A Finnish politician has been under fire and on trial after sharing Bible verses supporting traditional marriage. Päivi Räsänen, a member of Finland’s parliament, has spent more than six years locked in a highly-publicized legal battle that has placed Scripture center-stage.
Räsänen told The Christian Post the chaos began in 2019 when the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland reportedly announced support for a local LGBT pride event. Räsänen, an outspoken Christian, was stunned by the decision — and decided to speak out.
”It was a shock to me and to many other Christians, and I even thought about resigning [from] the church,” she said. “But I was praying and I got a strong vision that I have to speak. And then I took a photo from the Bible from the first chapter of Romans, verses 24 to 27, where Apostle Paul teaches about the same-sex relationships and calls them sinful and shameful.”
Räsänen posted the verses to her then-Twitter account and challenged the church’s support of the pride event.
Almost immediately, the politician faced intense pushback, with offended citizens filing a criminal complaint — and that complaint led to police investigations and interrogation. Soon, a pamphlet she wrote years earlier, titled “Male and Female He Created Them,” also came under fire.
This was especially ironic considering Räsänen previously served as Finland’s minister of the interior, a role that gave her control over law enforcement.
“It was so absurd because, just some years before, I was in charge of the police and I had visited the same police station as a minister of interior,” she said. “And then I was sitting there in the police station, interrogated about my faith.”
Räsänen continued, “It felt very, very absurd that this could happen in Finland.”
She said she was told to delete her tweets, remove her booklet, and apologize. But Räsänen refused and held her ground.
“I said that ‘I will not apologize,” she said. “It’s not only my view; it is what the word of God says.”
Police reportedly didn’t find anything criminal in Räsänen’s writings, but the nation’s prosecutor general filed charges under the nation’s hate-speech laws. This led Räsänen to face two separate trials, which she won.
The politician soon learned that the prosecutor would appeal to Finland’s Supreme Court, with the case slated to be heard this October. Räsänen, who is resolute and plans to continue defending her biblical views, said her case has international implications.
“The prosecutor general has herself said that, if I would lose the case, finally it would mean that it would not be allowed in Finland to agree with the Bible — with these issues,” Räsänen said. “So you can cite the Bible, but if you say that you agree with the Bible, then it would be illegal.”
With this in mind, Räsänen said winning her case is “crucial” to protect not only her rights, but the religious rights of everyone in Finland — and beyond.
“If I would lose, it would mean … starting a time of persecution of Christians in Finland and also in Europe,” she said. “Because they are waiting for the result as well in other European countries.”
The international community has paid close attention to Räsänen’s ordeal, with Christians closely monitoring how the Supreme Court will rule. Despite the challenges along the way, Räsänen said she has been inspired to see the case turn people toward the Lord.
“This whole process has opened up such chances, such possibilities to speak in public about God’s Word and also about the Gospel … that I would never have gotten without this,” she said. “So I should be grateful to the prosecutor general, because I have had the possibility to bear witness to Christ in front of the police, and in court, and also in the media.”
Räsänen continued, “And there are many people who have told me that they have found Christ through this process — also some LGBT people.”
With her trial soon coming, the politician is asking the public for prayers and hopes for more opportunities to share her faith. In the end, victory, she believes, will yield freedom for all.
“It is important, not only for me, but also for other Christians and other people in Finland,” Räsänen said.
