Did Canada criminalize quoting the Bible? Posts misrepresent bill

In late March 2026, social media posts claimed Canada "criminalized the Bible" or made it illegal to publicly quote Scripture after the House of Commons passed Bill C-9, the "Combatting Hate Act."

One Facebook post (archived) on the topic started:

Canada just criminalized the Bible.

Bill C-9 passed by Canada's lawmakers.

Now quoting Scripture on marriage, sin, or God's design for sexuality can be prosecuted as "wilful promotion of hatred."  

The post went on to suggest that pastors, parents and ordinary Christians could face legal consequences for sharing biblical teachings in public. "This is a direct assault on Christianity — turning faithful expression into a potential crime while hiding behind the mask of tolerance," the post ended. 

Variations of the claim spread across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. Similarly, an article shared by The English Speaking Catholic Council of Canada claimed Bill C-9 would allow " the criminalization of religious expression and belief when quoting parts of the Bible." Readers also messaged us and searched our website for information about whether Canada outlawed the Bible or made quoting it illegal. 

That claim was false.

Bill C-9 does not ban public Bible reading or Bible quotes. It would remove an existing Criminal Code defense tied to religious subjects or religious texts in some hate-propaganda offenses, while also defining "hatred" narrowly and clarifying that religious statements made in discussion, publication or debate are not prohibited unless they willfully promote hatred against an identifiable group. As of March 30, 2026, Bill C-9 had not become law. It had passed the House of Commons and moved to the Senate.

Earlier fact checks and official comments offered the same conclusion. In 2024, AFP reported that the proposal did not criminalize ordinary religious expression but instead targeted the use of religion as a defense in hate-speech cases. In January 2026, Justice Minister Sean Fraser likewise rejected claims that the bill would "criminalize faith" or stop religious leaders from reading sacred texts.

What the bill actually changes

Bill C-9 is a government bill formally titled "An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places)." The version passed by the House of Commons would make several changes to the Criminal Code, including repealing a defense based on the expression of opinions on religious subjects or texts for offenses involving willful promotion of hatred or antisemitism.

Under Canada's current Criminal Code, Section 319 includes hate-propaganda offenses as well as several defenses. Among them is a defense for someone who, in good faith, expresses an opinion on a religious subject or based on a belief in a religious text. Bill C-9, as passed by the House, would remove that defense.

What the bill does not say

Nothing in Bill C-9 says that reading the Bible in public, posting Bible verses online or quoting it automatically becomes a crime. In fact, the bill says statements on matters of public interest, including religious statements made in discussion, publication or debate, are not prohibited unless they "wilfully promote hatred against an identifiable group."

The bill defines hatred as "an emotion of an intense and extreme nature that is clearly associated with vilification and detestation," and says an offense is not motivated by hatred solely because it "discredits, humiliates, hurts or offends." Therefore, social media posts overstated the bill by framing it as if quoting biblical passages had itself become unlawful.

Bill C-9 passed third reading in the House of Commons on March 25, 2026, received first reading in the Senate the following day and, as of this writing, was at second reading in the Senate. In other words, it was still moving through the legislative process and had not yet taken effect.