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The Bible May Not Be Taught’: Bishop on Trial for Biblical Beliefs Says Finland Has Made Secularism Its New Religion

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A Finnish church bishop who’s on trial alongside a Finnish politician says Finland has replaced Christianity with a new state religion of “secularism” – a belief system that will block the Bible from being taught in public.

Bishop Juhana Pohjola is accused of hate speech for his biblical views, charged with violating the dignity and equality of the LGBTQ population. He recently said he blames the downfall of Finnish Christianity on the cultural shift that occurred in Western societies more than 50 years ago.

As CBN’s Faithwire reported in January, Pohjola, 49, a bishop in the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland (ELMDF), has publicly offered biblical statements about sexuality and also published lawmaker Päivi Räsänen’s book Male and Female He Created Them: Homosexual Relationships Challenge the Christian Concept of Humanity.

The ELMDF, a religious body comprised of churches that broke away from Finland’s national church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, over doctrinal issues, is being held liable for the book, which was published in 2004.

Pohjola is editor-in-chief of publications distributed by the Luther Foundation Finland — the legal group behind ELMDF. He was charged by Finland’s Office of the Prosecutor General with creating incitement against a group of people.

The pair’s trial began on Jan. 24 and continued into mid-February. The court will issue its decision on March 30, the ELMDF posted on its website.

Pohjola told Fox News that his country has had a long Christian tradition since the Middle Ages, “The Finnish flag has a cross on it – like all Scandinavian countries – as a sign of common Christian heritage,” he said. But starting around 1970, there was a shift in the majority of the Lutheran church which led to secularism.

“Cultural and sexual revolution, secularism, rise of individualism and postmodern critique on all structures and concept of truth,” the bishop said. “If previously the majority in the established Lutheran church were ‘believing and belonging,’ it shifted to ‘belonging without believing’ and is now rapidly moving to ‘not belonging and not believing.’”

During final arguments, Pohjola’s defense team denied the charges against him. They criticized the prosecution for not presenting grounds for their accusations. Since the prosecutors failed to state the evidence for the charges, that left the defendants with little opportunity to defend themselves against those charges, the diocese’s website reported.

Pohjola said, “The prosecutor’s primary idea seems to be that, in public, one’s own understanding of the Bible may not be taught, and that freedom of religion does not give one permission to voice aloud a teaching if it is considered to discriminate against a minority group. Therefore, in line with this view, the biblical teachings on marriage, sexuality, sin, and grace could not, according to the prosecution, be preached in public. This is an attack on religious freedom.”

As Faithwire noted in January, Pohjola told Christianity Today he has deep worries about the implications the court proceedings could have for individuals in Finland.

In particular, the Christian leader is concerned about self-censorship due to fear of prosecution.

“I do not so much fear the outcome of the court case, but the strong signal it gives to many: to be silent,” he told the outlet. “I fear self-censorship and intimidation.”

Pohjola said he believes in the “God-given dignity, value and human rights of those who identify themselves as homosexuals,” but that he also holds to the biblical belief same-sex acts are sinful and not in line with the truth.

As CBN News previously reported, Räsänen, who has been under investigation since 2019, was charged with three counts of hate speech and could face two years in prison. One of the elements that landed her in the crosshairs is a tweet from June 17, 2019, in which she presented Romans 1:24-27, which condemns homosexuality as sinful.

Räsänen told CBN News last year she believes the charges against her will inevitably speak to whether a person in Finland is free to express his or her biblical convictions.

In an op-ed for Fox News last month, U.S. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Family Research Council President Tony Perkins wrote about Pohjola and Räsänen’s trial and what the rapid rise of radical secularism in Western governments could mean for Americans.

“As a politician, Räsänen should have every right to engage in debate on controversial topics without facing criminal charges. And as a Christian minister, Bishop Pohjola should at the very least be free to publish a pamphlet articulating a Biblical worldview without the possibility of jail time – as should all citizens regardless of their vocation or calling in life,” Roy and Perkins wrote.

“For years, many have warned that Western governments have been overtaken by radical secularism — guided by a disdain of Christianity — and that the slippery slope would result in people of faith facing trial for living out their beliefs in the public square. In Finland, the slide has stopped; that day has come,” the op-ed continued.

Roy and Perkins, however, warned this is not just a Finnish problem for the Finnish people, but should sound an alarm for all Americans.

“The events in Finland should serve as a nine-alarm fire to those who cherish the very political experiment in ordered liberty that enabled America and Western Civilization to flourish. The basic rights of religious freedom and free speech are under attack across the globe. When such blatant attacks are directed at high-profile figures in a Western democracy like Finland, we have a duty to raise the alarm and come to their defense,” they wrote.
Sources:faithwire

http://theendtimeradio.com

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Digital Babylon: Biblical Wisdom from Daniel for Today’s Social Media Age

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Babylon isn’t just ancient history; its proverbial presence lives on in our pockets, tempting us to give into every indulgence, every noise, every decadent desire imaginable.

The Old Testament story in the first chapter of Daniel feels surprisingly modern, a poignant commentary on the choices Christians face every single day. “Content is king” may be a well-known marketing phrase, but it’s also a sobering analysis of our culture.

After conquering Israel, the king ordered his chief of staff to bring men from Judah’s royal family to serve as servants in Babylon (Daniel 1:3-4). But it wasn’t just about service. Nebuchadnezzar wanted more than that; he was after their entire identities.

The men were taught the language, exposed to the literature, and steeped in a godless culture. Does that sound familiar?

Today, we live in what could be described as a digital Babylon — a world curated for us, made up of streaming platforms, social media fads, influencers, and celebrities, all pushing to redefine our identities, rewire our beliefs, and reorient our desires.

We aren’t forced into it. We are coaxed — slowly seduced — into embracing the world. Repeatedly throughout Scripture, Christians are called to protect themselves from the trappings of a godless culture.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” And in 1 John 2:15, the Apostle John wrote, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.”
Sources:faithwire

http://theendtimeradio.com

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Christian Summer Camp Fights Back Amid Claims Government Could Shut It Down Over Gender Law

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A Christian summer camp in Colorado is suing over a gender policy it says could shut it down.

Camp IdRaHaJe in Bailey, Colorado, is asking a court to allow it to follow its sincerely held religious beliefs and separate campers by sex and not gender identity.

The camp, which has been licensed in Colorado since 1995 and derives its name from the song “I’d Rather Have Jesus,” has operated for decades, dating back to 1948, and hosts thousands of children in its week-long program every summer.

The issue centers on state regulations governing gender, with the camp declining to operate based on newly adopted parameters due to its Christian faith.

A May 12 lawsuit, filed on Camp IdRaHaJe’s behalf by conservative legal firm Alliance Defending Freedom, details the camp’s concerns after Colorado Department of Early Childhood last year created new regulations mandating licensees like the camp allow children to use restrooms and other facilities that comport with their gender identities.

“Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys filed a lawsuit Monday with the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado on behalf of a Christian summer camp seeking to uphold its religious and commonsense beliefs about biological sex,” a press release reads. “The camp is challenging a recent Colorado Department of Early Childhood policy update that forces licensed resident camps to allow campers to use private facilities of the opposite sex.”

According to The Denver Post, the camp said it attempted to get a religious exemption, which wasn’t granted. According to ADF, the purported denial forced “the camp to choose between upholding its beliefs about biological sex and risk losing its license or abandoning its beliefs and mission to minister to children.”

ADF legal counsel Andrea Dill said in a statement the government doesn’t have the right to threaten to shutter or punish a Christian camp simply for exercising its “religious beliefs about human sexuality.”

“Camp IdRaHaJe exists to present the truth of the Gospel to children who are building character and lifelong memories,” Dill said in a statement. “But the Colorado government is putting its dangerous agenda—that is losing popularity across the globe—ahead of its kids.”

She continued, “We are urging the court to allow IdRaHaJe to operate as it has for over 75 years: as a Christian summer camp that accepts all campers without fear of being punished for its beliefs.”

Meanwhile, Lisa Roy, executive director of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, said in a statement to CBS News that officials cannot comment on active litigation, but that the agency will work with faith-based groups “within the confines of the law.”

“The Department will continue working in partnership with faith-based providers and camps within the confines of the law to ensure maximum participation,” the statement read. “As I’m sure you understand, we cannot comment on active litigation.”
Sources:faithwire

http://theendtimeradio.com

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Pastor Breaks Down Why Christians Simply Can’t Ignore Angels and Demons: ‘We Have Emasculated the Gospel’

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Allen Jackson, pastor of World Outreach Church in Tennessee, is on a mission to get people thinking more deeply about angels, demons, and the supernatural.

Jackson’s new book, “Angels, Demons & You” tackles these very subjects, with the preacher calling fellow believers to more boldly approach the subject matter.

“Most of us are comfortable having a theoretical discussion about angels and demons,” he told CBN News, noting, though, that, when it’s made personal, the conversation becomes more complex and unpalatable for some. “The most important part is imagining that there are spiritual forces that are impacting your life today without any question.”

Jackson continued, “And if we get to that point, then the discussion becomes pretty significant.”

The preacher said there’s been an obsessive move toward rationalism since the Enlightenment — one that has led too many to lose touch with the “spiritual dynamic.” Even when these issues are discussed, Jackson said there’s a tendency to focus on the “dark side” of the spiritual.

“We’ll focus more on the demonic,” he said. “And that’s certainly legitimate. I don’t want to diminish that, but the book title was intentional. I wanted to start with angels because I think there are spiritual forces to help us, spiritual beings to help us.”

Jackson said angels are pivotal to the Gospel narrative, serving a primary purpose to help people understand what’s unfolding.

“The whole Gospel story can’t really be understood apart from the angelic involvement,” he said. “Gabriel [who] goes to visit Zechariah is the opening narrative for the story of John the Baptist, and Gabriel going to see Mary and Joseph, the angels that ministered to Jesus after his temptation in the wilderness, the angels that ministered to him in Gethsemane as he’s preparing.”

Even the devil understood the importance of angels, as Satan told Jesus that if he tossed himself off the temple, the angels would save him. Matthew 4:5-6 (NIV) reads: “Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Ultimately, Jackson said there’s a disconnect today when it comes to many Christians’ understanding of angels, in particular. While most in the aforementioned Gospel narratives seemed to understand their significance, too many today doubt or ignore.

“It seems to me we’re more willing to trust in a presidential election than we are in the beings that God has made available to us,” he said.

Jackson said some people might avoid the supernatural for fear it feels strange or weird. There’s also the element of uncertainty around issues like healing, which could further spark reluctance among some to fully engage in related conversation.

Regardless, Jackson said Christians must lean into Scripture and live out their beliefs.

“We have to be willing to walk this out and live like we believe the Bible is true,” he said. “Otherwise, we just relegate it to an insurance policy at the end of our life, and, if God can’t be trusted to make a difference in my life today, then I think we’re foolish to trust him with our eternity.”

Beyond the individual implications, the spiritual battle described in Ephesians 6 mean that there’s a profound impact in society and culture as well — something Jackson addressed.

“For me, the the trigger is when I watch something and there’s not a rational explanation, when it’s completely illogical — a set of behaviors — and then I think, ‘OK, there’s other components involved,’” Jackson said. “And we’ve been watching some things, to me, that are pretty irrational — mutilating our kids, saying that biological sex is confusing; it really isn’t.”

He continued, “I have great compassion for people that are confused about something so fundamental to their existence. But, when I watch that, I think, ‘OK, there’s got to be a spiritual component to this because that cannot be understood.’”

In the end, Jackson said Christians are called to be culture-shapers and not to rely entirely on politics for changes to unfold. Engaging, discussing, and understanding the supernatural is part of that key process.

“I think we have emasculated the Gospel,” he said. “And we’ve been doing it in our formal education systems, and I had the privilege of studying in some celebrated academic settings, but most of them were pretty faithless, even in the theology schools.”

Jackson said people have to be comfortable realizing Jesus himself clearly believed in angels and demons — and modern believers shouldn’t be afraid of it.
Sources:faithwire

http://theendtimeradio.com

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