Finland, an American ally and supposedly enlightened democracy, is not so enlightened after all. It fails to provide its people the basic freedoms of speech and worship. All in the name of “hate speech.”

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FNC: “A criminal case involving religious expression in Finland may seem obscure and irrelevant to many Americans, but those involved in the case said it could have implications far beyond Europe.

Finnish Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola are both facing charges of ‘ethnic agitation’ for expressing traditional Christian views on marriage and homosexuality. If convicted, both could face fines and time in prison.

The trial itself could have a chilling effect on free speech around the world regardless of the verdict, Alliance Defending Freedom International’s Lorcan Price, who is involved with the case, said.”

“This has a major chilling effect on all speech,” Price said. “Because what’s essentially being said here, is if somebody finds what you’re saying upsetting or offensive … then that itself can become a crime…Americans are very, very lucky to have the First Amendment.”

Hate speech laws against religion put people in a bind where “you’re allowed to believe it, so long as you keep your views in your head, and you don’t express them…Whether you’re a Christian in Finland or a trucker in Canada or somebody who disagrees with the policies of the United States government, we all have a similar goal which is to protect that hard-won freedom of expression and to protect the freedom to be able to dissent and to disagree,” Price said.

“What we’re seeing is an attempt by powerful organizations, media groups and certain politicians to close down certain forms of expression they simply don’t agree with. “We always say that what happens in Europe can be a cautionary tale in the United States,” Price said, adding there are “very powerful forces” that oppose freedom of speech in America.

“I think Americans have to be very vigilant as to whether or not the hard-won freedom of expression they have in the Constitution starts to become eroded by legislation and unfavorable decisions by the courts.”

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Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio comments, “If quoting the Bible is considered hate speech, then any idea of tolerance has been thrown out the window. The prosecutor in this case claims to support religious freedom, but her attempt to wield Finnish statute as a secular blasphemy law says otherwise. The U.S. should stand firm against this blatant attack on religion, even in a valuable strategic partner like Finland.”

This piece was written by David Kamioner on February 20, 2022. It originally appeared in DrewBerquist.com and is used by permission.

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