It’s astonishing that the Päivi Räsänen case is still going through the courts. Her case is being heard by the Finnish Supreme Court today. But it’s not just Päivi who is on trial. We’re all being put through a trial, a trail of our faith. Will we stand with her, or will we keep our heads down?
If you don’t know the case, it all began in June 2019, when — as a Member of Parliament, former Minister of the Interior and physician — Päivi Räsänen posted on social media a photograph of the Apostle Paul’s words: the verses from Romans 1:24-27, accompanied by a comment challenging her church’s sponsorship of the Helsinki Pride event.
What followed was startling: a full criminal investigation, multiple police interrogations — during which she was asked to walk through the Bible and explain its meaning in minute theological detail. Then in April 2021 formal charges were filed under the section of Finnish law dealing with “hate speech / incitement against a minority group” (indeed under a “war crimes and crimes against humanity” heading).
