Finnish Politician Charged with Criminal Activity for Speaking Out Against LGBTQ Community

Recently, in Finland, a stunning accusation was made against a politician and pastor’s wife, Päivi Räsänen, and an Evangelical Lutheran bishop, Juhana Pohjola claiming hate speech against the LBGT community (considered a minority in Finland). Allegedly, both Räsänen and Pohjola took a biblical stance against homosexuality which offended the members of that group, who stated that the comments could potentially lead to hatred and endangerment of the community. 

This resulted in the pair being charged with criminal activity. 

Räsänen’s “illegal activities” were traced back to comments she made in a pamphlet in 2004, a TV appearance in 2018, and a tweet in 2019 in which she questioned the Lutheran Church’s support of the Pride movement.

Pohjola’s accusation stemmed from the fact that he published a booklet, “Male and Female He Created Them,” written by Räsänen, which questions the validity of same-sex marriages and compares the traditional male/female model with that of the LGBT community. 

The case went to trial in February 2022, and the verdict is expected to be released in March 2022. Räsänen is facing up to two years in prison.  

The issue here isn’t about LGBT rights; it’s about the fact that two followers of Christ were taken to court over their comments about personal religious beliefs. And Finland guarantees the right to free speech? 

Hmmm…

Unfortunately, this is happening all over the world but in a variety of other ways. We have brothers and sisters in Christ in a multitude of countries who are truly persecuted just because they believe in Jesus. It isn’t uncommon for believers to lose their homes, families, or even their lives simply for their faith. 

Our religious freedoms have been slowly eroding, and we, as Christians, have been a little too complacent. Until recently, the change has been gradual. Removing Bibles from schools, hosting extracurricular activities on Sunday mornings, and just plain apathy toward our spiritual growth and development are among the many seemingly minor blips on the radar. Still, they have had a profound impact on our spiritual decline and the impending loss of faith-based liberties.

What can we do?

• PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! We have a direct line to the God of the universe, and He is willing to listen to us anytime. Pray for our leaders, for those in the ministry, for a turnaround in our country, and for spiritual renewal. Lift up the persecuted who are suffering for their faith.

• Be faithful. Continue meeting with other Christians on a regular basis. Attend church as often as possible – corporate worship is very uplifting and keeps us focused on the truth.

• Be active. Write letters to politicians. Be brave enough to share your faith with others. Confidently stand up for what is right.

It comes as no surprise that society is changing. Many of the things we are seeing today would have been unheard of even in the last decade, let alone 50 years ago. There is a widening gap in our culture that is evolving at an alarming rate and is affecting our rights as believers. Let’s take a bold stand for our faith! God isn’t finished with us yet!