Canada CRIMINALIZES Bible Verses — Pastors Face Jail

(DailyVantage.com) – Canada’s Liberal government is pushing forward with Bill C-9, legislation that strips away long-standing religious speech protections and could subject pastors, priests, and everyday believers to criminal prosecution for quoting Biblical passages on sexuality and sin.

Story Highlights

Bill C-9 eliminates the “good faith” religious belief defense from Canada’s hate speech laws, removing safeguards for quoting scripture
Liberal MPs voted with the Bloc Québécois to remove religious exemptions, despite warnings from Catholic bishops and evangelical leaders
The bill allows private citizens to file hate speech complaints without attorney general approval, opening churches to activist lawsuits
Conservative MP Andrew Lawton confronted Liberal Minister Marc Miller over risks to Biblical passages from Leviticus, Romans, and Deuteronomy

Liberals Remove Religious Speech Safeguards

Bill C-9 represents a dramatic expansion of Canada’s hate speech laws, ostensibly designed to protect religious and cultural sites from harassment. However, on December 10, 2025, Liberal committee members voted alongside the Bloc Québécois to adopt an amendment stripping the Criminal Code’s “good faith” defense for religious expression. This safeguard, while never successfully invoked in court, provided legal protection for sincere religious beliefs. The amendment’s passage has triggered alarm among faith communities who recognize that theological teachings on sexuality, marriage, and morality could now be prosecuted as hate speech under a lowered legal threshold.

Private Prosecutions and the End of Prosecutorial Discretion

Bill C-9 fundamentally alters Canada’s legal landscape by eliminating the requirement for attorney general consent before hate speech charges proceed. This change enables any private citizen to file complaints against religious leaders, creating opportunities for activist prosecutions targeting churches, synagogues, and mosques. The Gospel Coalition warns this provision poses the greatest threat, as it removes the prosecutorial filter that previously prevented frivolous cases. Even if convictions remain rare, the financial burden of legal defense will chill religious speech. Faith organizations already face escalating costs defending their tax-exempt status against government threats, making this additional legal exposure particularly devastating for smaller congregations.

Biblical Passages Under Scrutiny

Conservative MP Andrew Lawton directly challenged Liberal Minister Marc Miller during February 2026 committee hearings, demanding clarity on whether passages from Leviticus, Romans, and Deuteronomy addressing homosexuality constitute hate speech under the new framework. Miller deflected, while Liberal MP Anthony Housefather dismissed concerns as “absurd.” Yet Floyd Brobbel of Voice of the Martyrs Canada emphasized the seriousness of removing protections for sincerely held religious beliefs across all faiths. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Civil Rights League formally opposed the bill, calling it the “wrong bill at the wrong time.” Cardinal Frank Leo joined thousands signing parliamentary petitions demanding restoration of religious speech protections.

Government Overreach Targeting Traditional Values

Bill C-9 arrived amid surging hate crimes following 2023 Israel-Hamas tensions, with the Liberal government citing incidents like Montreal Imam Adil Charkaoui’s calls for violence against “Zionist aggressors.” Yet the government’s solution punishes law-abiding faith communities rather than addressing genuine threats. The Bloc Québécois conditioned support on removing religious exemptions, reflecting secular hostility toward traditional belief systems. This aligns with broader Liberal attacks on religious institutions, including threats to revoke charitable status for organizations upholding Biblical teachings on marriage and sexuality. The bill’s vague “hatred” definition grants bureaucrats sweeping authority to adjudicate theological speech, a dangerous precedent eroding both religious freedom and free expression.

As of February 2026, Bill C-9 reached third reading after committee approval, though debate temporarily stalled following conservative opposition. The legislation creates new offenses for intimidation at religious sites carrying ten-year prison sentences, while simultaneously exposing believers to prosecution for expressing doctrinal positions. Justice Canada’s Charter review claims minimal interference with religious freedom, but faith leaders recognize the chilling effect of government-monitored speech. The polarization surrounding this bill energizes conservative campaigns while signaling the Liberal government’s willingness to abandon its traditional religious base in pursuit of secular progressive agendas that undermine constitutional protections for conscience and belief.