Päivi Räsänen: The Finnish politician prosecuted for sharing a Bible verse

The Profile

The Finnish doctor and politician Paaivi Rasanen has never been shy about promoting her Christian values even when her party - the Christian Democrats- asked her to stay silent.

As a child she attended sunday school experiencing a spiritual experience at the age of six and realising quite clearly that she too was a sinner as much as the prisoners her parents then worked with.

She became a medical doctor practising until her entry into politics in 1995, when she was elected to the Finnish Parliament for the Christian Democrats. From 2004 to 2015, Räsänen chaired the Christian Democrats, serving as a national party leader. The party makes up around 2.5 % of the 200 seats in parliament there.

She held the post of Minister of the Interior from 2011 to 2015 where she oversaw internal security, migration policies and affairs with The Church.

She is a Lutheran and has authored books about topics as wide ranging as marriage, abortion and euthanasia, all of which have drawn on her faith and ethical beliefs.

In 2019 Räsänen attracted widespread attention after tweeting a Bible verse which criticised church leadership’s support of a Pride event, prompting a hate-speech prosecution under Finland’s criminal code. She was acquitted by the Helsinki District Court in March 2022 and again by the Court of Appeal in November 2023.

In this edition of The Profile she speaks to Premier Christianity's Deputy Editor Emma Fowle about her early faith and how she's held onto her Christian values despite some quite hard knocks.

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