According to research, many criminals anticipate early deaths, making them less likely to be delayed and satisfied, and they are more likely to underestimate the future cost of crime, making them more likely to commit a crime. It’s even more ironic that many of these criminals have strong religious beliefs, including ones that has afterlife consequences for crimes.
While previous studies have highlighted religion’s deterrent effect on criminals, the researchers’ findings suggest that religion has a counterintuitive effect in certain situations that encourage or support criminal behavior. “At the heart of our interview is the ability of criminals to exploit the absolute principles of religious doctrine and, from them, their fear of death, not only to permit but to encourage crime, through deliberate distortion or genuine acts of ignorance,” the researchers wrote in their abstract (Chronicle, 2013).
Faith-based initiatives have recently grown in popularity in many areas of society, with several expert studies highlighting the link between religion and crime.
Religion clearly has a significant impact on reducing crime, particularly in high-crime areas.
According to Patrick Fagan’s article, “Why Religion Matters More: The Value of Religious Practice in Influencing Social Stability,” crime and religion can have opposing effects, and religious influence reduces the proclivity for criminal activity.
“In dangerous, unstable communities, religious practice has been found to act as a buffer against juvenile delinquency, just as it reduces the likelihood of substance abuse among young people,” he said.
“Religious belief and involvement can protect children from anti-social behavior, both minor and serious, even in communities where there is no legal social control over criminal behavior.”
Fagan also discussed the economic value of faith-based programs in addressing problems in our communities, particularly in urban areas that receive more negative attention.
The “added value” of faith-based initiatives that emphasize the benefits of religion and the harms of crime, as well as the money spent on ineffective projects, should be reconsidered.
“The faith-based social services sector has a distinct ability to address some of society’s most difficult problems,” said Fagan. Each year, these organizations are estimated to provide more than $20 billion in privately funded social services to more than 70 million Americans. There are clear indications that faith-based social service programs outperform secular ones.”
Crime and religion cannot coexist because the growth of one leads to the decline of the other. Many academics believe that religion should play a larger role in reducing crime in the community due to its high success rate (Carter, 2013).
References
Carter, J. (2013). How Criminals Use Religion to Justify Their Crimes. [online] The Gospel Coalition. Available at: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/how-criminals-use-religion-to-justify-their-crimes/ [Accessed 3 Mar. 2023].
Chronicle, H. (2013). Fascinating Relationship Between Crime and Religion. [online] Regal Mag. Available at: https://www.regalmag.com/community/social-issues/crime/fascinating-relationship-between-crime-and-religion/ [Accessed 6 Mar. 2023].
