Image: Yle

"Animal protection law grants better protection to animals than the law on abortion gives to unborn children. Animals may not be slaughtered in a painful manner, but it's not permitted to even discuss the painfulness of abortion," Räsänen said in her address in Kankaanpää.

The Interior Minister Räsänen, who heads the Christian Democratic Party, described abortion as a "silenced taboo and a Pandora's box. The consequences of opening this up are feared." According to Räsänen, there is no point in time in a pregnancy before which ending that pregnancy should be acceptable.

"An abortion-age child is not a numb piece of tissue, rather an individual that can feel pain," she stated.

Räsänen also pointed out that Finland and Sweden are the only European countries where healthcare personnel do not have the legal right to refuse to carry out abortions on the basis of their personal convictions.

Bible before law

The Interior Minister let it be understood that in a conflicting situation, the Bible should take precedence over the law.

"We have to consider whether we have the courage to act in the face of general public opinion or norms, peer pressure, and sometimes even the law, if these contradict the word of God," Räsänen said.

As guideline to conflicts between the Bible and the law, Räsänen, whose ministerial post also includes religious affairs, borrowed from the words of the Apostles, saying, “We must obey God rather than men."

The Interior Minister's remarks were first reported by the local newspaper Kankaanpään seutu.