Recently, a new bill was introduced in Ottawa’s House of Commons that some believe could eventually affect freedom of expression, particularly in the public proclamation of the Word of God and, potentially, in the distribution of religious literature, including Bibles.
The bill is known as Bill C-9. On the surface, it appears reasonable and necessary. It aims to combat antisemitism, hate speech, and extremist propaganda while providing greater protection for places of worship, including synagogues, mosques, and churches. The bill passed the House of Commons on March 25 of this year by a vote of 186 to 137 and has now moved to the Senate for consideration. If approved, it could become law before the end of the year. So where does the concern lie?
Some politicians have openly questioned whether certain passages in the Bible and other religious texts should continue to be protected under the Criminal Code’s good-faith religious expression provision. At present, this provision offers legal protection to those who cite religious texts in their proper context, even when those texts address conduct that Scripture identifies as sinful, but that contemporary culture may regard as acceptable. Critics of the provision have called for its removal.
This debate drew national attention when Marc Miller, Canada’s Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, cited several biblical passages during a public discussion on October 30, 2025, stating: “In Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Romans, there are passages with clear hatred towards, for example, homosexuals…” Notice how he specifically identifies books of the Bible as hateful.
As believers, we agree that no passage of Scripture should ever be used to promote hatred, mistreatment, or oppression of any person. The purpose of God’s Word is to reveal the reality of sin, point people to repentance, and lead them to Yeshua, whose name means “Salvation.” However, when biblical texts are labelled hateful and when legal protections for those who quote them responsibly are challenged, many see this as a significant step in a troubling direction.
The concern is that this could affect freedom of expression and place growing pressure on those who preach and teach the Scriptures. This is a significant development. Passages from Moses in Leviticus, from Paul in Romans, and even the words of Yeshua Himself seem increasingly offensive to this world, even though they are meant to bring them to repentance.
But this trend is not limited to Canada. Several Western countries have adopted laws that increasingly restrict religious expression in public life. For example, France has enacted legislation banning conspicuous religious symbols in public schools and significantly limiting religious expression within state institutions. These restrictions have affected the wearing of large crosses, turbans, kippahs, and other visible religious symbols. Similar measures have also been adopted in countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark, and, to a significant extent, here in our own province of Quebec.
In Quebec, a law known as Bill 9 (not Bill C9, which shares the same number but is not the same) reflects a similar emphasis on secularism and on regulating religious expression in certain public settings. The bill received Royal Assent on April 2, 2026, meaning that it officially became law. Among other provisions, the law expands existing restrictions on religious symbols to additional publicly funded sectors, including certain daycare and educational settings. It also requires municipal authorization for organized religious gatherings in public spaces such as parks and streets.
What is especially striking when we consider all of this is that this trend aligns with what the Scriptures tell us about the last days. Bible prophecy indicates that a time will come when the world will no longer tolerate the truth of God’s Word. Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2: 4 that the coming Antichrist, during the Tribulation, will oppose God, suppress true worship, and exalt himself above all that is called God. We are also told in Revelation 13:7 that he will wage war against the believers.
Furthermore, every year at Hanukkah, we remember the actions of Antiochus Epiphanes in the 2nd century BC, just before the First Coming. He did something unprecedented in history: he sought to eradicate the worship of the God of Israel by threatening death to those who possessed or studied the Scriptures. Copies of the Law were confiscated and burned. Yet Antiochus was more than a historical tyrant. His actions foreshadowed the character and works of the coming Antichrist before Yeshua’s Second Coming.
In Matthew 24, Jesus refers to “the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet,” indicating that although Antiochus partially fulfilled this prophecy, a future fulfillment remains. This future fulfillment will surely include the same hostility toward the Word of God that Antiochus displayed when he forbade the Jewish people from possessing and studying the Scriptures.
So, while these events are early shadows of what is to come, they remind us of one unchanging reality: God’s Word will never be silenced. Governments rise and fall, laws are enacted and repealed, but the Word of our God stands forever. Therefore, let us not be discouraged but more determined to live, proclaim, and defend the truth of the Scriptures until our Messiah returns.
Click here for the Video: Israel and the Nations – C9 – Will the Bible Be Considered Hate Speech in Canada?