WESTERN MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Criminal Justice Education

Normal Road, Baliwasan, Zamboanga City

THE INFLUENCE OF RELIGION TO CRIMINALITY

RELIGION EFFECT THEORY

Prof. Arvin Joey Romo

Instructor in Introduction to Criminology 102

John Rosh A. Galos

B.S. Criminology — 2 Bravo
THE EFFECTS OF RELIGIOSITY TO CRIMINALTY
This theory focuses linkages between religion and a wide range of attitudes, behaviors,
and life events has emerged. This theory suggests that religiosity—a cognitive and behavioral
commitment to organized religion—is associated with factors such as interpersonal
friendliness; psychological, physical and spiritual well-being; comfort for those who face
difficult life situations, such as family problems, divorce, and unemployment; marital
happiness; participation in politics and political movements; and volunteering in community
organizations. A recurrent theme in this literature is that religion may operate as a social force
for reducing negative behaviors and for increasing positive behaviors.

The relationship between religion and crime, however, is not as straightforward.

Research on this topic since the 1960s has yielded widely varying results. Whereas many
studies have found that religion is significantly related to a host of crime-related factors,
others have found no relationship. This paper is designed to introduce readers to the extensive
literature on religion and crime. It is organized along three dimensions. First, this theory
suggests that religion promotes influence of moral teaching to individuals. Second, the
discussion of relationship on the link between religion and criminal or deviant behavior.
Third, research on the relationship between religion and crime prevention is discussed.

There are many perspectives on the view of man, particularly as it relates to the
depravity of man. The abundance of theories on how and why people commit crimes can
easily be found in any criminological theories book. However, no single theory explains
every act of social deviance. That is, all theories explain some crime but not all theories
explain all crime. Opposing viewpoints from early criminological theory illustrate the shaky
foundations of the criminological discipline. The classical school of criminology viewpoint is
based on the free will of the offender, while the positivist school of criminology viewpoint is
based on deterministic characteristics of the offender. As with most problems that theorists
attempt to solve using opposite ends of a spectrum, neither can be completely accurate which
means there must be some middle ground or alternative perspective that addresses the
problem more fully. Though there is no “modern theory” – a theory within the last 500 years
– that addresses the existence of criminality fully, there is a perspective that, when adopted,
seems to address the root of criminal behavior. Prior to the establishment of the classical and
positivist schools of criminology, a practical application of the supernatural theory of crime
was the foundation for society. This supernatural perspective will be addressed later but it is
the modern outgrowth of the Scriptural view of crime as specified within the pages of the
Holy Bible. Over time, the Scriptural view of crime gave way to the supernatural theory
because the supernatural theory made it easier to punish individuals who engaged in criminal
activity. (Linebach J.A., 2021)

Influence of religion in terms of morality on reducing criminal activity

 Morals and values are influenced by religion in many different ways. It influences how
people perceive the world and act in response to it, cultivates routines like going to church
and praying, and creates a network of social relationships (Schwadel and Hardy 2021). The
set of principles that allow people to live peacefully in communities is referred to as morality.
Sometimes, acting morally requires that individuals give up their own short-term interests to
help society. It's what civilizations consider to be "right" and "acceptable." There is renewed
interest among academics in understanding how religious beliefs shape and are shaped by
other social forces. Spurred on by the increasing availability of high-quality survey and
administrative data, researchers are increasingly using quantitative and statistical methods
from the social sciences to try to measure and characterize the impacts of religion on broader
society. For example, numerous academic studies have demonstrated that communities with
high numbers of religious adherents have lower crime rates. Other studies also find that more
religious individuals are less likely to be involved in criminal behavior.

However, what should we make of the correlation between, say, high levels of religious
belief and low crime or high levels of religion and high crime?

One probable reason is that religion imparts moral principles to adherents, and as a
result, adherents are less likely to engage in criminal activity. This is the usual conclusion
reached by research examining the relationship between religion and crime. Alternately, it's
possible that once someone makes the decision to commit a crime, they are less likely to
desire to engage in religious activities. In this instance, criminality drives individuals away
from religion rather than religion deterring crime. Any of these scenarios would lead to the
observation of a negative correlation between crime and religious belief measurements.

Relationship between religion and criminal or deviant behavior

Any behavior that deviates from societal norms is considered to be deviant. There are
numerous hypotheses about what motivates someone to engage in deviant behavior, including
biological, societal, and psychological explanations. Understanding the connection between
religion and the commission of illegal or deviant acts has long been a goal of researchers.
Émile Durkheim, a French sociologist, was one of the first to address this issue in 1897.
Greater degrees of religious commitment ought to result in fewer harmful behaviors,
according to Durkheim's theory that religion functions as a social force. How religion might
lessen illegal or deviant behaviour is a crucial subject that has to be addressed. The solution
can be found in understandings from social control theory and social capital theory (Coleman,
1988). (Hirschi, 1969). Religious affiliation, according to several experts, may foster social
networks and emotional support that will reduce criminal behavior. Religious people
frequently feel bound to the institutions of their faith, which serves as an informal societal
brake on their behavior. It is believed that the punishments resulting from religion regulate
the behavior of people who are more religious. This reasoning suggests that religiosity may
act as a barrier against harmful behaviors like crime and deviance by fostering and
strengthening social networks and social ties.

The encouragement of prosocial actions is closely tied to the avoidance of criminal and
deviant behaviour. According to Christopher Ellison (1992), there are two main explanations
for why religiosity and prosocial conduct may be related. First, people who are more
religiously committed are more likely to engage in religious role-playing, in which they
behave toward others as they believe a "divine other" would. By seeking to comprehend how
a divine being would expect them to behave with one another, religious people can view life
from "the vantage point of the 'God-rol'" (Ellison et al., 1992). Second, people who identify
as religious could internalize religious standards for civility, empathy, and kindness. Biblical
parables like "The Good Samaritan" and "The Golden Rule" offer guidelines and a
framework for interpersonal interactions.

The relationship between religion and crime control or prevention

Throughout history, morality and religion have had a significant impact on the criminal
justice system. Morality is the set of recognized rules and norms of conduct in a society.
Morality is a frequent component of religious belief; religion's principal function is to exert
control over its adherents by establishing and encouraging moral standards. These regulations
then assist in establishing criminal laws inside a government's legal framework. Crime
prevention in this paper refers to actions taken to lessen criminal activity in a religiously
influence community.

Regarding how religious ideology affects views toward crime control, researchers have
looked at the third area in which religion and crime are related. Research has repeatedly
shown that conservative Protestants (also known as evangelicals or fundamentalists in the
literature) are more inclined to support punitive crime control strategies like harsher
punishments, three-strikes laws, the death penalty, and boot camps. Investigators have also
looked into the connection between religion and how crimes are perceived as being bad.
Using survey data from Oklahoma, Curry (1996)
examined the relationship between conservative Protestant beliefs and the perceived
wrongfulness of crimes. he came to the conclusion that conservative Protestantism was
positively connected with greater ratings of perceived wrongfulness of crimes. Therefore,
compared to their nonreligious and mainline counterparts, evangelical Protestants are
regarded to possess more severe and rigorous opinions regarding both attitudes toward
criminal punishments and the seriousness of crime.

Theoretically, one could wonder why conservative Protestants are more likely than
mainline and nonreligious people to advocate harsh punishment for criminal. Conservative
Protestants often choose the logic of justice over the logic of mercy, according to John
Bartkowski (2001, 2004). The assessment of wrong doing and its denunciation are highly
valued in the logic of justice. It is morality-centered and places a strong emphasis on the
negative outcomes of criminal and antisocial behavior. The logic of mercy, in contrast,
emphasizes the value of forgiving wrongdoers and draws attention to chances for atonement.
The logic of justice separates the sheep (the saved) from the goats (the doomed) in the
Christian setting, but the logic of mercy emphasizes the equality of "God's children," who are
all in need of divine redemption. Conservative Protestants are also more likely to hold an
individualistic worldview that minimizes the significance of structural explanations for
human behavior. Religious conservatives think that moral accountability, or taking
responsibility for one's acts, is crucial and is closely related to this commitment to
individualism. The inclination of conservative Protestants to value justice over mercy does
not imply that religious people lack the capacity for compassion. In reality, there is mounting
evidence that, although conservative Protestant churches tend to favor the logic of justice, it
is frequently entwined with the logic of mercy. According to recent poll data, religious
believers who embrace concepts of a caring and forgiving God are less inclined to advocate
harsh responses to criminal offenses. The impact of religion forgiveness and the influence of
traditional conservative religious attitudes on the severity of punishment for criminals were
both examined by Applegate (2005).

Unnever, Cullen, and Bartkowski (2006) projected that those who acknowledged a
personal relationship with a loving God would reject the viewpoint that punitiveness is an
appropriate response to human failures in a later study using data from the 2004 General
Social Survey. Instead, they asserted, God extends forgiveness, unconditional love, and
mercy to everyone who has failed or sinned. Their research showed that people who had a
personal relationship with a loving God were much less likely to support the death penalty.
According to the authors, those who have a deep relationship with God are less likely to favor
the death penalty since it goes against God's authority and will, denies criminals the chance to
repent, and goes against the belief that only God has the right to grant and take away life
(Unnever et al., 2006).

Thus, the current literature suggests that the religious convictions and practices of
conservative Protestants are complex, not simple reflections of a punitive worldview. Local
parishioners who focus on individualism and moral accountability prioritize the logic of
justice in forming their crime control attitudes (e.g., judgment of wrongdoers, punitive
consequences for transgression). Parishioners who focus on compassion and redemption
prioritize the logic of mercy in forming their crime control attitudes (e.g., forgiveness of
wrongdoers, reconciliation following repentance).
 This flow chart represents the influence or relationship of religion to the three variables
which are; morality, criminality and deviant behavior and crime control. Religion advocates
morality and virtue among it’s members, it nurture faith, moral values, Devine-like
characteristics and principles, and it also cultivates religiosity routines like going to churches
and fellowships, reading the bible, and praying. The second variable is how does religion
influence and lessen criminality and deviant behavior. Religion functions as a barrier against
criminal and deviant actions for it prohibits it’s members to engage in such criminal
activities. Religion or religious people say “spiritual family” provides emotional and mental
support to it’s organizations to which it helps it’s members to avoid perform deviant actions.
Religion fosters social networks meaning it helps it’s adherents to be socially active and
approachable, religiosity also foster civility, empathy and kindness of it’s adherents towards
their religious and non-religious fellow. Religion also has an influence over crime control in a
spiritual and physical sense. The influence of religion and morality on criminal justice has
been of major importance throughout history. Religious believers who embrace concepts of a
caring and forgiving God are less inclined to advocate harsh responses to criminal offenses.
They support divine Forgiveness, Mercy and Repentance. There are also those who are
believers who focus on individualism and moral accountability prioritize the logic of justice
in forming their crime control attitudes. They support death penalty, judgment of wrongdoers,
and punitive consequences for transgression. All these three dimensions support the influence
of religiosity to criminality.

A considerable correlation between religion and a wide range of attitudes, actions, and
life events has been found by an impressive amount of research. However, research on the
connection between religion and crime has not consistently and significantly demonstrated
the same results. This paper has provided a review of the literature on religion and crime
from three variables: (1) Influence of religion on reducing criminal activity in terms of
morality, (2) Relationship between religion and criminal or deviant behavior, and (3) The
relationship between religion and crime control or prevention. Studies in all three of these
fields point to a complex and erratic connection between religion and crime. It is reasonable
to assume that a number of crime-related elements are connected to religion to varied
degrees. To fully appreciate the relationship and its subtleties, more study is required.
Researchers will continue to evaluate how much religion affects crime and related elements
as long as it remains a well-known and significant social institution.
OPPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS

CRIME CONTROL — refers to the influence of religion to the prevention and jurisdiction of
crimes.
CRIMINALITY — Refers to the behavior that is contrary to or forbidden by criminal law,
also the significance of religiosity in reducing criminality.
DEVIANT ACTION — Refers to the actions that violate social norms, which is being
prevented by the church by influencing people it's morals and teachings.
MORALITY — Refers to the set of rules, teachings, and conduct which is being
implemented to the religion's adherents. Thus, this support the reduction of criminality.
RELIGION — Refers to an organization with a collection of cultural systems, belief systems,
and worldviews that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values that helps
lessen criminal and deviant behavior.
RELIGIOSITY — Refers to the involvement, interest or participation in numerous aspects of
religious activity, dedication, and belief.
References-
1. https://www.rand.org/blog/2010/03/do-higher-crime-rates-cause-a-decrease-in-
religiosity.html
2. Ph. D. Linebach J.A. (2021) The Scriptural View of Crime. Shorter Univeristy.
3. http://criminal-justice.iresearchnet.com/crime/religion-and-crime/2/
4. Philip Schwadel, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Sam Hardy, Brigham Young
University 2021
5. Baird, Robert M., and Stuart E. Rosenbaum. Punishment and the Death Penalty: The
Current Debate. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 1995.
6. Applegate, B. K., Cullen, F. T., Fisher, B. S., & Vander Ven, T. (2005). Forgiveness
and fundamentalism: Reconsidering the relationship between correctional attitudes
and religion.
7. Clear, T. R., Hardyman, P. L., Stout, B., Lucken, K., & Dammer, H. R. (2000). The
value of religion in prison. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice.
8. Durkheim, E. (1897). Suicide: A study in sociology. New York: Free Press.
9. Hirschi, T. (1969). Causes of delinquency. Berkeley: University of California Press.
10. Coleman, J. (1988). Social capital in the creation of human capital. American Journal
of Sociology.
11. Ellison, C. G. (1992). Are religious people nice people? Evidence from the National
Survey of black Americans. Social Forces.
12. Bartkowski, J. P. (2001). Remaking the godly marriage: Gender negotiations in
evangelical families. Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
13. Cullen, F. T., Sundt, J. L., & Wozniak, J. F. (2001). The virtuous prison: Toward a
restorative rehabilitation. In H. N. Pontell & D. Shichor (Eds.), Contemporary issues
in crime and criminal justice: Essays in honor of Gil Geis. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall.