(OPINION) Finland seems eager to send the West spiraling back into a new and real Dark Ages of anti-Christian discrimination after putting Päivi Räsänen back on trial for simply articulating a Christian perspective on marriage and sexuality.
The Helsinki District Court previously dismissed the charges against Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola on March 30, 2022, but the state prosecutor filed an appeal, reopening the charges.
This aptly nicknamed “Bible Trial” highlights the precipitous and harrowing decline of free speech and religious liberty across what was once known as the “free world.” Päivi Räsänen is a member of the Finnish Parliament.
She has served honorably since 1995. Ms. Räsänen is also a high-profile and active member in the Finnish Lutheran Church. In 2019, Räsänen stood up to her own church leadership by publicly criticizing them on Twitter for officially sponsoring Helsinki’s LGBT Pride event.
This tweet set off an invasive investigation and thrust Räsänen’s entire life under a magnifying glass, during which she had to endure 13 hours of police questioning and was offered numerous plea deals to simply recant her words.
The government’s agenda-driven investigation found two other instances for the rogue prosecutor to charge Räsänen, including a two-minute segment on a 2019 radio show and a pamphlet she authored, and her church published, in 2004 “Man and Woman He Created Them.”
Finland’s prosecutor general eventually charged Räsänen with three counts of “agitation against a minority,” which is considered a form of “hate speech” under Finland’s crimes against humanity statute.
The bizarre prosecution even captured within its net Räsänen’s own church leader, Bishop Pohjola, who was also charged with the same crime for publishing Räsänen’s pamphlet in 2004.
If found guilty, both Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola could face up to two years in prison. The Helsinki District Court unanimously dismissed the charges, saying it was not the court’s place to “interpret biblical concepts.”
For a short time, Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola were in the clear. However, the prosecutor general appealed the court’s decision, bringing the case to the Finnish Court of Appeal on Aug. 31, 2023. After 2 tense days of arguments a verdict is now expected to be reached by Nov 30th.
As Christians, we know evil has attacked and harassed Christianity since it stoned Stephen in the shadow of the cross. Finland’s disgraceful treatment of Päivi Räsänen should be a stirring call to prayer for Christians globally, and even in the U.S., as we see the tide of hostility and persecution rising again.
Just last year, the Austin Fire Department (likely unconstitutionally) fired its longtime volunteer lead chaplain, Dr. Andrew Fox, for posting articles on his own theology website opposing boys participating in girls’ sports and criticizing the gender ideology cult from a biblical perspective.
Fortunately, Dr. Fox has the First Amendment and its hundreds of years of jurisprudence on his side, and has secured excellent legal counsel from Alliance Defending Freedom. Earlier this month, two young Christian men in Wisconsin were arrested while publicly sharing the gospel at a drag show in Wisconsin. (FULL REPORT)
