by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
HELSINKI/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Finland’s top court has convicted a Christian politician, a Lutheran bishop, and his church foundation of “hate speech” after they published Christian views on homosexuality, sex, and marriage in a pamphlet 22 years ago.
In a 3–2 decision, the Supreme Court of Finland fined Päivi Räsänen, a longtime lawmaker and former interior minister, 1,800 euros (about $2,070); Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola, about 1,100 euros ($1,270); and roughly 5,000 euros ($5,770) for the church foundation.
They were convicted of “making and keeping available to the public a text that insults a group,” referring to the LGBTQ+ community, prosecutors said. Under Finnish law, prosecutors were allowed to appeal earlier acquittals in the case.
Thursday’s conviction stems from a booklet written by Räsänen and supported by the bishop and his foundation in 2004, titled “Male and Female He Created Them: Homosexual Relationships Challenge the Christian Understanding of Humanity.”
Räsänen, who is married to a Lutheran pastor and has five children and ten grandchildren, was acquitted on a separate charge of sharing a Bible verse on social media platform Twitter, now known as X.
YEARS-LONG BATTLE
The case has been closely followed for years and began in 2019, when Räsänen criticized her denomination’s support for an LGBTQ Pride event and posted a passage from the New Testament on social media.
That post triggered a police investigation that later expanded to include the 2004 pamphlet and other public statements.
Two lower courts had previously fully acquitted Räsänen and Pohjola, making the Supreme Court’s narrow ruling a significant reversal and highlighting divisions within Finland’s judiciary.
The charge related to perceived anti-LGBTQ+ remarks, including on social media when she quoted Bible verse Romans 1:24–27, describing homosexual acts as “shameful lusts,” Worthy News previously reported.
In 2019, Räsänen posted a photograph of the verse, written by the Apostle Paul, on then-Twitter while questioning why the Finnish Lutheran Church supported Finland’s Pride Week.
BIBLICAL VIEWS
Räsänen has consistently defended publicly expressing what she describes as Biblical views on homosexuality, as well as sex and marriage. The 66-year-old politician said Thursday she was “shocked” that she and her co-defendants were not acquitted of all charges.
“I am shocked and profoundly disappointed that the court has failed to recognize my basic human right to freedom of expression,” Räsänen said. “I stand by the teachings of my Christian faith and will continue to defend my and every person’s right to share their convictions in the public square.”
She said she is considering appealing the case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France.
Thursday’s ruling marked a setback for advocacy group ADF International, which provided Räsänen’s legal defense, amid concerns the case could have broader implications for freedom of speech in Europe.
“Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of democracy. It is right that the court has acquitted Päivi Räsänen for her 2019 Bible verse tweet,” said Paul Coleman, executive director of ADF International.
‘STATE CENSORSHIP’
“However, the conviction for a simple church pamphlet published decades ago—before the law under which she has been convicted was even passed—is an outrageous example of state censorship,” he added. “This decision will create a severe chilling effect on everyone’s right to speak freely.”
The issue has been closely followed in European Union nations such as Hungary, where protesters in recent years demanded the acquittal of the legislator and bishop outside the Finnish Embassy in Budapest.
“We organized this protest because we believe this trial endangered freedom of religion and freedom of speech,” rally organizer Sára Kulifai told Worthy News earlier.
Kulifai, a prominent journalist, added: “We won’t let any state or persecutor censor, cancel, or cherry-pick what we can or cannot quote from the Bible. Jesus said to proclaim the Good News and truth, and Christians will continue to do so.”
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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