Today, \u200da Helsinki appeals court delivered \u200ca groundbreaking verdict, acquitting two Christians of “hate crimes” charges that could \u200bhave resulted in prison sentences. Their alleged crimes? Tweeting\u200d Bible \u200bverses and\u2062 publishing a Christian booklet on sexual ethics. This extraordinary application of Finnish law has kept Member of Parliament Paivi Rasanen and Lutheran Bishop\u2064 Juhana Pohjola entangled in court proceedings for nearly five years.<\/p>\n

Despite\u2063 the unanimous \u2064ruling in their favor, their legal battle is far from over. The state prosecutor has \u2062announced\u2062 plans to appeal to Finland’s \u200cSupreme Court, and according \u2063to the Christians’ lawyer, \u200dMatti Sankamo, the court is likely to accept the\u2062 case. \u2063If an adverse ruling is reached,\u2062 it \u200bcould potentially have far-reaching consequences, effectively\u2062 outlawing Christianity in Finland and undermining the fundamental human rights of free speech and religious expression worldwide.<\/p>\n

“This is a \u2063significant victory for everyone \u2064who \u2062values the protection of fundamental freedoms,” declared Rasanen during\u2063 a press conference. “While I celebrate this triumph wholeheartedly, I am also saddened by the immense amount of state resources \u200bthat have been wasted over the past\u200c four years to prosecute us for \u2064nothing more than peacefully expressing our \u2062Christian faith. The basic human \u2062right \u2064to free speech remains \u200bunder serious threat in Finland and around the world.”<\/p>\n

Rasanen and Pohjola wasted no time in sharing the news\u200b of their \u2064acquittal with friends and \u200dfamily. Pohjola \u2062even read aloud words of praise from Psalm 103 to\u2064 his loved ones. He also reached out to fellow pastors, who expressed their relief that \u2063their bishop was no longer labeled \u200bas \u200ba criminal.<\/p>\n

“This \u200bis not just a cultural or legal battle; it is also a\u2064 spiritual battle,” emphasized Pohjola. He acknowledged that their prosecution \u2063 raises important questions<\/a> about whether pastors and churches can publicly teach what they believe to be the word of God \u2064and adhere \u200dto the natural order and laws.\u2064 Despite the challenges they have faced, \u2064Pohjola\u2063 sees it as his Christian duty to defend the\u200b faith, teach it openly, and bear the cross.<\/p>\n

However, Pohjola clarified \u200dthat the cross\u200d he refers to is not a\u2062 physical one like the necklace he\u2062 wears. Instead, it symbolizes the price one must pay \u200din this age to be a \u2062witness for Christ.<\/p>\n

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The legal saga began in 2019 \u2064when Rasanen voiced her opposition on social media to Finland’s state church sponsoring an LGBT parade. She \u2063shared Bible verses that express the view\u2062 that non-heterosexual acts are unnatural.<\/p>\n

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#kirkko<\/a> on ilmoittanut olevansa #seta<\/a> n #Pride2019<\/a> virallinen partneri. Miten kirkon oppiperusta, #raamattu<\/a> sopii yhteen sen \u200dkanssa, ett\u00e4 h\u00e4pe\u00e4 ja synti nostetaan\u200b ylpeyden\u200b aiheeksi<\/a>? pic.twitter.com\/cnjAQCrOc2<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 \u200bP\u00e4ivi R\u00e4s\u00e4nen (@PaiviRasanen) June 17, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n