“I am against abortion in any form myself. The grace of God is so liberating and provides so many options to get the best out of life despite our fall in nature, and we all have that. Having said that it is an ideal to aim for. In an ideal world there would be no unwanted pregnancies and no unwanted babies. But we are far from living in an ideal world. An honest and a scriptural view is that things are getting harder for people, so what then for the weak in our society?

Abortion as murder, therefore sin, which is the religious argument, is no more sinful, from a scriptural point of view, than all other sins we don’t legislate against, like greed, hate and fornication. The latter, being fornication, I would say, is probably the single most likely cause of unwanted pregnancies in this country.”

Michelle Mulherin, Fine Gael TD (Mayo) during the X Case bill debate this morning.

That’s why she’s on the big money.

Fine Gael TD: Fornication The Main Cause Of Unwanted Pregnancies (Newstalk)

Meanwhile: Private Members’ Bill On Abortion Legislation Defeated

Fornication?

6.50pm UPDATE: Michelle Mulherin’s (pretty astonishing) Interview with Matt Cooper on Today FM’s Last Word here.

(Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland)