‘Bible Trial’ pursued to Finland’s Supreme Court

A Finnish Christian MP has been forced to appear before her country’s highest court, despite being vindicated twice before over allegations of “hate speech” for sharing the Bible’s teaching on homosexuality.

Dr Päivi Räsänen told reporters outside the Supreme Court in Helsinki that no one “should be censored for sharing the timeless truths of Scripture”, and hoped Justices would uphold the “right of everyone to speak freely”.

Dubbed the “Bible Trial”, legal proceedings began in 2019, when Finland’s Prosecutor General claimed Dr Räsänen’s statements in a pamphlet and tweet expressing biblical ethics were ‘derogatory, discriminatory, and may have violated the dignity of homosexual people’.

‘Foundational freedoms’

State prosecutors are demanding censorship of her social media post, which cites Romans 1:24-27, and the booklet published with fellow defendant Bishop Juhana Pohjola in support of traditional marriage. In addition, the prosecution is seeking tens of thousands of euros in fines.

no one should be censored for sharing the timeless truths of Scripture

Paul Coleman, Executive Director of Alliance Defending Freedom International which is supporting the case, said: “In a democracy, no one should fear criminal prosecution for expressing their faith.

“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.”

Pray

Bishop Pohjola is Chairman of the International Lutheran Council (ILC) and Dr Räsänen is an active member of the Evangelical Church of Finland.

The ILC’s General Secretary, Klaus Detlev Schulz, commented: “Christians must be free to speak openly about their religious convictions without fear of prosecution.

“We pray that this third round of hearings would be the last, and that they would lead to the same conclusion as the lower courts: a unanimous acquittal of Dr Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola on all charges.”

The Christian Institute’s Director Ciarán Kelly spoke to Dr Räsänen in November 2023 after she was cleared by the Court of Appeal.