Protect religious expression safeguards
Petitioners ask the Government to withdraw proposals removing Criminal Code protection for good‑faith religious expression and protect sharing of sacred texts. The government responds that Bill C‑9 preserves a high threshold for hate crimes.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would stop proposals that risk criminalizing sincere religious teachings and ensure people can read and share sacred texts without legal threat.
- It reaffirms protections for freedom of religion and expression, preserving Charter freedoms for those who express faith in good faith.
- It limits government intrusion into matters of faith by demanding withdrawal and opposition to similar future proposals.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Withdrawing the proposals could reduce legal tools to prosecute extreme, dehumanizing hate speech that harms targeted groups.
- The petition may overstate the risk: courts already require proof of deliberate intent to promote hatred, so protections might be redundant.
- Clarifying statutory language to exclude good‑faith religious discussion while enabling prosecution of deliberate hate could better balance competing aims.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Government of Canada Concerning Criminalization of Religious Texts We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, draw the attention of the Government of Canada to the following: Whereas: •The Liberals and Bloc Quebecois have proposed removing from the Criminal Code safeguards that protect good faith expressions of sincerely held religious beliefs, including those based on religious texts; •The Liberal and Bloc proposal could criminalize the expression of certain passages in the Bible, Quran, Torah, and other religious texts; •Canadians share the desire to combat acts that propagate and normalize hate, but this proposal would not achieve that goal and would instead result in the persecution of those who hold and express, in good faith, sincerely held religious beliefs; •Violence and threats of violence are, by definition, excluded from the scope of protection for freedom of expression, and could never be expressed "in good faith"; and •Freedom of expression and freedom of religion are fundamental freedoms worthy of protection and promotion, not persecution. Therefore, we the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada call on the Government of Canada to: 1. Withdraw this proposal and oppose any similar proposals in the future. 2. Protect and promote the religious freedom of all Canadians, uphold their right to read and share sacred texts, and prevent government overreach into matters of faith.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Signed by THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY PATRICIA LATTANZIO The Government of Canada’s commitment to freedom of religion is unwavering. Freedom of religion is explicitly protected under section 2(a) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and has been consistently upheld by Canadian courts. All Canadians must be free to pray, preach, teach, interpret scripture, and express religious belief in good faith without fear of violence, intimidation, or criminal sanction. At the same time, Canada is facing a troubling rise in hate speech and hate crimes. To better protect all people in Canada, including their ability to worship, gather, and practise their faith in daily life, the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, in the House of Commons on September 19, 2025. As part of Parliament’s consideration of this legislation, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights adopted an amendment on December 9, 2025, repealing what is commonly referred to as the good faith religious opinion provision in the Criminal Code. This amendment reflects longstanding legal principles already recognized by Canadian courts. Crucially, Canada’s hate propaganda laws already set a very high threshold. Prosecutors must prove a deliberate intent to promote hatred, which the Supreme Court of Canada has defined as extreme and dehumanizing expression that goes far beyond mere offence or disagreement. Only the most dangerous forms of hate, including speech that vilifies, dehumanizes, or incites harm against an identifiable group, are captured by the Criminal Code. Religious sermons, teachings, and the reading or sharing of sacred texts in good faith do not meet this standard and are not criminalized. In addition, on March 11, 2026, the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights adopted a clause for greater certainty in Bill C-9. This clause codifies in clear statutory language what has always been the case in Canadian law: that good faith religious, educational, political, or academic discussion on matters of public interest is not prohibited. The Government of Canada remains firmly committed to protecting religious freedom. A strong Canada safeguards every person’s right to worship freely and to share their faith, while ensuring that no one is subjected to the most extreme forms of hatred that threaten public safety, dignity, and social cohesion.