Finnish Government Puts Christianity On Trial, Calls The Bible ‘Hate Speech’

[GURPS]

In the trial’s opening arguments, which will resume on Feb. 14, Finnish prosecutors described quotations from the Bible as “hate speech.” Finland’s top prosecutor’s office essentially put the Bible on trial, an unprecedented move for a secular court, said Paul Coleman, a human rights lawyer with Alliance Defending Freedom International who is assisting in the Finns’ legal defense and was present during Monday’s trial.

“The prosecutor began the day by trying to explain that this case was not about beliefs and the Bible. She then, and I’m not kidding, she then proceeded to quote Old Testament Bible verses,” Coleman said in a phone interview with The Federalist after the trial concluded for the day. “Trial attorneys, Finnish trial attorneys who have been in and out of court every day for years, said they didn’t think the Bible had ever been read out like that in a prosecution.”

Never before has a Finnish court had to decide whether quoting the Bible is a crime. Human rights observers consider this case an important marker for whether Western governments’ persecution of citizens for their speech and beliefs increases.

Finnish Government Puts Christianity On Trial, Calls Bible 'Hate Speech'

U.S. members of Congress, churches across the world, and human rights organizations expressed alarm at the Finnish prosecution of religion.

thefederalist.com

well the Koran should be next

 

[spr1975wshs]

That is really odd.
One might think the more logical course would be to investigate and prosecute
folks who actually ACT hatefully due to their Book of Sacred Law.

 

[GURPS]

Finnish Court Rebukes State Prosecution Of Christians For Saying God Made Men And Women Different​

“If this kind of questioning of free speech is possible in a country like Finland, which has a reputation regarding free speech internationally, the same is possible anywhere,” said Member of Parliament Paivi Rasanen during a livestreamed press conference this morning U.S. time.


Rasanen and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola were acquitted of all four “hate crimes” charges against them for speaking the Bible’s teachings that sex is rightly reserved for lifelong marriage between one man and one woman. The three-judge court not only cleared the two Christians but ordered the prosecution to pay their legal costs, ruling that in a free country courts have no place deciding permissible religious views.

“I am grateful for having had this chance to stand up for freedom of speech, which is an essential right in a democratic country,” Rasanen said. “This has been my honor. … I hope that this ruling will prevent others from having to go through the same ordeal.”