The 3 - September 7, 2025

Agency by agency, a task force headed by Attorney General Pam Bondi, identified instances in which the religious freedom rights of Christians were denied.  A FoxNews.com article noted that the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias "...had a clear mandate to ensure that 'any unlawful and improper conduct, policies, or practices that target Christians are identified, terminated, and rectified.'"   

The year was 2019, and a member of the Parliament in Finland "posted a tweet questioning the appropriateness of the Evangelical Lutheran Church being a sponsor for an LGBT pride event in Helsinki."  That's according to The Christian Post, which related that in the tweet, she also referenced Romans chapter 1.

Her name is Päivi Räsänen, and her legal battles had just begun.  The article states that: "In 2021, Räsänen was charged with 'agitation against a minority group' under the section of the
Finnish criminal code that deals with 'war crimes and crimes against humanity.' The charges relate to the tweet, as well as her comments in a radio debate and a church pamphlet published in 2004."  She was acquitted in 2022 and again in 2023.  But apparently the Finnish authorities are not finished in their harassment of this godly woman.

The Christian Post article reported:

...the prosecutor has appealed yet again, taking the case to Finland's Supreme Court, which is set to hear oral arguments on Oct. 30.

One of the key issues in the trial is Räsänen’s use of the word “sin.” Described as hateful and insulting by the prosecution, Räsänen’s defense notes that this is the term used in the Bible and that, as such, it is not she who is on trial, but the Bible itself.

The Finnish State prosecutor, Anu Mantila, said, “You can cite the Bible, but it is Räsänen’s interpretation and opinion about the Bible verses that are criminal."

Räsänen disagrees, stating: “It isn’t a crime to tweet a Bible verse, or to engage in public discourse from a Christian perspective."

In the Texas Legislature's recent special session, lawmakers passed need protections for women in private spaces, such as bathrooms and locker rooms.  The Washington Stand reported that the Texas Women’s Privacy Act "has several objectives. First, it prohibits anyone from entering a restroom in a government building or public school that does not align with their biological sex. It also bans biological men who identify as transgender from entering women’s domestic violence shelters unless they’re under the age of 17 and are accompanied by a mother who is going to the shelter to receive services."

As the session opened up, Mary Elizabeth Castle, Director of Government Relations for Texas Values, was a guest on The Meeting House on Faith Radio. The organization's website announced the final Senate passage of the legislation, sending the bill on to Governor Abbott for his signature; Castle stated: "I am thrilled that Texas women and girls will be safer now that legislation has passed to protect women’s privacy and dignity, and it is about to become law. This is a victory for all the Texas women and girls. I am thankful to the leaders of both the House and the Senate for their efforts to advance this bill to Governor Abbott’s desk for his signature..."