Could quoting the Bible become a crime in Canada?

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Minister Marc Miller's comments on Bill C-9 raise concerns about quoting the Bible and its implications for religious freedom in Canada.

Transcript

Hey everyone. I want to talk about something that's been in the news recently. Minister Marc Miller made some comments about the Bible and hate speech that have got a lot of people angry. He said there are some passages in the Bible that are hateful towards the LGBTQ community and that other religious texts have similar passages, too. In in Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Romans, there's other passages. There is clear hatred towards, for example, homosexuals. I don't know I understand how the concept of good faith could be invoked if someone were literally invoking a passage from, in this case, the Bible, but there are other type religious texts that say the same thing. Uh and somehow can't say that this is good faith. I mean, clearly there are situations in these texts where these statements are hateful. They should not be used to invoke uh or be a defense, and there should perhaps be discretion of prosecutors to press charges. After hearing that, it's easy to understand why so many Canadians, especially people of faith, are concerned. If you think this conversation matters, take a second to like this video, subscribe, and share it with your friends, so more people can hear what's really

going on. So, here's the context. During that committee meeting on Bill C-9, Minister Miller questioned whether the good faith defense in section 319, subsection 3 of the Criminal Code, should still protect someone who publicly reads or cites Bible passages he considers hateful. He even suggested prosecutors might have discretion to change to charge people for quoting them. Now, he wasn't proposing a new law, but even raising that idea puts religious expression on uncertain ground. It could make pastors, churches, and ministries feel like they have to censor the Bible just to stay safe. Minister Miller later clarified that he's a Christian himself and said he's not calling the Bible hate speech, just warning against certain passages to incite that incite hatred. But the Bible isn't a book of hate. It's the story of human failure and God's redemption. Yes, it includes correction and judgment, but not to stir up hate, to reveal truth and offer hope. At its core, the Bible's message is is love. Jesus said the greatest commandments are to love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself. That's not hate. That's compassion, mercy,

and justice. Our culture today often confuses moral disagreement with hatred. Saying I believe this behavior is wrong isn't the same as saying I hate you. We can disagree with someone and still love and value them deeply. Love without truth, well, that's shallow. And truth without love, that can be harsh. But the Bible calls us to hold both, to speak the truth in love. Can- Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects freedom of speech and religion. That means Canadians have the right to read the Bible, quote it, and live by it, even when society doesn't agree. Using scripture faithfully is not hate speech. It's an expression of faith and conviction. And let's not forget the good the Bible has inspired: hospitals, schools, charities, human rights, and social reform, all based on biblical principles. Scripture reveals our flaws, but also points to grace, redemption, and love. But if we start treating parts of the Bible as off-limits or potentially criminal, like Minister Miller suggested, we risk silencing faith itself. Christians and believers could be punished for simply teaching scripture. Honest dialogue could vanish. And once that happens, no belief system is safe.

Outlawing a few verses would only be the beginning, and it wouldn't be long before the entire Bible could be targeted. In a free country like Canada, the message of love, truth, and redemption in the Bible deserves to be heard. It deserves to be heard in homes, in churches, in schools, and in public life. This isn't just about religion. It's about protecting the freedom to think, to speak, and to believe. Silencing that message would harm not just Christians, but all Canadians. And finally, let's not be angry with Minister Miller. Let's pray for him. He may have read a few verses, but we know you can't understand God's heart through a handful of isolated passages. Pray that Christ would dwell in his heart through faith, that he would be rooted and grounded in love, and that he would come to know how wide, how long, how high and deep is the love of Christ. Let's pray that he would experience the love that surpasses knowledge, and that he would be filled with all the fullness of God. I'm Marilyn Brybird from the National House of Prayer, and we'll see you next time. Bye for now. [Music]