Finland’s Helsinki District Court is now considering criminal hate speech charges against a Christian Democratic parliamentarian and a Lutheran bishop for tweeting Bible verses and stating that homosexual activity is forbidden in the Bible. The state prosecutor argues that they have “threatened, defamed or insulted” the gay and transgender community, in violation of Article 10 of the Criminal Code, which carries penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment and fines, as well as the implied future censorship of such traditional religious beliefs.
An evangelical Christian member of the Finnish Parliament went on trial in Helsinki Monday, accused of "hate speech" in connection with her comments and writings on homosexuality and for citing Biblical passages defining homosexual acts as sin.