Finland Prosecutes Legislator, Bishop For Quoting Bible On Homosexuality
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
HELSINKI/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – A Christian Finnish legislator and a bishop who publicly quoted the Bible on homosexuality are back in court after prosecutors appealed their acquittal of “incitement” against a minority.
The trial of legislator Päivi Räsänen, a former minister of the interior, and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola, has also been followed in Hungary, where in recent days, demonstrators expressed their support for the two Fins.
Hungarians rallied in front of the Finnish embassy in Budapest in a protest organized by Sára Kulifai, a prominent Christian editor at the Hungarian weekly Hetek.
She said Räsänen faced prosecution because she used Bible verses when criticizing the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland’s official participation in “LGBT+ Pride” celebrations. The case resonates in Hungary, where the conservative government banned perceived “LGBT+ propaganda” in schools and media if it targets minors, despite European Union criticism.
Charges against Räsänen related to perceived anti-LGBT+ remarks, including on social media when she quoted Bible verse Romans 1:24–27, calling homosexual acts “shameful lusts.”
In 2019, Räsänen published a photograph of the verse written by Apostle Paul on the networking site X, then known as Twitter, while asking why the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church supported Finland’s Pride Week. The charges also cited an article published online and in a radio interview she gave.
CHRISTIAN NOTION
Prosecutors also raised concerns about Räsänen’s 23-page booklet titled “Male and Female He Created Them.” Bishop Pohjola is being charged for publishing Räsänen’s brochure, which argues against same-sex marriage on Biblical grounds.
The publications contrast LGBT+ identities with the “Christian notion” of being human, prosecutors said.
Last year, the Helsinki District Court found both Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland not guilty.
Yet, the prosecution appealed the ruling, arguing that the court had “misinterpreted” Räsänen’s comments and reached an incorrect conclusion.
The prosecution claimed that the use of the word “sin” in Räsänen’s booklet was “degrading” and that her interpretation of Bible verses was “criminal.”
“The point isn’t whether it is true or not but that it is insulting,” the prosecution reportedly stated. “We can limit freedom of expression in the outward expression of religion,” the prosecution added. “You can cite the Bible, but it is Räsänen’s interpretation and opinion about the Bible verses that are criminal.”
CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS
Räsänen has been a member of the Finnish parliament since 1995 and was reelected in April 2023. She also served as the chair of the Christian Democrats from 2004 to 2015 and was the Minister of the Interior from 2011 to 2015.
As Minister of the Interior, Räsänen was responsible for church affairs in Finland, which recently joined the NATO military alliance
Räsänen insists she has no ill will toward the LGBT+ community and claims those accusing her of hate speech dabble in hatred. “We all are sinners, and we need Jesus. But now, I think there is a heavy hatred against Christian values in our society.”
Räsänen earlier told Christian media that if you speak about gender issues — “that there are two genders or that marriage belongs to one woman and one man — it arouses hatred against you in our society.”
However, Räsänen remained hopeful when she arrived at the court this month. “Everyone should be able to share their beliefs without fearing censorship by state authorities. With God’s help, I will remain steadfast,” Räsänen told her supporters.
That is music to the ears of Kulifai, the journalist organizing the protest in Budapest. “We won’t let any state or persecutor censor, cancel, or cherry-pick what we can or cannot quote out of the Bible,” she told Worthy News earlier.
“Jesus said to proclaim the Good News and proclaim truth, and Christians will continue to do so.”
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