Former Finnish Minister of the Interior: I never thought I would be accused because I share the teachings of the Bible

- During his short visit to Budapest, he participated in a prayer breakfast in Pesti Vígado. What were the main ideas you shared with the participants?

- My topic was the situation of Christianity in Europe, Finland and Hungary. I talked about the changes that have taken place in Finland in the past decades, because these changes have been enormous. When I was a child and young man, Christians were still the majority of Finnish people. Today, I believe that a minority of Finns belong to those who believe in Christian teachings and doctrines described in the Bible. We are in a situation where Christians need the courage to stand by what the Bible teaches and also to be open in matters of faith.

– Maybe the Finnish example is also a kind of warning?

"Yes, this is a warning." And in Finland, the past two years have been shocking, surprising and absurd at the same time. I never thought I would be accused of sharing the teachings of the Bible publicly. That the police interrogate for hours because of this. Now I know that my trial will be held in January at the Helsinki District Court. This sets a precedent in Finland, but it also sets a precedent in Europe. Today there is a very strong LGBTQ movement and network in Finland, but also in Europe, which has influence and is a serious challenge for Christians.

– Do you think that these movements also directly influence how a society relates to its Christian roots?

– Yes, I can see this quite clearly in Finnish society, and this network is now even in the government. They invited and included pk in the work of the government, that is, it affects the entire law-making and political decisions. Today, we have such a government with the Greens and left-wing parties. However, in my opinion, a situation has arisen where, in addition to the aforementioned, thanks to our constitution and human rights conventions, we still have freedom of religion, freedom of speech and expression of opinion. We just have to use them and now is the time to fight for these freedoms.

– It is strange and perhaps even contradictory that the LGBTQ movement also argues for inclusion and wants to give rights to everyone. And you claim to be concerned about freedom of expression?

– Yes, freedom of opinion is something to worry about. There is an increasingly widespread phenomenon, the "cancel culture", i.e. the culture of erasure, in which they try to erase people and opinions that oppose their ideas. And this limits freedom of speech and religion. Of course, there are also thousands of people in Finland who are Christians and who stand behind the mentioned freedoms. In June, we also founded an association in Finland for the protection of freedom of speech and religion, and this organization also supports my cause. Of course, I expect to win my case in court, and I and my lawyer will do our best to do so. I am not the only one who formulated biblical teachings about marriage, man and woman. So, if my writings and social media posts are banned by the court, it will mean that many, many other books and writings can be banned as well. That's why I consider it so important to win the case.

- This is probably also a kind of test of the legal system. On the other hand, if you consider your own cause, which you mentioned that Christians should fight. What do you think the means of this fight might be? Your case attracted international attention, and I read about your case from many sources in conservative publications.

– I think the most important thing is that as Christians, we pray. Everyone should be open about their faith, that they believe in the Bible and its teachings. We don't need to be ashamed of what the Bible teaches about marriage, for example, that only a man and a woman have the right to it from a Christian point of view. I think that now is not the time to be silent, but to use the freedoms and live them actively. I encourage everyone to do this.

- I think I see a somewhat vague parallel between your case and Hungary's situation in the European Union. You are accused of hate speech because you shared ideas from the Bible. Hungary adopted a law on the protection of minors, after which it was accused of racism, xenophobia and, above all, homophobia. Did you follow this matter in relation to Hungary, and between our country and the European institutions, as well as some Western governments, which even signed a petition against Hungary?

"Unfortunately, the Finnish government also joined in." Yes, I followed the case of Hungary. I would encourage you to be brave. For me, as a Christian, it is important to say: all people are valuable, of course homosexuals are just like heterosexuals, as God's creatures. They deserve respect and are valuable, but the Bible says that homosexual acts are not according to the will of God, it is against his will, that is, it is a sin. This is exactly what I said publicly, and I believe that Christians in Hungary, as well as Christian politicians - in Hungary and in Finland - should be allowed to say this out loud. In addition, it is particularly important to protect children and minors, because the family with mother and father is the best place to grow up. So I can only encourage you.

Source: Vasárnapi Újság / hirado.hu

Cover photo: Päivi Räsänen, former Finnish Minister of the Interior.