Canada’s dominant Liberal Party has introduced legislation that may soon make Christian speech illegal.
In March, the Canadian House of Commons passed Bill C-9, also known as the “Combatting Hate Act.” The bill was introduced under the guise of mitigating antisemitic attacks in the wake of Hamas’ violent attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Liberals claimed it was developed to protect religious communities, but C-9 eagerly expanded to prohibit public displays of “hate,” including “Islamophobia, homophobia, and transphobia.” The Canadian Liberals have used so-called hate speech as a Trojan horse to enact censorship laws — the same thing American Democrats are trying to do here.
C-9 intentionally uses vague language, allowing “hatred” to be determined on a case-by-case basis. Canada’s DOJ has admitted as much, stating, “The penalty for the new hate crime offence would reflect the harm caused by the illegal act.” Under C-9’s broad definitions, public prayers and Bible recitation could conceivably be prosecuted as criminal offenses if they’re determined to be “hateful.” Violators could face up to a decade behind bars.
The “Combatting Hate Act” reportedly removes a portion of the religious defense previously found in section 319(3)(b) of the Canadian Criminal Code, which states, “No person shall be convicted of an offence under subsection (2) if, in good faith, the person expressed or attempted to establish by an argument an opinion on a religious subject or an opinion based on a belief in a religious text.” The “good faith” was protection for religious principles.
C-9 creates a gaping loophole for anti-religious lawfare. The bill explicitly aims to “streamline” judicial “hate crime” proceedings by removing the requirement that all “hate propaganda charges” first be approved by Canada’s attorney general. This strips any semblance of law enforcement oversight, empowering individuals to inflict their anti-religious dogmas on anyone they deem “hateful.”
Canada has a history of legislating away its citizens’ freedoms. In 2017, Bill C-16 made “hate speech” against transgender-identifying Canadians a crime. Criminal complaints can be filed against someone who repeatedly uses biologically correct pronouns for a person who claims to be the opposite sex.
Canada’s weak protections for speech and religious exercise have diverged from the United States’ historically much stronger safeguards, but today’s Democrats threaten to take America down the same dangerous path. In the 1970s, Canada introduced laws barring people from using telephones and later the internet to promote so-called hate speech. Though some of these laws have since been repealed, the country’s mission to counter “hate” is still in motion. In 2019, Canada’s then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Cabinet ministers to crack down on online “hate speech” in reaction to the political right.
In just a few decades, Canadians’ freedom of speech and religious liberties have declined dramatically. While both C-9 and C-16 might sound extreme and far from home, American politicians have pursued similar legislation under the guise of safety, social stability, and inclusion.
In 2025, the California Legislature introduced SB 771, which would have targeted social media companies for “acting as algorithmic accomplices” to content leading to a “hate crime.” Tech companies thought to be amplifying “hate speech” could have faced millions of dollars in civil penalties for each infraction. The governor vetoed the pro-censorship bill, but it passed through the state Senate and Assembly, meaning a majority of lawmakers endorsed the legislation.
In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill into law forcing social media companies to allow users to report online “hate speech.” Further, the tech companies were required to respond to each report or pay fines. The New York Legislature also introduced bills that would require the tech giants to enable users to report so-called misinformation about vaccines and elections — aka, information that threatens Democrat narratives.
U.S. leaders have also attempted to prevent Christian worship services. During the 2020 Covid shutdowns, many churches were forcibly closed. In March 2020, Florida Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne was arrested for violating a stay-at-home order and was shamed for holding regular church services. Several Christians in Idaho, including a church deacon, were arrested after singing psalms in public without wearing masks. It wasn’t until years later that the victims sued the city. The era of Covid lockdowns has passed for now, but the muscle the government flexed against Christians hasn’t atrophied.
Canada’s descent into anti-Christian censorship should be a wake-up call for its American neighbors. Our national identities are distinct but similar. C-9 serves as a warning for Americans, encouraging us to be vigilant about protecting our rights. We mustn’t surrender to the “tolerance” mob.
Brooke Brandtjen is a writer and journalist from Wisconsin who focuses primarily on culture, politics, and religion. She is extremely passionate about the arts and history, and is honored to write for a variety of distinguished publications.
