Päivi Räsänen: Difference between revisions

[[Abortion]] statements of Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen led to another large number of Finns leaving the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland|Lutheran church of Finland]] via an online service in July 2013.<ref>[http://yle.fi/uutiset/rasanens_comments_cause_spike_in_church_resignations/6728183 Räsänen’s comments cause spike in church resignations] yle 11.7.2013</ref> Räsänen contrasted abortion law to animal protection law saying that the latter gives better protection for animals than the former does to humans (fetuses): <blockquote>"The law on animal protection gives better protection to an animal about to be put down than the law on abortion does to an unborn child. It is forbidden to cause the animal pain when slaughtering it, but no one dares to even discuss the painfulness of abortion. Abortion is defended on the grounds that the fetus is not a human person, even though it is a biological human individual from the moment of conception."<ref>({{fi icon}}: “Eläinsuojelulaki antaa paremman suojan lopetettavalle eläimelle kuin aborttilaki syntymättömälle lapselle. Eläimelle ei saa teurastettaessa tuottaa kipua, mutta abortin kivuliaisuudesta ei uskalleta edes keskustella. Aborttia puolustetaan sillä, että sikiö ei ole ihmispersoona, vaikka onkin hedelmöityksestä lähtien biologinen ihmisyksilö”) [https://matskut.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/123456789/102/rasanenpuhe.pdf?sequence=6 Räsänen's speech]</ref></blockquote> In total 6,500 persons left the church the in the first six days following the controversy, while the average number had been 70 persons a day prior to it.<ref>[http://www.kaleva.fi/uutiset/kotimaa/rasas-kohun-aikana-yli-6500-eronnut-kirkosta/636268/ Räsäs-kohun aikana yli 6500 eronnut kirkosta] Kaleva 17.7.2013</ref>