This week, closing arguments are scheduled in Finland at the trial of a Paivi Rasanen, a member of parliament, that may be a test case for whether quoting the Bible could be considered hate speech deserving of a crime. It all started in 2019 when Rasanen tweeted to her Lutheran minister questioning the church's support of the Gay Pride parade, quoting verses from the Bible as her reasoning. The exchange ignited a national debate where all of Rasanen's writings, including a 2004 pamphlet, became the focus behind five criminal complaints. She was eventually taken into custody where police questioned her for thirteen hours. Later she was charged with hate crimes against a minority. The real issue though has become, "How far can religious freedoms be protected?" And, "Whether or not people can be charged with a crime for what they believe?" On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Rasanen talks about her ordeal, her faith. This podcast is not a debate about what the Bible says or does not say about homosexuality. There's another podcast that debates that, between two evangelical ministers. Rasanen's interview is about how she feels about possibly facing jail time and/or a fine, for believing something in the Bible. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices