I have been following the case of Finnish MP, Päivi Räsänen, for several years. The persecution that she has been subjected to because she dared to go against the LGBTQrstuv+etc agenda from a Christian worldview is something that is hard to believe.
From Christianity Today,
The consequences of one tweet posted seven years ago continue to reverberate for Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen, who is at the centre of an ongoing legal case for “hate speech”.
In 2019 Räsänen, who is also a former government minister, sent out a tweet questioning the appropriateness of the Evangelical Lutheran Church being a sponsor for a Pride event in Helsinki.
Her tweet also included an image of a Bible verse from Romans chapter 1, which states, “The men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.”
In 2021 Räsänen was charged with “agitation against a minority group” under the section of the Finnish criminal code that deals with “war crimes and crimes against humanity”. The charges related to the tweet, to her comments in a radio debate, and to a church pamphlet published in 2004. The co-publisher of the pamphlet, Bishop Juhana Pohjola, was also charged.
In the debate and the pamphlet, Räsänen argued that, according to the Bible, marriage is between one man and one woman and that homosexual relationships are sinful.
Both Räsänen and Pohjola were acquitted of all charges in 2022 and again in 2023. However the prosecutor has appealed yet again, taking the case to the Supreme Court, which is set to hear oral arguments on 30 October.
One of the key issues in the trial is Räsänen’s use of the word “sin”. Described as hateful and insulting by the prosecution, Räsänen’s defence notes this is the term used in the Bible and that as such it is not her that is on trial, but the Bible itself.
The Finnish State prosecutor, Anu Mantila, said, “You can cite the Bible, but it is Räsänen’s interpretation and opinion about the Bible verses that are criminal."
This is a perfect illustration of the dangers of hate speech laws.
Even if the Supreme Court rules in her favor, the prosecutor's dogged pursuit of this case sends a chilling message to everyone in Finland that you do not dare to argue against the LGBTQrstuv+etc agenda from a Biblical worldview.
Could it happen here?
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For those who wish to read in the Bible, yes "The letter to the Romans, Chapter 1, verses 25 - 32, D.B. Hart, second edition; or "The Epistle to the Romans, "The wrath of God against sin, Chapter 1, verses 24 - 32, King James Version.
ReplyDelete"Hate speech" laws had their beginnings in Europe as laws against Holocaust denial. Now, I find denial of the clear facts of what was done to Jews by Nazis is repugnant. But should it be illegal to be ill-informed and hate-filled? Acting upon hatreds is another matter, but prohibiting speech leads, as we see, to the re-definition of "hate" to include the foundational teachings which built western civilization.
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