Finland's Prosecution
Dr. Päivi Räsänen, member of Parliament, Finland
Several months ago I discovered the courageous stand of Päivi Räsänen, a member of Parliament in Finland.
I don’t know Päivi personally, but she and I have exchanged emails. When I first read of her bold stand of faith, my heart went out to her and I began praying for her.
A member of her staff wrote again today. She is being prosecuted with three, criminal counts related to her faith in Christ and her freedom of speech related to her faith. I’m writing to ask you to pray for her as well.
Päivi’s courageous stand on behalf of religious freedom and freedom of speech have resulted in the Prosecutor General of Finland charging her with three counts of criminal activity, all related to her Christian beliefs, writings, and freedom of speech. The charges are a brazen attempt to silence her. She faces fines or imprisonment if convicted.
Sadly, censorship is not limited to America.
As you know, Facebook throttled my visibility in late January 2021 in response to an article I wrote on President Biden’s executive order to fund abortions both domestic and foreign with taxpayer dollars. My visibility on Facebook dropped by 75-90%, effectively rendering the platform pointless for me.
So, I comprehend censorship, if even at an elementary level. Though not on the level of what Päivi is experiencing, censorship is a form of abuse—and abuse is never okay. Abuse damages the soul in a manner that is extremely difficult to repair. Never mind the illegality of it—both here and in Finland.
The outright attack on people of faith, Christianity, and conservative ideals is remarkable. It is certainly not unprecedented, but it is more pervasive today than in several decades.
I suspect the attack on freedom of speech and religion has multiple motivations, but none more violent than to intimidate through bullying. In all candor, if I was a proponent of abortion, or suppression of truth, or the advance of Christianity and Christian principle, then I would desperately engage in ANY behavior to silence what I did not want to face. The decline described in Romans 1 is not hypothetical.
Here is Päivi:
“The Apostle Paul's teaching is not only about defending marriage between man and woman, but about how a human being is saved into eternal life. If the teachings of God's word about sin are rejected, also the whole core of Christian faith is made empty. There is a difficulty here far greater than a sentence of a fine or an imprisonment.”
And a statement of her resolve:
“I will go to the court with a peaceful and brave mind, trusting that Finland is a constitutional state where the freedoms of speech and religion, which both are guaranteed in international agreements and in our constitution, are respected. A conviction based on the Christian faith is more than a surficial opinion. The early Christians did not renounce their faith in lions’ caves, why should I then renounce my faith in a court room. I will not step back from my conviction nor from my writings. I do not apologize for the writings of the Apostle Paul either. I am ready to defend freedom speech and religion as far as is necessary.”
Father God, my friends and I bring Paivi to you as she faces criminal charges based upon being your daughter. We ask that you, through your Spirit, encourage, focus, and endow Paivi with composure, courage, and the resolve necessary to represent you well.
And selfishly, Father, would you inspire us through her example and dedication? As we face our own discrimination, censorship, and repudiation in sectors of American life, would you use her life and sacrifice to advance in us the reality of your strength?
Lest we forget, Father: There are millions of our spiritual family suffering unspeakable horrors throughout the world. We bring them and their suffering to you as well—and as you instruct with things we cannot comprehend, we leave these dear souls in your tender and loving care, but not before pouring out our hearts to you on their behalf.
Finally, our desire is that these charges be dropped against Päivi. However, if the darkening days we are experiencing as the Body of Christ serve a broader and higher purpose than we can conceive, we readily confess our trust in you and none other. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen