Näytetään tekstit, joissa on tunniste AND A PRACTICING LUTHERAN. Näytä kaikki tekstit
Näytetään tekstit, joissa on tunniste AND A PRACTICING LUTHERAN. Näytä kaikki tekstit

perjantai 15. marraskuuta 2019

The Persecution Of Päivi Räsänen - Update: Dec 9, 2025 - Supreme Court

Päivi Räsänen was asked during interrogations: - Explain this word; 'sin'...
The Finnish Line: The Supreme Case of Päivi Räsänen After 6 Years | March 3, 2025
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Romans 1:24-32 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) 
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their [own] hearts to sexual impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin],
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UPDATE: T=1765289537 / Human Date and time (GMT): Tuesday, 9th December 2025, 14.12.

  • A Developing Story.
  • I was interrogated for almost four hours concerning this tweet.
  • The police asked me if I agree to remove the tweet within two weeks. I answered no.
  • “The more we keep silent about these controversial topical themes, the narrower the space for freedom of speech and religion gets.”

Päivi Räsänen, Finnish lawmaker persecuted for
publicly quoting the Bible (CBN News screenshot)

NOVEMBER 15, 2019
|
11:24 AM
ROD DREHER

Päivi Räsänen is a member of the Finnish Parliament from the Christian Democratic Party, and a practicing Lutheran. She is also facing hate speech investigations for having questioned publicly her own church leaders’ decision to affirm LGBT pride.
Now, the Finnish police have expanded the investigation to consider charges against her over a 2004 pamphlet she wrote defending the Lutheran Church’s traditional teaching about marriage (which entails denying that same-sex marriage is a real marriage).

It’s worth noting that Räsänen wrote that pamphlet seven years before LGBT was added to the national hate-speech law as a protected class. 

She was investigated once before for the pamphlet, and cleared — but now she’s going to undergo another interrogation.

Here’s a screenshot of the tweet (with a translation) that started it all. I’ve cut off the entire image; it’s simply verses from the Bible that back up Räsänen’s claim. “Kirkko” is Finnish for “the Church” — in this case, the Finnish Lutheran church, in which Räsänen’s husband is a pastor:

Romans 1:24-32 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their [own] hearts to sexual impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin],
25 Because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever! Amen (so be it).
26 For this reason God gave them over and abandoned them to vile affections and degrading passions. For their women exchanged their natural function for an unnatural and abnormal one,
27 And the men also turned from natural relations with women and were set ablaze (burning out, consumed) with lust for one another—men committing shameful acts with men and suffering in their own [a]bodies and personalities the inevitable consequences and penalty of their wrong-doing and going astray, which was [their] fitting retribution.
28 And so, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or approve of Him or consider Him worth the knowing, God gave them over to a base and condemned mind to do things not proper or decent but loathsome,
29 Until they were filled (permeated and saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, iniquity, grasping and covetous greed, and malice. [They were] full of envy and jealousy, murder, strife, deceit and treachery, ill will and cruel ways. [They were] secret backbiters and gossipers,
30 Slanderers, hateful to and hating God, full of insolence, arrogance, [and] boasting; inventors of new forms of evil, disobedient and undutiful to parents.
31 [They were] without understanding, conscienceless and faithless, heartless and loveless [and] merciless.
32 Though they are fully aware of God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them themselves but approve and applaud others who practice them.

Footnotes:Romans 1:27 Webster’s New International Dictionary offers this as a definition of “selves.”Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1%3A24-32&version=AMPC

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Räsänen agreed to answer my questions via e-mail.
  
Below is our interview:
ROD DREHER: You were interrogated for four hours by the police for things you have written about Christianity and homosexuality. What did they want to know?

PÄIVI RÄSÄNEN: There are two separate police investigations, although they both have to do with freedom of religion and free speech. In both cases, the criminal offense I am suspected of is agitation against an ethnic group. 

The background of the first case is this: 
 I was shocked when I heard that the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, which I am a member of, announced its official affiliation to Helsinki LGBT Pride 2019. In June, I decided to write a tweet where I asked that how can the church’s doctrinal foundation, the Bible, be compatible with the lifting up of shame and sin as a subject of pride? 
The police started a criminal investigation about this tweet in August. I was then summoned to a police interrogation that was conducted November 1 at the Pasila Police Station, Helsinki. I was interrogated for almost four hours concerning this tweet.

The police asked me if I agree to remove the tweet within two weeks. I answered no.
I was asked about the contents of the Letter to the Romans and what I meant by saying that practicing homosexuality is a sin and a shame.

I answered that all of us are sinners, but the sinfulness of practicing homosexuality is nowadays denied. 
Teemu Laajasalo, Bishop of the Diocese of Helsinki, is the 7th Bishop of the Diocese. Bishop Laajasalo was inaugurated on November 12, 2017. The bishop is the spiritual and administrative leader of the diocese.
@teemulaajasalo , email helsinki.tuomiokapituli@evl.fi



Irja Kaarina Askola (R) is the former Bishop of Helsinki. 
She was the first female Finnish bishop in the 
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.







Antti Juhani Rinne (L) is a Finnish politician serving as
Prime Minister of Finland since 2019 and Leader
of the Social Democratic Party since 2014.

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Raija Toiviainen is a Bachelor of Laws and a LL.M.,
who has been the Prosecutor General of Finland since 2018.
Previously she was Deputy Prosecutor General and State Prosecutor.Toiviainen graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1980.

_


"In her CV Mrs. Toiviainen announces that
her guru is Nelson Mandela.







Nelson Mandela and ANC have become almost synonymous


___

The other police investigation has to do with 

 "FOR THE MAN AND THE WOMAN HE CREATED THEM - Homosexuality challenges the Christian concept of man"

The investigation started inu Agust this year. I have not yet been summoned to the interrogation concerning the pamphlet, but I have understood that it is likely to take place in December. The content of the pamphlet is quite the same as my tweet’s.


The pamphlet is a publication of Suomen Luther-säätiö [The Lutheran Foundation Finland] from 2004. It takes a stand on ecclesiastical policy, social policy, sexuality and marriage from a Christian perspective. It is noteworthy that previously, in October, the police already concluded that there was no need for an investigation, as there was no reason to believe that a crime had been committed.


The Prosecutor General, who was requested to re-evaluate this matter, reached a different conclusion than the police. According to the Prosecutor General, there is reason to believe that because of the defamation of homosexuals by the violation of their human dignity, I am guilty of incitement to hatred against a group.
According to the Criminal Code of our country:
Criminal Code, Section 10: Agitation against an ethnic group “A person who makes available to the public or otherwise spreads among the public or keeps available for the public information, an expression of opinion or another message where a certain group is threatened, defamed or insulted on the basis of its race, skin colour, birth status, national or ethnic origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation or disability or a comparable basis, shall be sentenced for ethnic agitation to a fine or to imprisonment for at most two years”.

By the way, this section in our legislation came into force just in 2011, that is seven years after writing the pamphlet.

According to the information I have received, these police investigations will lead to consideration of charges, which will result probably in a prosecution.

It is impossible for me to think that the classical Christian views and the doctrine of the majority of denominations would become illegal. The question here is about the core of Christian faith; how a person gets saved into unity with God and into everlasting life though the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus. Therefore, it is crucial to also talk about the nature of sin.

RD: Is it effectively against the law in Finland to speak about basic Christian beliefs concerning homosexuality?

PR: The law does not prohibit this, and it is legal to speak and preach about what the Bible teaches. Freedom of religion is strongly guaranteed both in our Constitution and in the International Human Rights Treaties. However, more and more so, it seems to be that expressing opinions relating to, for example, marriage belonging between one man and one woman, or the sinfulness of homosexual acts, is politically incorrect, subject to silencing, and frowned upon. My case is a precedent. The Bible is a totally legal book and our church’s doctrinal foundation, according to our law.

Our Church Act states that “All doctrine must be examined and evaluated according to God’s Holy Word.” When our Parliament was discussing the Church Act this autumn, I read aloud the exact same verses from the Letter to the Romans that I cited in my tweet that led to the police investigation. I did this because I thought it was necessary for the parliamentarians to pay attention to the fact that although there were some minor changes proposed to the Church Act, most of the Act stayed the same. The Act still prescribes that the Lutheran Church confesses the Bible-based Christian faith.

This means that the Parliament has not only allowed the Church to confess its faith in its doctrine and action, it prescribes it to do so. The General Synod is the highest decision-making body of the Church. The General Synod makes key decisions relating to the Church’s doctrine and ministry. It has an important legislative function, drafting and presenting Church law for approval or rejection by the Finnish Parliament.

The Christian view of man is currently attacked, whether we think of questions relating to sexuality and gender, protection of life, or concepts such as man or woman, boy or girl. This is sad, as the foundation of the Finnish legislation and civilization lie in Christianity. In these questions we are at the core of unalienable truths. God created man in His own image – therefore human life is sacred and worthy of protection from the beginning to the end and meant to bring glory to God. Our legislation may change, but the laws of nature do not change, nor does the Word of God. As a Christian, I believe it is always the right time to speak about the truths of the Word of God.

I have emphasized that my purpose was in no way to insult sexual minorities. My criticism was aimed to the leadership of the church. As a Christian, I think that if someone expresses an opinion that is against my faith or my conscience, it does not mean that I have been threatened, defamed or insulted the way the Criminal Code means it. As we are living in a democratic country, we must be able to disagree and express our disagreement. We have to be able to cope with speech that we feel insults our feelings. Many questions are so debatable and contradictory that we have to have the possibility of discussing. Otherwise the development is towards a totalitarian system, with only one correct view.
RD: What do the Finnish people think about this? Do they favor the government’s position, and if so, why?
PR: My tweet created a huge uproar and the police investigations have got a lot of attention. The current government of Finland is not involved with my cases in any way. The criminal complaints done against me have been done by Finnish citizens. The criminal investigations are conducted by the police. The judiciary, which is a completely separate body from the government, interprets and applies the law in Finland.
I am surprised that the investigations continue on these cases that have deeply to do with freedom of religion and free speech. I do not see I would have committed a crime, as I believe that many Finns still consider for example marriage as a contract between a man and a woman. The problem is that many of the conservative-minded people are silent about these issues, whereas the advocacy groups of sexual minorities are very aggressive and well organized, and have strongly affected the development of the church, the media and people’s minds. The media’s viewpoint is biased, and it tends continually to give more space and voice to liberal perspectives regarding these issues.
I have to say that I have had amazingly much support from Christians, both from Finland and from abroad, so there seems to be a lot of understanding towards the values I present.
It nevertheless seems that Finnish people are quite divided regarding these issues that have deeply to do with values, and the majority expresses quite liberal thoughts. Out current government is also liberal and the government has announced that an act on the legal recognition of gender based on self-determination will be enacted and the requirement of infertility will be removed from the act. This means that a person’s gender could be changed simply by one’s own application, based on the person’s experience of representing the other gender. I must say that as a medical doctor, Christian and parliamentarian, this kind of policy developments are bad and must not take place.
RD: Do you foresee persecution coming for Finland’s Christians?
PR: If expressing Bible-based views will become more intolerable and considered to have the constituent elements of agitation against an ethnic group, then spreading the Bible or offering access to it should logically be criminalized.
Already at the moment it seems that especially the young people are afraid that if you are labelled as a Bible-believing Christian, it will hinder your career and social acceptance. In my opinion, it is specifically Christianity that is being attacked and will be attacked even more aggressively in the future.

We are clearly living in a time when the core of the Christianity is being questioned.
A major threat for the freedom of religion is that we don’t exercise this right. These police investigations raise concerns about limiting our basic freedoms that have been guaranteed to all of us, also MPs, in our Constitution and International Human Right Treaties. We have to know our rights and use them!
I hope these criminal investigations won’t lead to self-censorship among Christians. I am worried that the police investigations might have a chilling effect among Christians. It seems that many Christians in my country are now hiding and going to the closet now that the LGBT community has come out to the public. I am concerned that in the future Christians will have a higher threshold at citing the Bible or presenting teachings based on the Bible. The more we keep silent about these controversial topical themes, the narrower the space for freedom of speech and religion gets.
RD: In the US, gay rights advocates years ago spoke of the necessity of “tolerance.” But we have found that once they gain power, many of them are extremely intolerant. I was just in Russia for 10 days. It is incredible to watch the faces of ordinary Russians when I tell them how far LGBT activism has gone in the US (for example, Drag Queen Story Hour, and Christians losing their jobs and businesses for opposing LGBT claims). What is happening in the West?
PR: I believe that ultimately the purpose of these attacks is to eliminate the Word of God and discard the Law of God. It is very problematic that expressing Christian beliefs is often seen as insulting in the West. For example, marriage between a man and a woman has become a concept that is understood as restrictive, even threatening. Concepts such as man and woman, father and mother, are dearly loved concepts, and as old as the history of humanity. The attempt to break down the gender system based on two different genders hurts especially children. It is unfortunate how uncritically the ideology of sexual diversity and LGBT activism has been supported and endorsed even by churches.
I believe that every person has the right to hear the whole truth of God’s Word, both the Gospel and the Law. Only people who recognize their sins need Jesus, the propitiation for our sins. We must have the courage to speak about the dangerous effects of LGBT activism. Debatable themes such as immoral sexual relations have to do with guilt. Guilt cannot be solved by denying it, but only by confessing it and receiving mercy and the message of forgiveness in Jesus’ sacrifice. It is impossible to think that classical Christian doctrine would become illegal in the West.

RD: What is coming next in your case?
PR: After the police have finished the criminal investigations, the police will send their decision to the Prosecutor General, who will decide on whether to raise charges or not. Depending on the decision of the Prosecutor General, the cases will be handled by district court. The court either disapproves or approves the charges. It is possible to apply to the higher courts if the defendant disagrees with the court’s decision.
Irrespective of the outcome of the criminal investigations, I am going to use my freedom of religion, which is strongly guaranteed both in our Constitution and in the International Human Right Treaties, and publicly speak about the teachings of God’s Holy Word in the future. I encourage others to do the same. We must not be intimidated. If the Prosecutor General raises charges against me, it is likely that this will be a process of several years.
In all this I have a completely calm mind. “…in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 56:11)
—


Here is a link to Päivi Räsänen’s website in English, with contact information. 


// Update Dec 09, 2025:

In English

Welcome to my homepage!

 

I have been in the Finnish Parliament as a MP since 1995. I hold the degree of Licentiate of Medicine and my civilian profession is a medical doctor. From 2004 to 2015, I was the chair of the Finnish Christian Democrats. From June 2011 to May 2015, I held the office of the Minister of the Interior of Finland. As the Minister of the Interior, I was responsible for internal security and migration, church affairs at the Ministry of Education and Culture and matters relating to customs in the Ministry of Finance.

The Christian Democratic Party of Finland, found in 1958, is a worldwide political movement. The party has 15 district organizations and special organizations for women, young people, immigrants and Swedish-speaking people. Important issues for our party are the well-being of families, pro-life values, a social market economy, taking care of the nature, promoting entrepreneurship and work. I want to build the society on the basis of lasting values, love for one’s neighbour, respect of human dignity, taking care of the poor, work, honesty and diligence.

I have written seven books and some of them have also been translated into English.

I live in Riihimäki with my husband Niilo. We have five grown-up children and 12 grandchildren. Niilo is Doctor of Theology, pastor, and headmaster of Kansanlähetysopisto.

I enjoy spending my free-time in the beautiful nature of Finland. During the winter-time I enjoy skiing.

The party membership is open to everyone who agrees with the objects of our Party.

Contact information

Päivi Räsänen MP
Address: Parliament of Finland
FIN-00102 EDUSKUNTA
Tel: +358 9 432 3065
Gsm: +358 (0)50 511 3065
Email: paivi.rasanen(at)eduskunta.fi

Parliamentary assistant

Ossi Lehtihuhta
Address: Parliament of Finland
FIN-00102 EDUSKUNTA
GSM: +358 505633547
Email: ossi.lehtihuhta(at)eduskunta.fi

Party Office
Address: Karjalankatu 2 C 7th floor
FIN – 00520 HELSINKI
Tel: +358 9 348 822 00
Fax: +358 9 348 822 28
Email: kd(at)kd.fi

Articles & speeches

Dr. Päivi Räsänen, Member of Parliament, at the Supreme Court on Thursday, 30 October 2025

Press release

Helsinki, 30 October 2025

The Supreme Court held an oral hearing today, Thursday, in the long-running trial of Päivi Räsänen, Member of Parliament. The eight-term MP was charged with incitement against a group of people.

“The concepts of sin and shame from the Epistle to the Romans were raised again during the hearing. The prosecutor considered the use of these concepts to be offensive to human dignity,” Räsänen said.

State Prosecutor Mikko Männikkö and Special Prosecutor Krista Mannerkoski demanded 100 days of fines and the removal of both a tweet written by Räsänen in 2019 and the pamphlet “Male and female He created them” published by the Luther Foundation Finland in 2004. In the tweet, Räsänen criticised the participation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (ELCF, national Church) in a Pride parade. The pamphlet was published by the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland (ELMDF), whose bishop, Juhana Pohjola, was also summoned to appear before the Supreme Court.

In 2022, the Helsinki District Court dismissed all charges against Räsänen. In November 2023, the Helsinki Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed all charges against Räsänen, stating that the content of the texts was not unlawful and that the purpose of the writings was not to defame or slander homosexual people.

The Supreme Court’s decision is of great significance for freedom of speech and religion in Finland.

“The upcoming Supreme Court decision will set a precedent for Christians’ right to adhere to the teachings of the Bible in the future,” Räsänen continued.

Päivi Räsänen has served as a Member of Parliament since 1995, as chair of the Christian Democrats (2004–2015) and as Minister of the Interior (2011–2015).

The case has attracted widespread national and international attention. The trial was followed by a large number of domestic and international media outlets. In the morning, more than a hundred people gathered at the well-known Havis Amanda statue, near the Supreme Court, to express their support for Räsänen.

“Before God, we are all on the same level. The Bible is reliable in what it teaches about sin and human salvation for eternal life,” Räsänen concluded.


For further information and interview requests:

Ossi Lehtihuhta

Parliamentary Assistant

+358 50 563 3547

ossi.lehtihuhta@eduskunta.fi

 

Parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen at the Supreme Court of Finland on Thursday, 30 October 2025

Press release

Helsinki, 29 October 2025

The historic and long-running trial against Päivi Räsänen will soon reach its conclusion. The eight-term Member of Parliament will appear before the Supreme Court of Finland on Thursday, 30 October 2025, charged with incitement against an ethnic / minority group.

– The upcoming decision will set a precedent for the freedom of Christians to uphold the teachings of the Bible, Räsänen states.

The case is significant in terms of freedom of speech as enshrined in the Finnish Constitution. In 2022, the Helsinki District Court dismissed all charges against Räsänen. In November 2023, the Helsinki Court of Appeal also unanimously dismissed all charges against Räsänen, stating that the content of the texts was not unlawful and that the purpose of the writings was not to insult or offend homosexual people.

However, the Prosecutor General appealed these decisions and took the case to the Supreme Court. An oral hearing will be held this Thursday.

– It is downright confusing that I have had to defend my views rooted in classical Christianity, both in police interrogations as well as in court hearings. I am happy to talk about the teachings of Jesus, but in a state based on the rule of law, no-one should be charged for having a “wrong” interpretation of the Bible or be pressured to give up their stance, Räsänen continues

According to the Prosecutor, the booklet written by Räsänen and published by the Finnish Luther Foundation in 2004 “Male and female He created them” and Räsänen’s tweet about the Evangelical Lutheran Church of  Finland’s participation in the Pride parade are hate speech against homosexuals. The Supreme Court will no longer hear the charges related to the 2019 radio discussion, which the Prosecutor has dropped.

Päivi Räsänen has been a member of Parliament since 1995, chair of the Christian Democrats (2004–2015) and Minister of the Interior (2011–2015), when her responsibilities also included church affairs.

The case has attracted widespread national and international attention, and several human rights experts have expressed concern about the state of freedom of speech in Finland. The international press will also be attending the trial. A support rally will be held in front of the courthouse.

– I am going to the Supreme Court with a calm and confident mind, it is an honour to defend the freedom of speech and the freedom of religion, Räsänen concludes.

 

PRESS RELEASE

19 April 2024

Member of Parliament, Dr. Päivi Räsänen:

I will continue to fight for freedom of speech before the Supreme Court of Finland

The Supreme Court has today announced that it will give the Prosecutor General the permission to appeal the unanimous acquittal of the Helsinki Court of Appeal concerning the charges about my statements.

I have however a peaceful mind and I am ready to continue to defend free speech and freedom of religion before the Supreme Court, and if need be, also before the European Court of Human Rights.

The Helsinki Court of Appeal dismissed all the charges in its ruling in November 2023 and stated that the intent of my writings and communication was not to defame or slander anyone, nor did they contain anything illegal. Also, on 30th March 2022, the Helsinki District Court rejected all the charges against me and stated that my texts did not even contain the untruthful claims the prosecutor had put in my mouth.

Altogether six judges from two courts have not found anything illegal from my texts, but now the Supreme Court will also examine the texts. I can only understand this all from the point of view that this case is a precedent. This court case is historic for freedom of expression and religion. At the core of the trial is the question of whether it is allowed to share the teaching of the Bible and publicly agree with them.

The acquittal from the Supreme Court would establish a stronger legal precedent on freedom of expression and religion compared to the rulings of the lower instance courts. This would then serve as a legal guide regarding any similar charges in the future. It would also more strongly secure the freedom of Christians to speak about the Bible’s teachings. The ruling of the Supreme Court would have an impact on legislation in Europe and it would affect the rulings of other courts in Europe.

In my case the investigation has lasted almost five years, has involved untrue accusations, several long police interrogations totaling more than 13 hours, preparations for court hearings, the District Court hearing, and a hearing in the Court of Appeal. This was not just about my opinions, but about everyone’s freedom of expression. I hope that with the ruling of the Supreme Court, others would not have to undergo the same ordeal. I have considered it a privilege and an honor to defend freedom of expression, which is a fundamental right in a democratic state.

The process started with a tweet I made in June 2019, where I directed a question to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland that had signed up to support a Pride event. The main content of my post was a photo of verses 24-27 of Romans chapter 1 of the New Testament. The target of my criticism was not a minority, but the leadership of my own denomination. On 22 April 2021, the Prosecutor General brought charges against me for three different acts. The other two were my pamphlet ”Male and female He created them”, published in 2004, and a radio interview with Ruben Stiller, broadcast in 2019. Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Missionary Diocese of Finland was also charged for being responsible for publishing and making available the pamphlet.

 

Press release

12 January 2024

Member of Parliament, Dr. Päivi Räsänen:

I am ready to defend free speech and freedom of religion also before the Supreme Court of Finland.

The Prosecutor General has today announced that he will ask the Supreme Court for permission to appeal the unanimous acquittal of the Court of Appeal issued on 14th November 2023. This decision totally surprised me. I am confident and calm. I am ready to continue to defend free speech and freedom of religion before the Supreme Court of Finland, and if need be, also before the European Court of Human Rights.

The Helsinki Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed all charges in its ruling in November 2023 and stated that the intent of my writings and communication was not to defame or slander anyone, nor did they contain anything illegal. Earlier, on 30th March 2022, the Helsinki District Court rejected all charges against me and stated that my texts did not even contain the untruthful claims the prosecutor had placed into my mouth.

Altogether six judges from two courts did not find anything illegal in my texts, but now the Prosecutor wants the Supreme Court to also examine the texts. I can only understand all of this from the point of view that the case is a precedent. This court case is historic for freedom of expression and religion. For the first time in a criminal case, the court has to weigh in on whether teachings linked to the Bible can be brought forth and publicly agreed with.

A possible acquittal from the Supreme Court would establish a legal precedent on freedom of expression and religion. This would then serve as a legal guide regarding any similar charges in the future. The ruling of the Supreme Court would have a significant impact on legislation in Europe. It would also more strongly secure the freedom of Christians to speak about the Bible’s teachings.

In my case the investigation has involved untrue accusations, several long police interrogations totaling more than 13 hours, preparations for court hearings, the District Court hearing, and a hearing in the Court of Appeal. This has not been about a matter of my  own opinions, but about everyone’s freedom of expression. I hope that with this ruling, others will not have to undergo the same ordeal. I have considered it a privilege and an honour to defend freedom of expression, which is a fundamental right in a democratic state.

This process started with a tweet I wrote in June 2019, where I directed a question to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland that had signed up to support a Pride event. The main content of my post was a photo of verses 24-27 of Romans chapter 1 of the New Testament. The target of my criticism was not a minority, but the leadership of my own denomination. On 22 April 2021, the Prosecutor General brought charges against me for three different acts. The other two were my pamphlet ”Male and female He created them”, published in 2004, and a radio interview with Ruben Stiller, broadcast in 2019. Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Missionary Diocese of Finland was also charged for being responsible for publishing and making available this pamphlet.

SOURCE:

https://www.paivirasanen.fi/en/ 

End of Update Dec 09, 2025\\



What’s happening to her in Finland is not merely about Finland.
It’s about all of us.

Remember her words: “The more we keep silent about these controversial topical themes, the narrower the space for freedom of speech and religion gets.”

Silence means collaboration in your own eventual persecution. Notice too that the hostility to this Christian woman is also coming from within her own church, because she stands up for what the church claims to believe. She’s a prophet.

By the way, CBN News interviewed her a couple of weeks ago. Here’s that piece.

Watch it and think about how it is that this slight, soft-spoken Finnish woman — a doctor and mother of five — has more courage than many, many of us American Christians:


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rod Dreher is a senior editor at The American Conservative. He has written and edited for the New York Post, The Dallas Morning News, National Review, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Washington Times, and the Baton Rouge Advocate. Rod’s commentary has been published in The Wall Street Journal, Commentary, the Weekly Standard, Beliefnet, and Real Simple, among other publications, and he has appeared on NPR, ABC News, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and the BBC. He lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with his wife Julie and their three children. He has also written four books, The Little Way of Ruthie Leming, Crunchy Cons, How Dante Can Save Your Life, and The Benedict Option.

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  • Avatar
    Kessler  6 hours ago  edited

    “A person who makes available to the public... ...information, an expression of opinion or another message where a certain group is threatened, defamed or insulted on the basis of its race, skin colour, birth status, national or ethnic origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation or disability or a comparable basis...”.
    How is Prosecutor General claiming, that expression of religious doctrine is criminal, wouldn't be against Criminal Code? This is a clear cut case of expressing an opinion, which threatens and defames a group, based on their religion. Replace Christianity with any other religion in this situation, and they'd be up in arms, calling for apology and retraction. Mulsims in UK schools case, certainly weren't just taking it, for which I respect them. Why with Christians, it is always "Please, believe me, I'm not a bigot" and never "How dare you defame and threaten me, because of my beliefs!" Well, Doctor Räsänen seems to be of the latter kind, but that she isn't getting mass support from her community is shameful.






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      It's another sad sad reminder.
      California's informal Empire of Degeneracy has imposed its sick culture throughout the areas formerly occupied by Western Civilisation.
      The only resistance comes now from places that view marxism and the American secular-liberal elites* as an alien hostile force (e.g., the South, and parts of Middle America; Poland, Romania, Russia, etc.).
      (* "elites" - latin for well-groomed white trash)





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        Seems to me that the problem is that there's a Church Act to start with, inviting the government to veer out of its lane and into religious affairs. Finland is the one country where an Orthodox Church is required by law the celebrated on the Western date. Even the Bolshevils didn't do that. If a government can legislate that it it can legislate what the Bible means. Ugh! Separation of Church and State, folks - it's your friend.





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          When homosexuals tell you "don't worry this won't affect you" they are lying. It has and it will. They will not leave you alone no matter what you do. They fully intend to persecute us and do every chance they get.




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            Chris in Appalachia  5 hours ago

            Rod, let's get to the heart of the matter. Who lobbied Finland's government to legalize these anti-free speech hate laws? Who were the groups, group leaders, individuals, and financiers? And other Western nations. As traditional-minded Christians we deserve to know who our persecutors are by name. A list of names. For instance, in America one of the organizations would possibly be the SPLC. And, I learned in TAC recently that the Washington Post ran at least one article favoring the curtailment of First Amendment rights. That rag is owned by Jeff Bezos, so there is another name. But I wonder if people are afraid to compile a list like that because, I estimate, a majority of the financiers and activists would have something in common too taboo to mention.




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              I fully believe that the state should not punish anti-LBGT expression. It would help if those who oppose whatever LBGT-friendly pubic policy would explain how others will be harmed by them. To most of us, bathroom bills and restricting marriage to hetero-sex couples just seems queer if not malicious.




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                Interesting. According to the most recent Human Freedom Index, Finland ranks number 5 in the world in terms of "Personal Freedom" (as opposed to "Economic Freedom"). And yet freedom of speech - about the most basic personal freedom - in Finland seems to be under threat.




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                  So why aren't our Orthodox clergy in Finland also being attacked for "hate speech"? Aren't they articulating the Faith?




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                    Rob G  3 hours ago

                    Rod, Rod. This is isn't persecution, it's "just the natural consequence of holding to a minority viewpoint in a culture that rejects that viewpoint." (eyeroll)





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                      Fran Macadam  2 hours ago

                      A few years ago, opinions were published in The Mennonite, the official journal of Mennonite Church USA, that expressed the hope that one day soon, people with our opinions about traditional marriage and sin will be imprisoned for our beliefs. Then, a doxxing and purge by radicals started, which they excused by claiming that defending historical Christian morals represented an assault on women, causing them to fear for their lives.
                      In none of this was objective truth important, only total victory by crushing dissent through personal destruction. They admitted following Alinsky's Rules for Radicals, which permit any means as long as effective.
                      Later on, the The Mennonite published articles claiming that conservative Christians were the real murderers behind the homosexual Islamicist's slaughter at the Pulse Night Club. They claimed the drug and sex hookup facility was "our most sacred space." After the mass murder by a domestic and foreign Islamicist at the San Bernadino government office, they published articles by Christian Peacemaker Teams that "all violence is White." Officials in Canada, including politicians, called for outright banning of the Bible, "a hate document unacceptable in a modern, multicultural state."
                      On our recent sojourn to our Indian Reservation, outside social workers have been agitating for teaching the residents' children how to engage in perverse acts against indigenous culture, falsely claiming native culture has always embraced a "two spirits" celebration of transgenderism and homosexuality. Nothing could be further from the truth, but the bald lie is fearlessly asserted and propagated by the Canadian government, which administers The Indian Act in that country, making people fear retaliation should they speak out.













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