Worldwide, free speech is being attacked, especially for anyone who identifies as a conservative or a Christian. In Finland, a senior politician who was acquitted twice for so-called hate speech for quoting the Bible might face court again.
Finnish Public Prosecutor Päivi Räsänen could be in court for a third time if Finland’s Supreme Court decides to hear the case. The former interior minister and leader of Finland’s Christian Democratic Party was unanimously acquitted last November and March 2022.
In 2019, Räsänen was charged with “hate speech” for sharing her Christian views on marriage and gender in an X post and a radio discussion.
In an X post from 2019, Räsänen made comments regarding her church participating in Helsinki Pride, which she strongly disagreed with.
Kirkko, jonka jäsen olen, on ilmoittanut olevansa SETA:n Helsinki Pride 2019 virallinen kumppani. Miten kirkon oppiperusta, Raamattu, sopii yhteen aatteen kanssa, jossa häpeä ja synti nostetaan ylpeyden aiheeksi?… https://t.co/dSGNJqdf9F
— Päivi Räsänen (@PaiviRasanen) June 17, 2019
The tweet led to Räsänen being interrogated on four separate occasions for hate speech in 2019. She was charged under a law regarding “war crimes and crimes against humanity,” according to Zero Hedge.
Räsänen has in no way kept her faith a secret. In 2020, she was also interrogated by police for a booklet she wrote titled “Male and Female He Created Them: Homosexual relations challenge the Christian concept of humanity.”
In 2020, Räsänen stated that she believed she was being targeted as a way to reduce free speech and freedom of religion.
“After my full exoneration in two courts, I’m not afraid of a hearing before the Supreme Court,” Räsänen said in a statement. “Even though I am fully aware that every trial carries risks, an acquittal from the Supreme Court would set an even stronger positive precedent for everyone’s right to free speech and religion.”
“And if the Court decided to overturn the lower courts’ acquittals, I am ready to defend freedom of speech and religion as far as the European Court of Human Rights, if necessary,” she added.
In 2022, Räsänen told The Christian Post that she was shocked that she would be attacked just because of her Christian views on marriage and gender. She stated that the world was changing, especially in Western countries.
Räsänen is correct that the world is changing. Long gone are the days when people trusted actual science and knew there were only two genders. If anyone dares to challenge the woke crowd’s irrational ideation, they are called bigots or charged with a hate crime. One thing that can be learned from Räsänen is to always stand for truth.
