Today the Supreme Court of Finland heard the case of Päivi Räsänen, a Christian parliamentarian who was prosecuted after she criticized her church’s sponsorship of an LGBTQ Pride event.
In June 2019, Räsänen, a member of the Finnish parliament since 1995, posted an image of Romans 1:24-27 on X. In her post, she questioned how her church denomination’s official support of a Helsinki Pride event aligned with Scripture.
Räsänen says her post stemmed from her concern of the church’s stance on the infallibility of God’s Word.
“When they were supporting the pride event in Helsinki, I had a deep worry that they are leading others astray,” Räsänen told Decision in May. “Also, our young Christians, if they lose their trust on the Bible, and then it is not only about gender or marriage or these kind of issues, Biblical issues, but it is also about salvation. If they can’t trust on what God says about sin and salvation and the Gospel, then they are in danger to lose also the way to Heaven, to salvation.”
In 2021, a prosecutor brought three charges against her for her statement and for a pamphlet she wrote in 2004 called “As Man and Woman He Created Them.” Juhana Pohja, who published the document, was also prosecuted. Räsänen and Pohjola were charged under the War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity for “agitation against a minority group.” The police investigated Räsänen and interrogated her multiple times.
In 2022, the Helsinki District Court acquitted Räsänen and Pohjola, who were supported by the Christian law firm ADF International. In 2023, the Court of Appeal once again acquitted them, but the prosecutors brought the case to the Supreme Court, which in April 2024 agreed to hear the case.
“They are accusing me of hate crime,” Räsänen said. “I have told what God speaks in the Bible, it is about love because God is love. It’s not hate speech. It is love speech.”
Prior to the hearing, Franklin Graham reminded believers of the case’s nationwide influence.
“Finland’s Supreme Court will be hearing her case and considering whether she committed a crime by publicly sharing her beliefs,” Franklin posted on social media. “The outcome can have an impact on freedom of religious expression across Europe.”
During the hearing, prosecutor Mikko Männikkö argued that her “intent is irrelevant” and what matters is how those reading her statements interpreted her words. The prosecutors asked the court to convict Räsänen and Pohjola of incitement, fine Räsänen 10,000 euros, and censor her post and the 2004 church pamphlet.
Arguing that sexual orientation is innate and unchangeable, Männikkö claimed that freedom of speech does not protect such statements about homosexuality, according to a correspondent from Christian Network Europe who attended the hearing. Männikkö argued that because Räsänen is a medical doctor, her statements could appear to have more merit, which could influence and potentially harm people as they were publicly available online.
Räsänen’s attorney Matti Sankamo, who has called Männikkö’s arguments “very abstract,” defended Räsänen and referred to the Constitutional Law Committee, which ruled that “the dissemination of a religious message is an activity specifically protected under constitutional provisions safeguarding freedom of religion and freedom of expression.”
He argued that the she was being prosecuted for quoting the Bible itself, which is not a crime, and that the words shame and sin—words used in her tweet—are Biblical language. He also argued that the words were directed at church decisions or social issues, rather than intended to insult any group.
“I stand here not only to defend my own right to speak freely,” Räsänen said on the day of the hearing, “but to defend the freedom of every person to express deeply held beliefs without fear of punishment. My case will show whether quoting the Bible can become a crime in a free country. I trust that the Finnish Supreme Court will uphold the rule of law and the fundamental freedom to speak openly about faith. No one should be censored for sharing the timeless truths of Scripture.”
Following the hearing, Paul Coleman, executive director of ADF International, who serves on Räsänen’s legal team, emphasized the far-reaching nature of the case.
“In a democracy, no one should fear criminal prosecution for expressing their faith,” said Coleman. “This case is about far more than one tweet—it is about whether quoting the Bible is permissible in modern Finland. The Supreme Court now has the opportunity to affirm the foundational freedoms that protect everyone, regardless of belief.”
Räsänen told Decision that being prosecuted for her Biblical beliefs has given her a “platform to preach the Gospel,” even from the live broadcasts in the courthouses.
“What has given me the biggest joy during this process is that I have got so many messages,” she said, “and I have even met those people who have told me that when they were listening to the radio programs, the TV programs about this … they prayed to Jesus and became Christians. So there are many who have told us, especially young people.
“I have been so thankful to God that I have heard these stories because it has encouraged me so much. So I know that it was His aim. It was His purpose for this case to save people.”
