Convicted for quoting the Bible: a confession of faith before the judges

In Finland, a Christian member of parliament was convicted, in March, for having publicly defended the Bible's teaching on marriage and morality. She now brings her case, as a final recourse, before the highest European court. Thus, in a land of ancient Christendom, to quote Scripture may now bring a citizen before the tribunals.

The Christian has never had the choice to keep silent about his faith. The Lord bound him by a word that leaves no escape: « Every one therefore that shall confess me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven. » And when power demands silence about what God has said, the rule of the Apostles remains: « We ought to obey God rather than men. » The word of God is not answerable to men; it is men who shall be judged by it.

Measured against this rule, the conviction inverts the order of things. We do not judge hearts; we name the act: to drag a believer into court for repeating what Scripture teaches is to set the human tribunal up as judge of the divine law, and to make the profession of faith a crime. Whether one approves of her or not, a society that punishes the quoting of the Bible has given itself a master it no longer masters. The truth about man and about marriage does not cease to be true because a judge forbids it; and the Christian, for his part, keeps the duty to confess it — at the price, if need be, of his liberty.

Sources. Gospel according to Saint Matthew, X, 32; Acts of the Apostles, V, 29; Catechism of the Council of Trent (1566), on the obligation of professing the faith.