A Finnish member of Parliament has been barred from passing through the United Kingdom because of a criminal conviction over a Christian pamphlet expressing biblical teaching on sexuality.

Päivi Räsänen recently revealed that British authorities revoked her Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), preventing her from traveling through London's Heathrow Airport while returning home to Finland from the United States.

The travel restriction could also affect plans for Räsänen to speak in Northern Ireland next month at a conference on—ironically—freedom of speech.

Räsänen's legal troubles began in 2019 after she questioned on social media why Finland's Evangelical Lutheran Church was officially supporting an LGBT Pride event. In her post, she quoted Romans 1:24–27, asking how the church's participation could be reconciled with Scripture.

Authorities later charged Räsänen with "hate speech" over both the social media post and a pamphlet explaining the Bible's teaching on marriage and sexuality.

Räsänen was unanimously acquitted by two lower courts in 2023. Prosecutors appealed, and in March 2026 Finland's Supreme Court narrowly reversed part of those earlier decisions in a 3–2 ruling, finding her guilty only over the pamphlet. The court ordered her to pay fines, remove the publication from circulation, and destroy remaining physical copies.

Yet the court also acknowledged an important fact.

"The text forming the basis for the conviction did not contain incitement to violence or comparable threat-like fomenting of hatred," the ruling stated, concluding that the conduct was "not particularly serious."

Even so, the conviction was enough for British authorities to revoke Räsänen's travel authorization.

Religious freedom advocates say the decision reflects a broader shift taking place across parts of Europe.

Writer Rod Dreher called Räsänen "a canary in the civilizational coal mine," arguing that governments are increasingly treating historic Christian beliefs as unacceptable in public life.

Others point to similar developments throughout the United Kingdom, where recent years have seen arrests involving street preachers, restrictions on silent prayer near abortion facilities, and growing concerns over laws governing speech.

For many Christians, the concern extends beyond one politician or one court case. It raises broader questions about whether biblical beliefs can continue to be expressed freely in societies that once embraced their Christian heritage.

Despite years of investigations, trials, appeals, and now travel restrictions, Räsänen says she has no regrets.

In fact, she believes God has used the ordeal to open doors for the Gospel.

After news of her prosecution first became public in 2019, one young atheist contacted her with an angry message criticizing her beliefs.

Instead of responding in kind, Räsänen answered graciously and shared the Gospel with him.

Some time later, he wrote again.

This time his message was very different.

According to Räsänen, he told her he had come to faith in Jesus Christ and had found "the way to eternal life."

Looking back over the years of legal battles, she now sees that conversation as a reminder of God's faithfulness.

"It is not in vain to defend these freedoms," Räsänen said. "It is not in vain to share the message of the Bible."

Governments may place limits on where Christians can travel or what they can say, but they cannot stop the Gospel from changing hearts. As religious freedom faces increasing challenges around the world, let's remain faithful to share Christ while we still have the opportunity.

Every Chick tract handed to a friend, neighbor, or stranger is another opportunity for someone to hear the life-changing message of the Gospel.