Should Christians be tough on crime?
The American criminal justice system has been shaped from the beginning by Christian views on sin and atonement. Colonial minister Jonathan Edwards’ sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” which warned of God’s wrath in response to sin, sparked the First Great Awakening in the American colonies and came to embody many Christians’ views on the appropriate response to crime. To these Christians, God’s wrath meant that they should harshly police crime because God forgives only once a sinner repents and atones for their sins.
Today, Christians’ attitudes about crime vary widely because we hold an array of opinions about the nature of forgiveness. While some believe that Christianity calls us to forcefully condemn sin and ensure that sinners are punished, others see the unconditional forgiveness of sins as more important for Christian faith. These Christians believe that God forgives sinners regardless of if they repent or not and that when we forgive sins, we model God’s grace. These contrasting viewpoints translate to starkly different criminal justice approaches.
While some Christians think the goal of criminal justice should be to deliver justice to victims, others believe that the goal should be to rehabilitate criminals. These different goals translate to different visions for the criminal justice system. Some Christians believe that crimes should be harshly punished and that certain crimes warrant the death penalty. Others believe that the death penalty should be abolished and that criminals should receive treatment or support instead of punishment so that they don’t commit future crimes. Should Christians be tough on crime?
It depends on how you interpret the Bible’s teachings on sin and atonement.
How Christians across the political spectrum have answered this question
“Yes, Jesus died so that we would repent for our sins, so we should punish criminals.”
Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was so great that it requires us to also sacrifice by repenting for our sins. Punishment leads people to repentance.
Jesus died so that believers would be saved. Punishment is the best way to motivate criminals to turn to Christ so that they can be saved.
Jesus' resurrection means that there is hope for criminals who repent and atone for their sins.
“No, Jesus died for the forgiveness of sins, so we should forgive criminals.”
Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was so great that, as a result, all of our sins are unconditionally forgiven whether we repent or not.
Jesus died so that everyone would be saved. Extending grace to criminals is the best way to turn them to Christ so that they can feel Christ’s forgiveness.
Jesus’ resurrection means that there is hope for everyone, regardless of whether they repent.
Jesus’ death & resurrection
Jesus’ conflict with the authorities reaches its climax when he is arrested after his last supper with the disciples. After he’s put on trial and sentenced to death, the Roman government crucifies him by nailing him to a cross. Even though Jesus is fully divine, he feels the full pain of his slow execution and dies. Jesus’ crucifixion invites us to examine what God’s suffering and death means for the forgiveness of our sins-- do these events call us to forgive or to require repentance? Three days after Jesus dies, he rises from the dead-- the central act of the gospel accounts of his life and the core of Christian belief. But does that resurrection mean that there is hope for everyone or just for Christians? And what, if anything, do people need to do to receive God’s forgiveness? What does the nature of God’s forgiveness mean for how we approach criminal justice? As you return to this familiar story, consider what Christ’s death and resurrection mean for our sins.
Read the New Testament passages
How these passages build on the Old Testament
The New Testament passages in this section make frequent allusions to prophecies and events depicted in the Old Testament:
Jesus’ Last Supper with the disciples is a Passover meal. This is significant because the first Passover, instituted by Moses and Aaron, served to protect the Israelites from God’s tenth plague— the death of every Egyptian’s first born son. The Last Supper casts Jesus as the Israelites’ protector and deliverer, like Moses was, reframing the significance of Passover. Some Christians believe that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross mirrors the sacrifice of the lamb whose blood was used to signal that the angel of death should “pass over” the Israelites’ houses. Others question whether that comparison makes sense— does God require a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins? Or does Jesus’ death on the cross signal a new way of looking at sin and forgiveness?
During the Last Supper, Jesus instructs the disciples to drink from his cup, saying that it contains his “blood of the covenant.” This signals the beginning of a new covenant between God and God’s people. Jeremiah predicted that the Lord would make a new covenant with Israel after the Israelites broke the covenant God made with them through Moses. In this new covenant, God would forgive the Israelites’ sins and write the law “on their hearts.”
The old Mosaic covenant that the Israelites broke involved the sprinkling of ox blood on an altar. That’s why it’s significant that Jesus uses his own blood to form a new covenant— it both mirrors and is different from this Mosaic covenant.
Throughout the Old Testament, prophets predict that a messiah will suffer and die. Similarly, many predict that that messiah will rise. Moses specifically says that the prophet who follows him will not die, and that’s how the Israelites will know that the prophet speaks God’s truth. Christians believe that Jesus’ resurrection confirms that he is the prophet that Moses prophesied.
In Leviticus, Moses and Aaron institute a “Day of Atonement,” which is now remembered through the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur. On this day, Moses and Aaron atoned for Israel’s sins by making burnt offerings and animal sacrifices to God. Many Christians believe that Jesus’ death on the cross mirrors this type of atoning sacrifice for our sins. Still, Christians debate whether that comparison makes sense. Does God require a blood sacrifice in order to forgive us for our sins? Or does Jesus’ death and resurrection signal the beginning of a new way of looking at sin and forgiveness?
These Old Testament references and parallels add to our understanding of the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection for our sins. As you read these passages, consider what parts of his story are a continuation of the Old Testament’s view of sin and what parts of it signal a new understanding of atonement?
Read the Old Testament passages
Now that you’ve read the scripture…
Reflect
What are you thinking and feeling right now?
Request
Ask God to open your heart and your mind to a different perspective. Challenge yourself to see another point of view— even if you don’t agree with it.
Respond
Thank God for working through scripture and through the people around you. If you’re about to discuss this section with other people, pray for them and for your time together.
Questions for reflection & discussion
Why do you think people commit crimes? What feelings do you have about people who commit crimes?
Jesus was sentenced to death because some people saw him as a criminal. What do you think it means to be a criminal? What types of offenses should be considered crimes? Do you think that everyone convicted of a crime has sinned?
What do the Last Supper and Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane tell us about the reasons for Jesus’ death? Did he intend to die? If so, why? If not, how do you explain his death?
What does Jesus say and do as he’s being crucified? Who is with him? What does that tell us about the reasons for his death?
How do various characters react to Jesus’ resurrection? What does that tell us about the meaning of his resurrection?
After his resurrection Jesus says, “If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.” What do you think he means by this?
Why do you think Jesus died on the cross? Do you think that God is angry about humanity’s sins and requires a human sacrifice? Do you think that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross should be an example to us, and if so, in what way?
Some Christians think that our criminal justice system should aim to deliver justice to victims of crime by punishing criminals as harshly as possible. Others think that our criminal justice system should aim to extend grace to criminals. Where do you see Christianity in each of these approaches? Which approach do you think aligns more with how we’re called to respond as Christians?
The Last Supper and Jesus’ death and resurrection parallel aspects of the Passover meal and the Day of Atonement, both of which involve animal sacrifice. Do you think that God required a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins, or do you think that Jesus’ death and resurrection signals a new way of looking at sin and forgiveness?
Some people think that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross should serve as an example for how we should all sacrifice. Others think that asking people to sacrifice in that way disproportionately harms people who are already abused or oppressed. What role do you think that sacrifice should play in our faith? Do you think that everyone should sacrifice, and if so, how?
During the Last Supper, Jesus passes his disciples a cup and says “this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” What sins do you think Jesus meant for us to forgive? Are there any sins that are unforgivable? What role do you think the sacrament of communion plays in the forgiveness of sins?
Jeremiah predicted the “new covenant” that Jesus initiated during the Last Supper. What does his prophecy tell us about the meaning of that new covenant? What does this new covenant mean for the forgiveness of sins?
Do you think that Jesus died for the forgiveness of all people or just for Christians? Is there anything that you think people need to do in order to be forgiven?
Do you think that the death penalty is ever justified? If so, how do you reconcile this with the rest of Jesus’ teachings? If not, how do you think our justice system should respond to violent crime?
Christianity has played a major role in shaping the American criminal justice system and American attitudes about justice more broadly. What do you think a Christian criminal justice system would look like? How close is America to that justice system today?
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