Finland has historically been considered a Christian nation. Currently, this nation has left behind their faith and has started to criminally investigate Christians.
Päivi Räsänen, a Finnish Parliament member since 1995, has been charged with allegedly defaming or insulting homosexuals. Her first “crime” was committed when she shared a photo of Romans 1:24-27 on Twitter and her second investigation involves a pamphlet on Biblical marriage that she wrote 15 years ago called “Man and woman, He created them.”
Räsänen is a leader in the Christian Democratic Party of Finland that according to her website values issues such as “the well-being of families, pro-life values … love for one’s neighbour, respect of human dignity, taking care of the poor, work, honesty and diligence.” She is a medical doctor and was also Minister of the Interior of Finland for three years.
CBN News reports that this all began when Räsänen felt led by the Lord to do something to wake up the national church in Finland on the issue of homosexuality. Now she fears the investigation will make them too afraid to proclaim their faith, “I’m worried that this case, the criminal investigation, might frighten some Christians to hide and to keep silent.”
If convicted, Räsänen could be fined or imprisoned. She says she is not afraid and has stated, “I am waiting to see what God is doing, because when He raises up prayers, then we can know that He is doing something.” The Lutheran pastor who published her pamphlet is also under investigation.
Open Doors’ World Watch List 2020
The world has become a much more dangerous place for hundreds of millions of Christians according to Open Doors’ latest World Watch List (WWL). “In the top 50 countries alone, 260 million Christians face a level of persecution measured as extreme, very high, or high. In total, one in eight Christians worldwide face persecution measured as extreme, very high, or high – a 6% increase from 2019.”
North Korea remains at number one as the most dangerous place for Christians. Simply owning a Bible can get a person arrested and taken to a labor camp and never heard from again. China and India have both increased their use biometric systems to target Christians with digital persecution through surveillance and control of believers.
Radical Islamist jihadist groups are taking advantage of instability and poverty to increase their control in areas like Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. In these states, many Christian communities are left without protection from their governments.
There are signs in the Middle East that the Islamic State is re-grouping and Iranian-backed Shiite militias continue to threaten, harass and intimidate Christians. One News Now reports that “Senior Christian leaders in the Middle East – Christianity’s birthplace – fear believers will become extinct in the region within a few years.”
PRAY: We need to pray for the Christians in these nations that are facing overwhelming persecution and even death. “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:26.