“No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their vindication from me, declares the LORD.” – Isaiah 54:17
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Since 1995, Päivi Räsänen has been a member of the Finnish Parliament. She is also a medical doctor. For the past five years, Räsänen has been fighting intense criminal charges and lawsuits that have been unfairly aimed at her. In 2021, Räsänen was formally charged with “agitation against a minority group,” which is under the Finnish criminal code titled “war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
So, why was Räsänen charged with this criminal conduct? Because she shared what the Bible says marriage and human sexuality. Räsänen shared this truth in a 2019 tweet, a 2019 live radio debate, and in a 2004 church pamphlet. For simply voicing Biblical truth about marriage and sexual ethics, Räsänen was slapped with a years-long lawsuit.
In 2023, a Finnish appeals court dismissed all criminal charges against Räsänen. Sadly, this is not where the story ends. The prosecutor then appealed the ruling, and the Finnish Supreme Court agreed to hear the case in October of 2025. Just days ago, in a narrow 3-2 decision, the Finnish Supreme Court found Räsänen guilty of “hate speech” on one charge that comes from the 2004 church pamphlet, where she expressed the Christian view of marriage and sexuality.
This highly disturbing ruling from the Finnish Supreme Court reminds us that, as Americans, we cannot fall into the trap of believing that our First Amendment rights can’t be lost. When fundamental rights like freedom of speech and religious expression are undermined in any Democracy, totalitarianism is not far off. Finland is the latest example of that.
LET US PRAY…
Father, thank You for the display of courage that Räsänen has shown during this trying time in her life. Lord, we pray that You will give Räsänen Your wisdom as she is receiving legal advice on a possible appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. Father, may we never take for granted our First Amendment rights here in America, and may we be courageous in defending them. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.