JD Vance Boldly Speaks Out Against Christian Persecution in Europe

At this year’s annual Munich Security Conference (MSC), the Trump administration was able to boldly voice its position of what it saw of the European security threats and the future of the US and European alliance. Vice President JD Vance represented the United States and made clear that he saw the greatest security threat potentials as being internal to Europe.

Vance bluntly described various examples of the European governments stifling basic freedoms of its citizens. The examples Vance described went from punishment of the exercise of free speech rights, to barring conservative political party leaders from events like the MSC, to attacks on religion, particularly Christianity. It was with the examples of attacks on Christianity that many should be awakened to the greatest widening chasm in values between Europe and America. The right to religious freedom in Europe also allows for all freedom of speech and political identification. Freedom is the most important shared value for the future of America and Europe’s long-term alliance.

First, stifling religious freedom suppresses the other freedoms like speech and political association. During his MSC speech, Vance described the horrendous case of UK veteran Adam Smith-Connor. Adam was arrested and then convicted in a British court for silently praying near an abortion clinic for his unborn son. A son who died by abortion which Smith-Connor procured around 20 years prior. According to Vance, “The British government charged [Smith-Connor] … with the ‘heinous’ crime of standing 50 meters from an abortion clinic and silently praying for three minutes, not obstructing anyone, not interacting with anyone, just silently praying on his own.” Vance then described similar laws in Scotland, which has “safe access Zones” prohibiting “religious preaching (and) silent vigils” within 200 meters of an abortion clinic. According to the UK Daily Telegraph, the Scottish government informed those who live within the 200-meter zones to inform them of this law. According to Vance “The government urged readers (of the letters) to report any fellow citizens of (a) thought crime. In Britain and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat.” With the Scottish law, Christians could be praying in their own homes within 200 meters of an abortion clinic are “guilty” of the offense directly violating free speech. (Catholic News Agency, Feb. 14, 2025)

In response, the German Chancellor condemned Vance’s speech, claiming the Chancellor “firmly rejected it” and it was “not appropriate” among allies. (India Express, Feb. 16, 2025)

The persecution of Christianity in Europe has ramped up in recent years. In June 2019, the Lutheran Church in Finland decided to support the LGBT event, “Pride 2019". In response, Dr. Paivi Rasanen, an active member of the Finnish Lutheran Church and wife a Finnish Luther Pastor, decided to offer dissenting views of homosexuality from a biblical perspective. Due to Finnish law barring such speech, Finnish prosecutors decided to prosecute Paivi for her comments (and a corresponding tweet) in April 2021. ADF International wrote “The Medical Doctor, mother of five, and grandmother of six is accused of having engaged in ‘hate speech’ for publicly voicing her opinion on marriage and human sexuality.” According to The Christian Post, “Rasanen has been charged with three counts of ethnic agitation over statements expressing her beliefs about human sexuality and marriage." Of note, in 2019 Finland was deemed “the most socially progressive nation in the world” (UK Independent from reporting the Social Progress Initiative), but now the rest of Europe has caught up with regards to suppressing religion and speech making the case an important harbinger.

What’s happened in Europe is progressive totalitarianism

Rasanen’s statement opposing this prosecution was succinct but powerful and worthy of Europe’s attention: “I will defend my right to confess my faith, so that no one else would be deprived of their right to freedom of religion and speech. ... I will not back down from my views. I will not be intimidated into hiding my faith. The more Christians keep silent on controversial themes, the narrower the space for freedom of speech gets.” On 30 March, 2022, a Finnish District Court found her not guilty on all charges and ordered prosecutors to pay her attorney fees. Shockingly, the prosecution team appealed her acquittal up to the Supreme Court, where the case remains on appeal. After JD Vance’s speech, Rasanen posted on X, “It took a vice president from across the ocean to warn of developments. Are eyes finally opening in Europe?” The replies to that post, primarily from Europeans, generally praised Vance’s speech, but did not have much hope the elite leadership in Europe would acknowledge the problem Vance exposed and changing course.

What’s happened in Europe is progressive totalitarianism, which has captured much of the mass media and huge swaths of government. It suppresses anything critical of its values, and therefore particularly targets Christianity. The Bible condemns what progressives praise, as Rasanen discovered in Finland and Smith-Connor discovered in the UK. Progressive totalitarianism has attempted to demoralize Christians (and therefore conservatives) into silence and acquiescence by constantly stigmatizing and penalizing Christian values and Christian speech.

JD Vance’s speech thankfully shined a light on the anti-freedom darkness growing throughout European governments. Christianity came to America from Europe and should once again be allowed to thrive in true freedom.