Lutheran bishop and member of parliament in Finland

Christ is in our midst!!

I don't know if our members are aware of a trial that has jut concluded in Finland involving the Lutheran bishop and a member of parliament. The two are on trial for expressing traditional Christian teaching on marriage--that it is between one man and one woman only. They are being accused of hate speech against the LGBTQ community. Some articles analyzing this situation have suggested that this sort of persecution may come to other Western countries where the culture, including academia, business, entertainment and government, seems to be pushing in the same direction. I believe we need to pray for these two courageous Christians, as well as be aware of what is going on around us.

Thank you for posting this. I prayed for them the other day, but this is definitely something that deserves more attention. Some more information can be found here: https://www.ncregister.com/cna/verdict-in-finland-s-bible-tweet-trial-expected-in-march

This is the actual tweet (or one of them at least) that got her prosecuted: https://twitter.com/PaiviRasanen/status/1140692483397115909

Instagram post that she is also being charged for: https://www.instagram.com/p/By0kRMcF8-i/

These are not extreme or hate-filled statements in the absolute slightest. If this is what gets you found guilty of a crime in modern Europe, then all Christianity is de facto illegal.

Christ is in our midst!!

Thank you for posting. However, the two links provide only the original Finnish statements. Since I don't speak or write Finnish, I am at a loss to understand what is being said.

Bob

oops, forgot to include a translation. Here's a translation of the tweet, via duckduckgo.com/translate

Quote

The church of which I am a member has announced that it is an official partner of SETA's Helsinki Pride 2019. How does the doctrine of the Church, the Bible, fit in with the idea of raising shame and sin as a source of pride?

And the Instagram post has the exact same text, but with the image of Romans 1:24-27:

Quote

24
Therefore, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts* for the mutual degradation of their bodies.v
25
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.w
26
Therefore, God handed them over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural,
27
and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity.x

Thanks

Päivi Räsänen MP is ex-chair of The Christian Democratic party of Finland.
Bishop Juhana Pohjola is Lutheran Bishop - but not in the Lutheran Church of Finland, but the Bishop of Lähetys Hiippakunta/ Mission Diocice, which is an small independent Lutheran Church.
The thinking of both persons about homosexuality and marriage, for instance, is not so different from the ideas of traditional Catholic or Orthodox teaching.
Very strange in fact, that they are in court of Law becouse of their Christian writings...

Christ is in our midst!!

Krysostomos,

The story seems to be very straight forward. Traditional teaching on homosexuality and marriage has been deemed "hate speech" in Finland. Paivi Rasanen wrote a pamphlet years ago about these issues based on traditional teaching and the Bible. Bishop Pohjola recently published it. Prosecutors charged them both with hate speech which has become a crime in Finland. We are waiting to see the couort's verdict.