Canada (MNN) — After a more than nine-month legal journey, Canada’s Bill C-9 (or the Combatting Hatred Act) passed in Parliament on June 17, 2026, just two days before the governing body’s summer recess. It will go into effect June 30.
In previous reports this year, we’ve covered Bill C-9‘s potential risks, ways Christians could respond prayerfully, and the bill’s significance in a broader global context, including developments in Finland.
Since the bill’s introduction in September, tens if not hundreds of thousands of Canadians voiced concerns about its potential negative impact on religious freedom. The bill removed a “good faith” religious belief defense previously in place. Critics also said its definition of what constitutes hatred could be misused.
“The majority of people that called in and raised their voice were Christian, but a number of other religious groups did as well, and joined together to write their MPs [Members of Parliament] and make their voices heard in parliament,” says Floyd Brobbel with Voice of the Martyrs Canada.
“We’re in a society where you speak truth and where you cause offense, some people are labeling that as hate. So it is concerning, and other religious groups should be concerned, because it doesn’t just affect the Church.”
Canada is a home to many nations and religious groups; Canada Day celebrations (photo courtesy of Andy Holmes via Unsplash)
Anti-semitism has risen in Canada, making hate-motivated actions a legitimate battle. However, motives are not always easy to discern.
“I think that’s the key word that they’re trying to figure out: what is the intention of the person that is preaching, even if it is from sacred texts?” Brobbel says. “How are we going to be able to determine, you know, what is the intent behind somebody preaching a particular verse in Scripture?”
He adds, “That’s the concern: that the bill didn’t make anything clear, it just seemed to make things more unclear.”
Pray for wisdom and justice among Canada’s government leaders. They state that with the Bill C-9 legislation, freedom of expression and religion remain protected in Canada. The ramifications of the new law have yet to be tested, however.
Pray also for godly boldness among church leaders. Although many in Canada are disappointed and wary about the new law, Brobbel says the call for Christians remains unchanged.
“At this point, there’s nothing in Bill C-9 that, I think, would hinder us from continuing to preach the Word. We’ll see how the removal of the ‘good faith’ religious belief defense will play out, but this should not hinder us from moving forward,” he says.
“There’s a difference between standing up for what we believe and promoting hatred towards a group because they’re acting a certain way. [We are called] to do good to all, so that God will be honored and glorified. Part of that is preaching the gospel and speaking truth in love and calling out righteous living and demonstrating that, and not shrinking away from that in the public.”
Header photo: Canada’s Parliament building (Stock photo courtesy of Benoit Debaix via Unsplash)
