HELSINKI, Finland — A Finnish Parliament member could face imprisonment for expressing some of her Christian beliefs on marriage and human sexuality.
According to legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom International, Dr. Paivi Rasanen has been charged with three criminal offenses and could face two years in prison. Rasanen, a Lutheran, also was Finland’s minister of the interior from 2011 to 2015.
The medical doctor, mother and grandmother is accused of “hate speech.” ADF International says the charges stem from information about marriage and human sexuality Rasanen included in a pamphlet she wrote in 2004 for a Christian foundation; comments she made on radio in 2019 and on television in 2018; and a tweet in which she criticized her church’s decision to sponsor the LGBT “Pride 2019” event.
That tweet linked to an Instagram post showing a photograph of Romans 1:24–27, according to multiple news outlets.
A verdict in Rasanen’s case is expected this month. News reports indicate Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola also may face a prison sentence for letting a pamphlet authored by Rasanen be posted to his church’s website. The International Lutheran Council objected to the charges, stating the booklet upholds historic Christian teachings in human sexuality.
More than two-thirds of Finland’s population (66.5% of the 5.5 million overall population) are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. More than 25% of the population claim no religious affiliation. Finland legalized same-sex “marriage” in 2017.
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