Politician on trial for sharing Bible verse, Christian views refuses to back down
A member of Finland's parliament who has faced a years-long legal battle after sharing a Bible verse on social media refuses to back down from her freedom fight.
Päivi Räsänen told "Higher Ground With Billy Hallowell" her legal battle began more than five years ago, when she challenged Finland's main religious body, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, questioning why it had "decided to support, financially and publicly" a local LGBT pride parade.
"It was a disappointment and even shock to me and many others," she said. "Many of my friends decided to resign the church, and I was also praying ... 'What should I do now?' I was very worried about this very public statement of the leadership of the church, because I was worried that it will undermine people's trust on [the] Bible and its authority."
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Räsänen decided to take to X — then Twitter — to share text from Romans 1, where the Apostle Paul addresses sexual ethics. She added a question to church leadership about their position supporting LGBT pride.
"After that, some citizen made a criminal complaint and the police started to investigate the case," Räsänen continued. "At the beginning, I didn't believe it. I just read it from the newspaper that police [had] started to investigate the case and I phoned to the policeman and he said, 'Yes, we are investigating it.'"
Then, more criminal complaints emerged, with an old pamphlet she wrote about marriage also catching negative attention. Plus, a radio program she appeared on came into the crosshairs.
"I was interrogated in the police station all together 13 hours about very theological issues — biblical issues," Räsänen said. "Police [were] asking me ... 'What is the main message of the book of Romans? And so on."
Listen to her share her shocking story:
She said it was "absurd and [a] very unreal situation" and felt like a "dream," especially considering the religious freedom available in Finland.
Those interrogations ended up landing Räsänen in court with charges filed against her.
"They [were] accusing me of breaking ... the law about agitation against minorities," Räsänen said, noting she was essentially accused of hate crimes. "We have that kind of law in Finland, as in almost all European countries."
But she said she has always affirmed "people are equal and all people are valuable, created by God in His image." Ultimately, though, she found herself facing two separate legal battles, both of which she won.
Yet, even after Räsänen was acquitted, prosecutors decided to appeal and take her case to Finland's Supreme Court — something she said was "unbelievable."
Regardless of the international nature of Räsänen's story and the chaos surrounding it, she's not willing to back down because the stakes are high.
"I think that it would have very, very dangerous consequences because I would even say that it would start the time of persecution of Christians in Finland and in European countries," Räsänen said of a potential loss at the high court. "Because then it would mean that you are not anymore allowed to agree publicly with the Bible."
She continued, "I think that the most dangerous consequence and punishment would be the ban to my writings in order to take away ... my Twitter postings and my book, and it would not be only a punishment against me, it would be also against thousands and thousands of Christians who have published similar opinions and statements."
Räsänen said the case hasn't been easy to fight, but she's committed to continuing to take a stand for her faith. Regardless of what unfolds, she said the entire ordeal is in "God's hands."
"This has been my calling," she said. "This process has given so many chances to me in public to testify about Gospel, about Jesus — who is the solution to the problem of sin."
