Faith on the stand

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MARY REICHARD, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It:

Freedom of religious expression in Scandinavia.

Today, the Supreme Court of Finland will hear the case of an outspoken Christian lawmaker named Päivi Räsänen. The charges against her? Criminal agitation against a minority group.

PÄIVI RÄSÄNEN: When the Police interrogated me altogether, 13 hours, the questions were very theological.

MAST: In 2019, Räsänen criticized the nation’s Evangelical Lutheran Church for its celebration of LGBT Pride. She posted a photo of a page from the Bible, with verses from Romans 1 about God’s judgment for homosexuality.

RÄSÄNEN: The police asked, what is the message of the book of Romans? What is the message of its first chapter? And to explain the words “sin” and “shame.”

REICHARD: The state prosecutor took Räsänen to court. The case included her comments on social media and in a radio show appearance, as well as a pamphlet she wrote on biblical sexuality.

PRICE: What we're focusing on is whether or not it's actually possible for a Christian to express their views in public life.

MAST: Lorcán Price is an attorney with the Alliance Defending Freedom International, representing Räsänen. He told WORLD’s Liz Lykins the case is about more than a single person’s freedom of speech.

PRICE: She happens to be a member of parliament, a former government minister, but it's also applicable to anybody who wants to, take on the orthodoxy of our time on sexual morality and to give it authentically Christian perspective.

REICHARD: Challenging Finland’s cultural orthodoxy has been a six year legal battle. After the district court of Helsinki unanimously ruled in 2022 that Räsänen was not guilty the state prosecutor appealed. Here’s Räsänen again.

RÄSÄNEN: I hoped that it would have ended to the Court of Appeal, the acquittal in court of appeal, but the prosecutor has been very eager to continue the case.

MAST: The appeals court also ruled unanimously that Räsänen was not guilty. While that might have ended the case in many countries, Price says Finland’s unique legal system allows the state to appeal to the Supreme Court.

PRICE: So at each stage, the prosecution has been able to appeal, not the sentence, but the fact that she was found not guilty.

REICHARD: That’s not the only oddity.

PRICE: The court normally deals with things what lawyers call “on the papers.”

REICHARD: That means the justices typically read the legal submissions and make their decisions, no oral arguments required. Räsänen’s case is different.

PRICE: This is an actual hearing, so it'll be an oral hearing where Päivi will be in the Supreme Court, Bishop Juhana will be there as well, and they, as far as I understand, they will be called to testify… So that's extremely rare.

MAST: Räsänen is not a stereo-typical social crusader. She is soft-spoken and deferential. But she has a quiet boldness.

VLASTUIN : When Päivi gives an interview, she always looks for an opportunity to testify about Jesus and His blood.

REICHARD: Evert Van Vlastuin is the Netherlands-based Chief Editor of CNE News, a Christian network covering continental Europe. He says Rasanan’s kindness and professionalism has kept the case focused on the legal space for biblical witness in public.

VLASTUIN: In some other cases that that might be comparable there, there is more more doubt, more noise, so to say in the case and and that is not there in Päivi’s case, she has always been very friendly to people with other convictions.

MAST: Vlastuin’s organization will be covering oral arguments today, with a live blog at CNE.news. He says if the court hands Räsänen a third win:

VLASTUIN: …then the case is settled. Then it's clear to all judges in Finland what the legal space is for Christians with regards to sexuality and homosexuality.

MAST: But if the court rules against Räsänen, she’s not quite out of options.

VLASTUIN: If she loses, she can go as a citizen of one of the European countries to the European Court of Human Rights that's in Strasbourg.

REICHARD: Räsänen’s attorney Lorcan Price is no stranger to the Strasbourg court, and is prepared to go again. While this case could have been concluded years ago, Price says it has given Räsänen’s a wider witness.

PRICE: In the Finnish media, it's called the Bible trial. So if you want to know more about the Bible trial, why not read the Bible? And so it's, it's backfired on the prosecution.

MAST: Räsänen’s commitment to sharing the whole gospel, of sin and salvation, remains as strong as when she posted her concern about the church celebrating Pride month in 2019.

RÄSÄNEN: If people lose their trust on the Bible, then it is not only about such issues as sexuality or gender or marriage, but it is also about eternal life, because if you do not trust God's word, what he speaks, for example, about sin, it is also your trust on on the gospel will be threatened.

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