For God gave us a spirit of power and love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7)
That verse is not a pep talk. It is an instruction. And right now, Canadian Christians need it.
Bill C-9, officially called the "Combatting Hate Act," passed the Canadian House of Commons on March 25, 2026 by a vote of 188 to 144. It is now before the Senate. Bill C-9 is a federal criminal law amendment introduced in Canada's 45th Parliament. The stated goal is to combat rising hate crimes, protect vulnerable communities, and strengthen Canada's criminal code against hate-motivated violence. Some of what it does is genuinely good. Protecting synagogues, mosques, and churches from obstruction and intimidation? That is worth supporting.
But buried in the bill is a provision that has alarmed Christian leaders, Catholic bishops, evangelical pastors, and religious freedom lawyers across the country: the removal of the good-faith religious exemption from Canada's hate speech provisions.
You can read the full bill and its progress at the Parliament of Canada LEGISinfo page for Bill C-9.
The Provision That Changes Everything
Section 319(3)(b) of the Criminal Code currently protects you. Here is what it says:
"No person shall be convicted of an offence under subsection (2) if, in good faith, the person expressed or attempted to establish by an argument an opinion on a religious subject or an opinion based on a belief in a religious text."
That exemption is the reason your pastor can preach from Romans 1 without being arrested. It is the reason a church can teach that marriage is between a man and a woman. It is the reason Christian counselors can offer biblical guidance rooted in Scripture.
Bill C-9 removes it.
It is worth knowing the full picture. Bill C-9 makes several changes to the Criminal Code:
A new stand-alone hate crime offence. Crimes motivated by hatred against a protected group (race, religion, sexual orientation, etc.) become a separate criminal category, not just an aggravating factor in sentencing.
A broader definition of "hatred." The new definition describes hatred as "the emotion that involves detestation or vilification and that is stronger than disdain or dislike." That is a deliberately lower bar than what courts previously required. It is easier to allege and harder to defend against.
Removal of the Attorney General consent safeguard. For the new hate-motivated offence, prosecutors no longer need the Attorney General's prior approval to lay charges. That removes a filter that previously blocked politically motivated or frivolous prosecutions.
New offences for obstructing religious and cultural spaces. Criminal charges for anyone who blocks access to a church, synagogue, mosque, school, or cultural center. This part is genuinely good protection.
A hate symbol offence. Public display of symbols associated with designated hate groups or terrorist entities, when done with intent to promote hatred, becomes a criminal offence.
The parts that protect physical spaces and communities from violence and obstruction deserve support. The part that removes the religious exemption deserves fierce opposition.
Let's be concrete. Here is what could now be legally exposed:
- A pastor preaches from Leviticus or Romans on sexual ethics
- A church youth group is taught traditional Christian doctrine on marriage
- A Christian counselor offers biblical instruction to a client seeking spiritual direction
- An evangelical blogger defends Christian positions on gender or sexuality
- A church publishes a statement of faith that includes traditional doctrine
None of these activities express hatred. None of them target people for violence or intimidation. But all of them could now be cited as grounds for a criminal complaint under a law that no longer carves out protection for sincere religious belief.
The most likely immediate consequence is to silence them through fear of prosecution.
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada has outlined exactly this concern.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has also issued a formal statement opposing the removal of the religious exemption.
The Hudson Institute has published detailed analysis of the religious freedom implications.
What Scripture Says About This Moment
Scripture does not leave us without guidance here. The early church faced legal pressure to stop speaking. The apostles were arrested, flogged, and warned to be silent. Here is what they said:
"Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:19-20)
They did not riot. They did not panic. They prayed, continued preaching, and trusted God with the outcome. That is our model.
Jesus was direct about what following him would cost:
"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you." (John 15:18)
"Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven." (Matthew 5:11-12)
Paul told Timothy to keep preaching regardless of external pressure:
"Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching." (2 Timothy 4:2)
And he was clear that pressure against Christian living is not an anomaly:
", all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2 Timothy 3:12)
None of this is meant to make you fatalistic. It is meant to free you from shock. We were told. The church in Canada is not the first to face legal pressure to be quiet, and it will not be the last.
The Unequal Application Problem
Here is something worth saying plainly: vague, overbroad laws are not applied equally.
In practice, a law that criminalizes "hate" with a lowered definitional threshold will be used selectively. Christian speech rooted in sincere biblical conviction will be prosecuted. Anti-religious speech targeting Christians will likely enjoy de facto immunity. That asymmetry is not hypothetical. We have seen it play out in the UK, in Australia, and in parts of Europe where similar laws exist.
The rule of law requires equal protection. When a law is applied selectively based on whose beliefs are culturally favored, it ceases to be justice and becomes enforcement of ideology.
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16)
God's Word does not become less authoritative when a government declares it inconvenient. The issue is not whether the Bible offends people. It always has. The issue is whether sincere religious belief deserves protection in a free society.
What You Should Do Right Now
This is the part that matters most. Fear is not your assignment. Action is.
1. Understand the bill
Read it. Not secondhand summaries, not outrage headlines. Read the actual text and Parliament's summary. Know what it actually says and what it does not say. The Gospel Coalition Canada has published a measured analysis worth reading.
2. Contact your senators
The bill is in the Senate now. This is your moment. Senators are not elected; they are less insulated from public opinion than MPs. Write to your senator. Call their office. Explain in plain language why removing the religious exemption creates legal jeopardy for sincere faith practice. Be respectful and concrete. Generic form letters are less effective than personal, specific communications.
Find your senator at sencanada.ca.
3. Support the organizations fighting for you
These organizations are doing the legal and advocacy work on your behalf:
- ARPA Canada (Association for Reformed Political Action) is actively engaged on Bill C-9
- The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada is the broadest evangelical voice in this fight
- The Canadian Constitutional Foundation is providing legal analysis and public education
- The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has formally opposed the bill
Support them. Share their resources. If you can give financially to religious freedom legal work, do it.
4. Do not self-censor your preaching
Pastors: keep preaching. Do not quietly remove the passages that feel risky. Do not soften your statements of faith. Do not let legal uncertainty silence biblical teaching.
That does not mean being needlessly provocative. It means continuing to speak the truth in love, which is what Paul called the church to do:
"Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ." (Ephesians 4:15)
5. Document your theological basis
Churches and Christian organizations should have clear written documentation of the biblical and theological basis for their positions. because clarity helps prevent mischaracterization. A church that can articulate the doctrinal basis for its teaching is in a stronger legal and public position than one that cannot.
6. Build coalitions across faith lines
This is not only a Christian issue. Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and other religious communities all rely on the same protection. When the religious exemption falls for Christians, it falls for everyone.
This is a rare opportunity for genuine religious solidarity. Work alongside other faith communities. Make the case together. The state should not be in the business of deciding which sincere religious beliefs are acceptable.
7. Pray
Pray for the Senate to act with wisdom and courage. Pray for government leaders to understand that protecting religious expression is not optional in a free society. Pray for the pastors and church leaders who will face this uncertainty. And pray for the courage to keep speaking when it costs something.
"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:44)
That includes the legislators who passed this bill. Pray for them. That is not weakness. It is the instruction.
A Note on Perspective
The church has existed under governments that wanted it silent for two thousand years. The early church outlasted Rome. The church in China has grown under a government that has tried to control and suppress it for decades. The church in the Soviet bloc survived seventy years of active state atheism.
Canada's Bill C-9 is serious. It is not the end. It is a test of whether the Canadian church has the theological and civic maturity to respond wisely rather than fearfully or recklessly.
You are not fighting alone. You are not fighting for the first time in history. You are standing in a very long line of people who chose to obey God rather than men, accepted the consequences, and watched God work.
That is still the play.
FAQ
Does Bill C-9 make preaching from the Bible illegal?
the legal jeopardy is real.
Has the bill passed into law yet?
As of April 2026, Bill C-9 has passed third reading in the House of Commons (188-144 on March 25, 2026) and is now before the Senate. It has not yet received Royal Assent and is not yet law. The Senate may amend it or delay it. This is the window for advocacy.
Why did so many MPs vote for a bill that restricts religious freedom?
The bill was framed as anti-hate legislation, and the good elements (protecting religious spaces from obstruction, creating a hate crime offence) provided cover for the removal of the religious exemption. Many MPs may not have fully understood the implications of removing Section 319(3)(b), or they prioritized other political considerations. This is why citizen engagement with senators matters right now.
What happens if the Senate passes it as is and it becomes law?
The law would go into effect, and the religious exemption would be gone. At that point, the fight moves to the courts. Christian legal organizations would likely pursue constitutional challenges under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, specifically Section 2(a) (freedom of conscience and religion) and Section 2(b) (freedom of expression). Constitutional challenges take time, but they have succeeded before. The loss of the exemption would not be permanent if Canadians and their lawyers fight it.
This article presents a Christian perspective on Bill C-9 with reference to Scripture and Christian legal and ethical reasoning. It does not constitute legal advice. Christians facing specific legal concerns should consult qualified legal counsel and their pastoral leaders.
