime-free life and skills that they may apply to earn a living once out of prison. Religious institutions are welcomed to prisons to talk to and transform the prisoners. Some of the skills offered include masonry, carpentry, art, dressmaking and farm work. Inmates who are made team leaders do gain managerial skills. Christianity on Crime and Punishment Christianity is a religious doctrine that is founded on the teachings and life of Jesus Christ. Christians believe in God as the Supreme Being. They believe in the Holy Trinity that comprise OF God the Father, Jesus the Son and The Holy Spirit. The belief of Christians is based on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They believe that Christ died for their sins and offered salvation to all that believe in him (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). They also do believe that God created the universe and human beings. He set rules that guide people unto what is right and wrong. According to Madan (1982), the religion was introduced in India about 2000 years ago. Currently, about 2.5% of the population in India is Christians. Christians believe that God created humanity to have a right relationship with Him. However, sins separate man from God (Romans 3:23; 5:12). In judging a crime, Christians are guided by the Ten Commandments. The commandments bar Christians from committing adultery, bearing false witness on their neighbors, stealing and converting their neighbors’ property. They also order Christians t honor the Lord their God, not to Mention the name of the Lord in Vain and not to worship any other God apart from the true Living God. Christians are also required to honor their parents for longer life span (Exodus 20:1-17). In the New Testament, Jesus summarized the commandments in two rules that teach on loving ones neighbor and honoring God. Hence, by following the two commands, crimes such murder, rape, robbery, and arson would be wiped away from the face of the universe since everyone would care for their neighbor and obey God, who is sin free. According to Christianity, offenders should suffer for their sins. The suffering involves inflicting physical pain on the offender. Some of the punishments that can be picked out from the Bible are Death, suffering through sickness, being devoured by ones enemies and being taken captives. The physical was not just a punishment for the offenders but also a warning for deterring such behavior from the citizens. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ was crucified to pay for the sins of the world (Matthew 27:38). When Pharaoh became adamant to let the Israelites leave Egypt for Canaan, God struck him and his family with ailment (Exodus 9:8-12). Moses and the children of Israel disobeyed God. As a result, they died before seeing the Promised Land. God killed Davids son when he committed adultery his son (2 Samuel 12:1-25). When the Israelites disobeyed God, he let them be taken into captivity by the King of Assyria (2 Kings 18:11). In the Old Testament, the laws of Moses allowed stoning of offenders. However, that law is no longer applicable in Christianity. The power for punishments has been vested in State (Roman 13:4). The state is the sole organ that has the duty to inflict pain on the offenders. However, the state has not been very effective in dealing with offenders. It does not have the standards for measuring the right amount of pain that should be inflicted unto someone. Although there are written laws that are followed in presiding over cases in the courts, justice if often compromised. Corrupt judges and selfish lawyers do no punish the right persons. Furthermore, the prisons are not a corrective measure at all. Many prisoners have lost their lives in the hand of prison wardens and fellow jails. Rape cases, physical injury, and a meal deprivation are some of the risks that inmates face behind the bars (Anderson, 2002). Conclusion Although both Christianity and Buddhism address the same crimes in the society, their prescription of punishment is very different. While Christianity believes in inflicting physical or psychological pain, the Buddhism believes in punishing through mental correction. Buddhism is against the physical pain since the religion believes that committing a crime is more than a physical act. It is something that originates from within. Hence, correction should be wholesome. I conquer with Buddhism. Changing a person is better than just inflicting physical pain. Pain may deter crime, but not eliminate it. People may sin when no one is watching. However, changing someone transforms the whole being. Changed characters are a source of living inspiration while punished individuals harbor vengeance, hatred, and anger. Work Cited Anderson, L,C. Voices from a Southern Prison. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2000. Print. Bible, H. (2000). King James Version.Texas: National Publishing Company. Dostoyevsky, F. and Garnett, C. Crime and Punishment. Grand Rapids, Mich: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 1990. Internet resource. Harvey, P. Buddhism. London: Continuum, 2001. Internet resource. Madan, T.N. Religion in India. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1992. Print. Marshall, C.D. Beyond Retribution: A New Testament Vision for Justice, Crime, and Punishment. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub, 2001. Print.   Read More