In this day and age, a lot can be seen and heard as “hate.” Hell, even quoting the Bible is considered hate by some.
Enter Finnish state prosecutor Anu Mantila, to recently attempted to criminalize two Christians for nothing more than handing out pamphlets and quoting the Bible.
Both Paivi Rasanen and Juhana Pohjola have been on trial for the last four years for sharing the Bible’s words on homosexuality. To Mantila, this meant they were being intolerant and encouraging intolerance of homosexuality.
What they actually said was a direct quote from Romans 1:24-27.
As Paul wrote, “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”
The verses go on to describe that the “lusts of their hearts” were relations “contrary to nature.” Men were “consumed with passion for one another men committing shameless acts with men…”
Basically, the verses describe homosexuality as unnatural, “dishonorable,” and against God’s will.
To any rational Christian, this means homosexuality is wrong. Naturally, Rasanen – a medical doctor, grandmother of seven, and member of Parliament – and Pohjola – a Lutheran Bishop – were trying to proclaim God’s word as light and truth, sharing it with individuals in danger of losing their souls.
It was done out of love, not hate.
But Mantila didn’t see it that way. In her eyes, if these “crimes” weren’t punished, contempt and hatred for homosexuals would flourish.
Thankfully, the appeals court didn’t agree.
According to the court, it “has no reason for, on the basis of the evidence received at the main hearing, to assess the case in any respect differently from the District Court (which acquitted the two of the same crime in 2022). There is, therefore, no reason to alter the final result of the District Court’s judgment.”
Justice and free speech have prevailed…
