Canada (MNN) — Hate-crime laws are often criticized for vague wording. Still, they do not always signal an attack on the Church and deserve careful study.
Concern is rising in Canada over religious freedom following the introduction of Bill C-9, proposed amendments to the Criminal Code aimed at addressing hate propaganda, hate-motivated offences, and intimidation or obstruction of access to community places.
However, some faith leaders warn the bill could also remove a key legal protection for people of faith. Floyd Brobbel with the Voice of the Martyrs Canada says the potential elimination of a “good faith” religious belief defence is significant.
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“Our concern is that removing the good-faith religious belief defense removes a protection not only for Christians, but for other religious groups as well,” says Brobbel.
Another possibility is that under expanded Criminal Code provisions, some faith-based teachings could be interpreted as “hate,” potentially limiting religious speech.
Brobbel says Christians should take the proposal seriously while avoiding assumptions about motives. “We can’t always assume that that some of these proposals are done to attack the church,” he warns.
He adds that “religious freedom” is a broad category, and limits do not always harm Christians. In some cases they can protect religious communities. For example, some Jewish groups support Bill C-9 as a safeguard against antisemitic hate. He also notes that Canada already draws lines when a claimed religious practice causes harm:
“If the Aztecs had a group in Canada and they wanted to continue with their human sacrifices, we would say, ‘No, no, no, no, no, you can’t do that.’”
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This is why he believes careful study matters before drawing conclusions. He points to groups reviewing the proposal,
including the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and the Christian Legal Fellowship, along with denominational leadership, as helpful guides for Christians trying to understand what the law would mean in practice.
He adds, “The concern should not be turned to fear.”
Because Bill C-9 has not passed, Canadian believers need to get informed, listen to trusted faith and legal voices, and speak up if risks become clear. There is a need to respond to laws with both wisdom and faithfulness to Scripture, since some can be harmful.
“So for Canadian Christians, I would just encourage them that we need to know our Bibles and know what is true,” urges Brobbel.
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Header photo courtesy of Cam Fattahi via Unsplash.
