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Dbq - Crime and Punishment

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Dbq - Crime and Punishment
Jason Darling
Period - 2
Document-Based Question: Crime and Punishment Law is good. Man, in his needs, has different motivations for law in society. His secular needs require striving for justice, social stability, and punishment. However, in the area of religious influence, law should promote morality so that believers can get close to God or be separated and condemned by God. As man and society evolves, the purpose of law has remained the same – to punish and deter. Faith is a guarantee for happiness. If one lives a proper life of morality then rewards await. According to the Old Testament (1), God desires a harsh but structured code of conduct for man. Man is inherently a selfish and savage creature. Boundaries are necessary in order for society to function lawfully and logically. This negative behavior can be influenced by ultimate punishments – capital punishment and condemnation. The POV for the Old Testament is one of tone. The feeling expressed is one of caution. The book of Laviticus stresses behavior and how people must be sure that they follow good conduct in order to please God. If this behavior goes against morality, then hell and punishment awaits. Also, stated by Ashoka (4), peace and harmony in life can be achieved through proper justice – even for the guilty. Hope and reassurance can be displayed, when, judging others, no prejudice is displayed – bias against color, religion, status, etc… God doesn’t. The POV from Ashoka reflects an authorial nature. He believes his rule should bring harmony and peace to his kingdom. Since he is a Buddhist, he will naturally stress Buddhist ideology in his reign – law, military, economic, etc… Man uses the law to better himself and society. According to the code of Hammurabi (2), Hammurabi emphasizes the power of the court system when dealing with punishment or justice. When people trust their government to provide fairness and security through legal and political processes and actions, then those people
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