One Facebook post (archived) sharing the claim read:
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.
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 April 9, 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.
The bottom line
All in all, Canada did not criminalize public Bible reading or quoting Scripture in late March 2026. Bill C-9 would remove a narrow religious-text defense in certain hate-propaganda offenses, but it does not ban Scripture itself, and it had not become law as of April 9, 2026.
We regularly fact-check rumors involving Canada and political claims. For example, we previously examined a false claim about a video supposedly showing Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney walking out of the White House after a confrontation with U.S. President Donald Trump.