OTTAWA, Canada — Could preaching certain biblical teachings put a Christian pastor on the wrong side of Canadian hate-speech law?
That question may sound like clickbait. But a real change to Canada’s Criminal Code is giving some Christians reason to examine exactly where the country intends to draw the line between protected religious expression and criminal hate speech.
Canada’s Combatting Hate Act, formerly Bill C-9, received Royal Assent on June 18, 2026, and its reforms came into force July 18. The legislation introduced several measures aimed at hate-motivated crime and, significantly for Christians, repealed an existing statutory defence involving good-faith religious opinions.
What Did Canada Actually Remove?
This is where the details matter.
Canada’s previous Criminal Code contained a specific defence applicable to certain hate-propaganda offences for a person who, in good faith, expressed an opinion on a religious subject or an opinion based on belief in a religious text.
The Combatting Hate Act repealed that defence. That is not speculation or a social-media rumor; the enacted legislation explicitly identifies the repeal.
For Christians who believe Scripture must sometimes confront prevailing cultural values, removing an explicitly religious defence naturally raises questions about what happens when biblical teaching is considered offensive or deeply objectionable by others.
But that is not the same thing as Canada outlawing the Bible.
Canada Says Religious Preaching Remains Protected
The legislation contains an important safeguard that Christians should know about.
It states that nothing in the relevant hate-speech provisions should be interpreted as prohibiting statements concerning matters of public interest—including religious statements made during discussions, publications or debates—provided the person does not wilfully promote hatred against an identifiable group.
The Canadian government goes further, explicitly stating that repealing the religious-opinion defence “does not criminalize religious teaching” or restrict good-faith preaching, Scripture reading or religious practice.
That distinction changes the story considerably.
A pastor preaching from the Bible is not automatically committing an offence simply because someone finds the sermon offensive.
Then Why Are Christians Concerned?
The controversy is not simply about whether Christians can preach today. A larger question is why an explicit religious defence was removed at all.
Canada has simultaneously added language intended to protect legitimate religious and public-interest expression while maintaining a high threshold for criminal hate propaganda.
Under the new legislation, “hatred” is defined as an intense and extreme emotion clearly associated with vilification and detestation. The government says hate-propaganda offences continue to require a high legal threshold, including proof of wilful conduct.
That means disagreement, criticism and religious opposition should not automatically become criminal hatred.
Nevertheless, Christians may reasonably watch how police, prosecutors and courts apply these provisions in actual cases. The practical boundaries of legislation are often clarified not merely by what Parliament writes but by how statutes are interpreted and enforced.
The Law Also Protects Churches
There is another side of Bill C-9 that should not be overlooked.
The Combatting Hate Act also makes it an offence to intimidate or obstruct people seeking access to places of worship and certain other protected locations. It also establishes a specific hate-motivated crime offence and prohibits certain public displays of terrorism and hate symbols when the statutory requirements are met.
In other words, portions of the same legislation raising religious-freedom questions are also intended to protect religious communities from intimidation and hate-motivated conduct.
So, Can Canadians Still Preach the Bible?
Yes.
Based on the law currently in force, saying that Canada has simply “made preaching the Bible illegal” would go beyond what the legislation actually says.
But something significant has changed.
Canada deliberately removed a specific statutory defence for good-faith religious opinions while simultaneously declaring that legitimate religious discourse remains protected unless it crosses the high legal threshold into wilfully promoting hatred.
That leaves Christians with a more precise question than the headline:
Where will Canadian authorities and courts ultimately draw that line?
For pastors committed to preaching Scripture regardless of changing cultural attitudes, that may be the part of this story worth watching most closely.
CNIR — Christian News & Investigative Reports
Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. Readers are advised to conduct thorough research before making any decisions.
Source: Christian News & Investigative Reports (CNIR) — cnirbc.com
Reporting the headline. Investigating the facts.
