Religion's Influence On Modern Western Law

Religion has been influencing and controlling people’s ideas since humans could first speak. The power of religion has risen and fallen over the years but it has always been present. Modern day laws have been heavily influenced by the ideas of Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism.

Christianity has influenced many of modern day Western laws heavily. Specifically, Western laws reflect several of the Ten Commandments almost exactly. “Thou shalt not kill.” (Ten Commandments). This directly reflects the laws that oppose the intentional murder of a human, and our right to life as codified in The Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Charter of Rights and Freedoms). The modern day laws that emulate “Thou shalt not steal.” (Ten Commandments) are the

The laws of Islam are known as Sharia law and many of the crimes in Sharia law are also laws in modern day Canada. “Hudud crimes are seven: theft, highway robbery, zina (illicit sex), sexual slander (accusing someone of zina but failing to produce four witnesses), drinking alcohol, publicly disputing Imam, and apostasy (leaving Islam and converting to another religion or becoming an atheist).” (Crimes and the Criminal Process). The Hudud crime of theft is also a crime in Canada, although the punishment in Sharia law is the amputation of a hand rather than a fine of imprisonment. Drinking alcohol is not a direct crime in Canada but some concepts associated with drinking, like underage drinking, and driving while under the influence, are crimes. That is how Islam, specifically the Hudud crimes, influence modern Western

The laws that all Buddhists must follow are known as The Five Precepts. The first precept states that “to avoid taking the life of beings.” (Buddhist Ethics). This precept prevents the intentional murder of another human. In Canada, we have a right to life, stated in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Charter of Rights and Freedoms) which also prevents the murder of humans. The second precept says, “To avoid taking things not given.” (Buddhist Ethics) refers to stealing, shoplifting, and robbery, which are all crimes in modern Canada. That is how the Buddhist Precepts influenced modern law in