Cancelling Messiah

I thought I had seen it all when reruns of Gilligan's Island had trigger warnings before each episode, but now Handel's Messiah is the latest thing to require trigger warnings.

From Faithwire,

A school in Finland has cancelled a concert of Handel’s “Messiah” performed by the Finnish Baroque Orchestra and the Helsinki Chamber Choir over concerns the recital’s Christian themes might offend some students.

Officials with the school hosting the concert in question made the decision after learning about a case in Hämeenlinna, a Finnish city, where a child objected to songs about the life of Jesus performed at an undisclosed school. Ultimately, the National Non-Discrimination and Equality Tribunal decided the non-Christian pupils should be compensated 1,500 euros (or $1,562) for their offense, local outlets reported.

However, on Nov. 19, the city’s Education and Welfare Committee voted 6-5 no payment was due to the offended school students.

The show in Hämeenlinna was one of three performances based on faith-filled themes. The first recital was held in 2022, with subsequent recitals in 2023 and 2024. At least one non-religious student watching the 2022 show was purportedly offended.

If one is "non-religious", how can one be offended? 

Finnish news outlet Helsingin Sanomat reported the “religiosity of the concert was not announced in advance, but [the school] apologized after the concert.” It was only the first show accused of being “discriminatory.”

The title "Messiah" was not enough of an announcement of the religiosity of the concert? 

A hymn was removed from the second performance in 2023 and some apparently voiced concerns about a parish choir at the third event.

“The board also found that the educational institution had neglected its obligation to promote equality,” Helsingin Sanomat reported of the choir singing at the performance. “It held this view, inter alia, because the educational institution did not inform that the choir’s performance had been organized jointly with the congregation.”

I guess they should have invited an Imam to do prayer calls, a Rabbi to sing psalms, and a Hindu priest  to conduct a pujā.

Given the experience in Hämeenlinna, the organizers of the yet-to-be performed concert cancelled the event, citing issues with the religious overtones in the music.

"Overtones"? Once again, the title is "Messiah." 

Oh Finland, Finland, where Messiah is cancelled.