us news
A Finnish court has acquitted an MP who was on trial for his Christian faith
The verdict in the closely watched trial of a Finnish Christian MP was announced on Wednesday.
A court in Helsinki dismissed all charges against Päivi Räsänen, a physician and mother of five, and Juhana Pohjola, a bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, after a free speech trial that drew international attention.
The court said in a unanimous 28-page ruling on March 30 that “it is not for the district court to interpret biblical concepts.”
It said that Räsänen had sought to “defend the concept of family and marriage between a man and a woman.” If some people found the statements offensive, it said, “there must be an overriding social reason for interfering with and restricting freedom of expression.”
It ordered the state pay legal costs to the defense of more than 60,000 euros (over $66,000).
Räsänen said: “I am so grateful the court recognized the threat to free speech and ruled in our favor. I feel a weight has been lifted off my shoulders after being acquitted.”
“Although I am grateful for having had this chance to stand up for freedom of speech, I hope that this ruling will help prevent others from having to go through the same ordeal.”
The charges against the 62-year-old Räsänen related to her comments in a 2004 pamphlet, her appearance in a 2018 radio debate, and a Twitter post in 2019.
The Prosecutor General charged Räsänen, who served as Finland’s interior minister from 2011 to 2015, with incitement against a minority group, arguing that her statements were “likely to cause intolerance, contempt, and hatred towards homosexuals.”
The charge against Pohjola concerned his decision to publish Räsänen’s pamphlet, “Male and Female He Created Them.”
Finland is a country with a population of 5.5 million people, bordering Norway, Russia, and Sweden. Around two-thirds of the population belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, one of the country’s two national churches, alongside the Finnish Orthodox Church.
Räsänen, who was chairwoman of the Christian Democrats party from 2004 to 2015, is an active member of the Finnish Lutheran Church. But she questioned her church’s sponsorship of an LGBT pride event in 2019.
On June 17, 2019, she asked in a Twitter post how the sponsorship was compatible with the Bible, linking to a photograph of a biblical passage, Romans 1:24-27, on Instagram. She also posted the text and image on Facebook.
“The purpose [of] my tweet was in no way to insult sexual minorities. My criticism was aimed at the leadership of the church,” she told the journal First Things.
Discussing the tweet in court, she underlined that it was directed at Church leaders and concerned an important topic facing the Church.
Police began investigating Räsänen in 2019. She faced several police interviews and had to wait more than a year for the Prosecutor General’s decision.
The International Lutheran Council described the decision to prosecute Räsänen and Pohjola as “egregious.”
It said: “The vast majority of Christians in all nations, including Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, share these convictions. Would the Finnish Prosecutor General condemn us all? Moreover, shall the Finnish state risk governmental sanctions from other states based on the abuse of foundational human rights?”
Addressing the pamphlet, which described homosexuality as “a disorder of psycho-sexual development,” Räsänen told the court that she was asked to write a text outlining Lutheran teaching on sexuality for members of her church, from her viewpoint as a politician, doctor, and Christian.
She said that the pamphlet was outdated given changes in research and legislation since 2004. But she said that it should still exist as a document testifying to the discussions taking place at that time.
Crowds of supporters gathered outside the court during the trial. The American Pastor Andrew Brunson, who spent two years in detention in Turkey, flew to Finland to give Räsänen a prayer pledge of support signed by Christians worldwide, organized by the Family Research Council.
A group of U.S. senators wrote on Jan. 24 to Rashad Hussain, the U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, expressing concern at the trial.
“We are greatly concerned that the use of Finnish hate speech law is tantamount to a secular blasphemy law,” they said.
“It could open the door for prosecution of other devout Christians, Muslims, Jews and adherents of other faiths for publicly stating their religious beliefs.”
The Christian legal group ADF International said that the prosecution argued in its closing statement that the word “sin” can be harmful.
“The Apostle Paul isn’t on trial here, but Räsänen is,” the prosecution reportedly said, calling for the defendants to be fined.
Räsänen’s defense argued that a guilty verdict would damage free speech in Finland. They suggested that that trial had become a theological debate on the question “what is sin?”, which they said was an inappropriate topic for a court.
The defense cited the 1976 Handyside v United Kingdom case by the European Court of Human Rights, which said that freedom of expression extended to ideas that “offend, shock or disturb the state or any sector of the population.”
Paul Coleman, ADF International’s executive director, who was present on the first day of the trial on Jan. 24, commented: “I would characterize the day as a modern-day Inquisition or heresy trial and the heresy was that Päivi and Bishop Juhana were on trial against the new sexual orthodoxy of the day.”
The state prosecutor has seven days to decide whether to lodge an appeal.
http://theendtimeradio.com
us news
Judgment Day and speeding tickets in Heaven
A man in Rochester, New York, was recently hit with 5 speeding tickets after the state’s photo radar camera took pictures of him going over the speed limit 5 times. The man had been traveling 55 mph in a construction zone where the speed limit was actually 40 mph. He didn’t know the speed limit.
The law is the law, regardless of what the man assumed. You can be sincerely wrong, and yet still be given 5 speeding tickets. A woman who received a $50 radar ticket in the same city said, “I thought it was a scam. I wasn’t happy.”
Something far worse happens to people who knowingly or unknowingly break God’s Law. And I assure you it is no scam. Many people do not realize that all of their thoughts, words and deeds are being recorded in Heaven. And their sins (“speeding tickets”) are piling up.
The Bible describes this scene on Judgment Day: “The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books” (Revelation 20:12). All of your deeds are being recorded in these books, whether you realize it or not, just like the man who was ticketed 5 times for speeding.
The Bible states: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). When you stand before Jesus on Judgment Day, you will either be under law, or under grace. The only way to be under grace is for your name to be written in “the book of life” by trusting Jesus as your Savior. Scripture declares, “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).
Jesus suffered and died on the cross to pay for your sins so that you can be covered by God’s grace and forgiven of your sins. Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
And of course, every follower of Christ sincerely wants to live for the Lord. Jesus produces this inner transformation within the children of God. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches (see John 15:1-8). “God works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).
Why do you suppose most people seem to pay more attention to the laws of the land than to God’s Law in the Bible? Think about some of the things certain people would never do because of the criminal penalties that would be imposed if they were caught, tried and convicted.
God’s Law is unwavering. The Bible states, “The soul who sins is the one who will die” (Ezekiel 18:20). And Scripture also declares, “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). You might be tempted to think you are less of a sinner than other people. But in Heaven, you and I have piled up far more “speeding tickets” than we can imagine.
Jesus said, “I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words, you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37).
When was the last time you spoke a sinful word to someone? Do you realize that one careless word is enough to send you to Hell? Jesus said, “I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment … Anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Hell” (Matthew 5:22).
God sees everything and knows everything. This fact alone should give you plenty of motivation to make every effort necessary in order to please your Creator. “God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Everything will be brought into the light on Judgment Day. The Bible says, “This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ” (Romans 2:16).
If you are a follower of Christ, the Holy Spirit wants to empower you to live each day as though Jesus died yesterday, arose from the grave today, and is coming back tomorrow. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God” (1 Corinthians 4:5).
So, as you continue to travel down the road of life, always remember that your thoughts, words and actions are being recorded in Heaven. But rather than throwing your hands up in despair, believe what the Bible teaches about being under grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul wrote “to all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints” (Romans 1:7). Heaven is our home, and Christ is producing good things in us and through us. Paul made it very clear to believers in Jesus Christ: “For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14).
God’s grace and forgiveness motivate us to “find out what pleases the Lord” (Ephesians 5:10). Your speeding tickets (sins) that are piling up in Heaven will not be used against you on Judgment Day. You see, “You have been set free from sin,” as well as from the penalty that will be handed down in God’s courtroom to every sinner who is under law, rather than under grace.
You will never be offered a better plea deal! But you can only accept it while you are still here on Earth. Come to the cross today. Embrace Christ’s payment for your sins. Accept the plea deal. It is the only way to be pardoned of your sins and receive everlasting life in Heaven! (see John 14:6 & Acts 4:12).
Sources:Christian Post
us news
Does Praying for the Persecuted Really Help?
Not long ago, CNN published an article regarding the cultural emptiness of the phrase “Thoughts and prayers are with you.” Beyond a massive collage of memes equating the phrase with garbage, emptiness, or inaction, the CNN piece argued that — as a phrase — “thoughts and prayers” has reached the point of semantic satiation.
“Semantic satiation is the phenomenon in which a word or phrase is repeated so often it loses its meaning. But it also becomes something ridiculous, a jumble of letters that feels alien on the tongue and reads like gibberish on paper. ‘Thoughts and prayers’ has reached that full semantic satiation.”
The article quotes several people to bolster its contention that the phrase belongs in a linguistic garbage dump. The most audacious quote originates from a comedian who responds to the offering of “thoughts and prayers” with this profane retort:
“‘Do you know what that’s worth? F***** nothing. F***** less than nothing. You are not giving any of your time, your money, or even your compassion.’ The audience roars and claps.”
CNN quotes religious leaders, too, as if to make the case complete. A social media post features the Dali Lama saying, “Although I am a Buddhist monk, I am skeptical that prayers alone will achieve world peace. We need instead to be enthusiastic and self-confident in taking action.” Likewise, Pope Francis posted this: “Prayer that doesn’t lead to concrete action toward our brothers is a fruitless and incomplete prayer … Prayer and action must always be profoundly united.”
In this increasingly skeptical culture, Christians continue to ask for and offer thoughts and prayers. Culturally, the question is fairly posed: What good are these thoughts and prayers when Christians around the world are seeing their daughters kidnapped, their houses burned, and their wives and mothers turned into weeping widows? Are Christians just mouthing empty phrases, deadened by semantic satiation?
To answer the question, Christians look neither to ecumenical religious leaders nor late-night comedians. Rather, Christians tap into a source more durable than social media, seeking voices more enduring than those now glowing in the aura of a merely temporal spotlight. Like treasure seekers, Christians dive deeply into the eternal word of life and grab jewels from God’s own treasure chest regarding the value of prayer.
When Christians agree to “pray for you,” they invoke the power of a personal relationship to the living, trinitarian God of the Old and New Testaments. The relationship is a living interaction with the various persons of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Father establishes and ordains prayer as a means of accomplishing His will, commanding all who are called by His name to engage in the practice (1 Thess. 5:17). The Son acts as a priest, interceding always to mediate our prayers before the presence of God (Heb. 7:25, John 17, Rom. 8:34, 1 John 2:1). And the Holy Spirit comes alongside as a comforter, recalling the words of Christ for us and making sure to empower our prayers so they are received by Christ (Rom. 8:26-27, John 16:13-14).
In short, “praying for you” becomes Christian stenography for trinitarian theology, unleashing the providential plans and power of the living God. Perhaps culturally, “praying for you” has become meaningless, but Christians cannot abide long in the supposition that prayer is “semantic satiation.” For Christians, prayer offers no less power today than in Elijah’s day when that prophet cried for drought and later for rain as a demonstration of the truth James writes about in the New Testament: The effective prayer of a righteous person can accomplish much.
Therefore, Christians pray. And Christians ought to pray. And Christians should pray for their persecuted brothers and sisters worldwide. And when Christians pray, they are not praying in vain. The effectiveness of prayer is displayed by the fact that the first request from those suffering intense persecution is most often “pray for us.”
The apostle Paul taught Christians the importance of prayer early in the formation of the Christian church. In 2 Corinthians 1:8-11, Paul speaks of a time when he and his companions suffered so greatly that they despaired life. Indeed, Paul says, they had given up — assuming this encounter in Asia would be their last on this earth. And yet Paul goes on to report that God raised them from the dead (with Christ’s resurrection power). Paul adds that this resurrection power from God was infused in them to give them new life through the Corinthians’ “joining in helping us through your prayers.” Paul concludes these verses with thanksgiving, noting that “thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.”
Prayer, then, is definitely not nothing. Prayer unlocks the work of God and is instrumental in His accomplishing his will through his people. Prayer is a powerful work. Of course, International Christian Concern engages in many other good works on behalf of suffering Christians, but prayer remains a fundamental service needed (and requested) by those persecuted. So, we pray and give. And both works serve God’s people, accomplishing much.
Sources:persecution
us news
അമേരിക്കയിൽ നിന്ന് അനധികൃത ഇന്ത്യൻ കുടിയേറ്റക്കാരുമായി പറന്ന യുദ്ധ വിമാനം ഇന്ന് അമൃത്സറിൽ ഇറങ്ങും
വാഷിങ്ടൺ: അമേരിക്കയിൽ നിന്ന് അനധികൃത ഇന്ത്യൻ കുടിയേറ്റക്കാരുമായി പറന്ന യുദ്ധ വിമാനം ഇന്ന് അമൃത്സറിൽ ഇറങ്ങും. 205 അനധികൃത ഇന്ത്യൻ കുടിയേറ്റക്കാരാണ് വിമാനത്തിലുളളത്. അമേരിക്കയുടെ ചരിത്രത്തിലെ ഏറ്റവും വലിയ നാടുകടത്തിലിനാണ് ട്രംപ് ഭരണഘൂടം തുടക്കം കുറിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്. ഇതിൻ്റെ ഭാഗമായാണ് അമേരിക്കയുടെ നടപടി.
ആദ്യഘട്ടത്തിൽ മടക്കി അയക്കാനുള്ള 18000 ഇന്ത്യക്കാരുടെ പട്ടിക അമേരിക്ക തയ്യാറാക്കി. ഇവരെ ഘട്ടംഘട്ടമായി ഇന്ത്യയിലേക്ക് തന്നെ നാടുകടത്തും. രേഖകൾ ഇല്ലാതെ അമേരിക്കയിൽ തുടരുന്ന വിദേശ പൗരൻമാരെ കുടിയൊഴിപ്പിക്കും എന്ന് ട്രംപ് പ്രഖ്യാപിച്ചിരുന്നു. ഇന്ത്യയ്ക്ക് പുറമെ ഗ്വാട്ടിമാല, പെറു, ഹോണ്ടുറാസ് രാജ്യങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നുള്ളവരെയാണ് നിലവിൽ നാടുകടത്തുന്നത്.
അനധികൃത കുടിയേറ്റക്കാരെയും വഹിച്ചുള്ള അമേരിക്കന് സൈനിക വിമാനം ഇന്ത്യയിലേക്ക് പുറപ്പെട്ടതായി വാര്ത്താ ഏജന്സിയായ റോയിട്ടേഴ്സ് നേരത്തെ റിപ്പോര്ട്ട് ചെയ്തിരുന്നു. സി-7 എയര്ക്രാഫ്റ്റിലാണ് അനധികൃത കുടിയേറ്റക്കാരെ പറഞ്ഞയച്ചതെന്നും എന്നാല് 24 മണിക്കൂറായിട്ടും വിമാനം ഇന്ത്യയിലെത്തിയില്ലെന്നും പേര് വെളിപ്പെടുത്താന് ആഗ്രഹിക്കാത്ത ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥനെ ഉദ്ധരിച്ച് ദേശീയ മാധ്യമമായ ഇന്ത്യാടുഡേ റിപ്പോര്ട്ട് ചെയ്തിരുന്നു.
അമേരിക്കന് ഇമിഗ്രേഷന് ആന്ഡ് കസ്റ്റംസ് എന്ഫോഴ്സ്മെന്റ് (ഐസിഇ) നാടുകടത്തലിനായി അടയാളപ്പെടുത്തിയിരിക്കുന്ന 15 ലക്ഷം ആളുകളില് നിന്നും 18,000 രേഖകളില്ലാത്ത ഇന്ത്യക്കാരുടെ പട്ടിക തയ്യാറാക്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. എന്നാല് പുറപ്പെട്ട വിമാനത്തില് എത്രയാളുകളുണ്ടെന്നത് വ്യക്തമല്ല. പ്യൂ റിസര്ച്ച് കേന്ദ്രത്തിന്റെ കണക്കുകള് പ്രകാരം ഏകദേശം 7,25,000 ഇന്ത്യക്കാരായ അനധികൃത കുടിയേറ്റക്കാര് അമേരിക്കയില് താമസിക്കുന്നുണ്ട്.
Sources:nerkazhcha
A US military aircraft C-17 carrying around 205 illegal immigrants—mostly from Punjab and neighbouring states—is set to land in Amritsar at 9am on Wednesday, The Tribune reported, citing unnamed sources.
The deportation of Indians comes as part of a crackdown on illegal immigration under Donald Trump’s second term as US President. Trump, who took office on January 20, has toughened immigration policies, leading to large-scale deportations. Many of those being sent back had entered the US through illegal routes, spending lakhs of rupees in the process.
Punjab NRI affairs minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal expressed disappointment over the United States’ decision to deport these people, saying they have contributed to the US economy and should have been granted permanent residency, instead of being deported, news agency PTI reported.
Asked about the reports of the US plane carrying illegal immigrants landing in Amritsar, director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said on Tuesday that the issue was discussed at a meeting, news agency PTI reported.
“The chief minister (Bhagwant Mann) said from the Punjab government’s side, we will receive our immigrants and set up counters (for them) there,” the DGP said.
“We are in touch with the Centre. As and when information comes, we will share,” he added.
Bhagwant Mann held a meeting on Tuesday with Punjab Police officers, including commissioners and senior superintendents of police, to discuss various issues, PTI added.
Dhaliwal dubbed the issue of Indians being deported from the US as “very serious”.
Bloomberg reported that like several other nations, India is working behind the scenes to appease the Trump administration and avoid the brunt of its trade threats. In the last few weeks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has delivered a series of concessions to the White House on issues core to Trump’s agenda. Modi is expected to meet Trump in Washington next week.
The ministry of external affairs did not offer an immediate comment, Bloomberg reported. Earlier, it reported that India was willing to take back 18,000 undocumented Indian migrants from the US.
While the total number of undocumented Indian migrants in the US isn’t certain, a report published last year by the Department of Homeland Security pegged the number at around 220,000 as of 2022.
In his first weeks in office, Trump has urged federal and local authorities to ramp up detention and deportations of undocumented migrants, deployed the US military to the southern border and carried out deportation flights.
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