Claim: An Instagram user alleged that Canada had passed a new law criminalising the quoting of the Bible.
Verdict: False. DUBAWA’s review of the Act shows that it does not criminalise quoting the Bible. Rather, it amends the country’s hate-propaganda laws.
Full Text
Religion sits at the heart of how many people make sense of the world. It shapes what people believe, how communities relate to one another, and what crowds are willing to defend.
Recently, an Instagram user @Finding_jp claimed (archived here) that Canada recently passed a bill that criminalises quoting the bible.
The caption attached to the post reads, “The law removes a long-standing good-faith religious-expression defence that previously existed for certain criminal hate-propaganda offences. Some Christian and other faith organisations worry this change could have a chilling effect on preaching and public expressions of biblical belief, while the Canadian government says the law does not criminalise preaching, teaching Scripture, or practising religion in good faith. (Canada)”
The user went on to explain how the change would curtail freedom to share the gospel and urged readers to pray for the restoration of religious freedom.
As of July 2, 2026, the post garnered over 30,000 likes and 5,200 comments.
DUBAWA checked the response to know what other users thought.
@Mluce777, for instance, said, “Quote it even more.”
Jaymaria142 asked, “So what happens to the churches?”
@Sweetmama1981 replied, “Horrible. God wins. Just be patient.”
Based on DUBAWA’s review of the comments, most users appeared to believe the claim and went on to express concerns and raise questions about it.
We found the same claim shared by other users here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
The post’s virality and the concerns it generated among users prompted DUBAWA to verify whether the claim is true, particularly as it pertains to religion.
Verification
DUBAWA started by identifying the legislation referenced in the viral post to determine whether Canada had enacted a law that criminalises quoting the Bible.
The claim points to Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, introduced by Justice Minister Sean Fraser in the Canadian Parliament on Sept. 19, 2025. The bill passed third reading in the House of Commons on Mar. 25, 2026, received Royal Assent on June 18, 2026, and is scheduled to come into force on July 18, 2026.
DUBAWA next turned to the text of the Act to determine whether any provision criminalises quoting the Bible. The Act amends sections of Canada’s Criminal Code that address hate propaganda, hate crimes, and offences involving religious and cultural institutions. Nowhere does it state that reading, quoting, preaching, or teaching the Bible constitutes a criminal offence.
One provision of the Act that drew significant public attention is the repeal of the long-standing “good faith” religious-expression defence under Canada’s hate-propaganda laws. Before the amendment, a person charged under certain hate-propaganda offences could rely on this defence if they had expressed or attempted to establish an opinion on a religious subject in good faith. Its repeal appears to have contributed to the misconception that religious expression, including quoting the Bible, had become criminalised.
The Act does not introduce such a prohibition. Instead, it removes one legal defence while retaining the existing offence and clarifying the legal threshold for hate propaganda. It defines hatred as an “intense and extreme” emotion that goes beyond dislike, disdain, or offence. It also makes clear that speech does not amount to hate propaganda simply because it causes offence, expresses controversial views, or hurts the feelings of an identifiable group.
In interpreting Canada’s hate-propaganda laws, the Supreme Court of Canada has held that such offences apply only in limited circumstances involving the wilful promotion of hatred against identifiable groups.
The court distinguished such conduct from speech that is merely offensive, unpopular, or rooted in sincerely held religious beliefs. This interpretation aligns with explanatory materials published by the Department of Justice Canada, which state that repealing the “good faith” religious-expression defence does not criminalise religious expression.
The evidence indicates that the viral claim stems from a misunderstanding of the changes introduced by the Combatting Hate Act. While the Act repeals a specific legal defence previously available in some hate-propaganda cases, it does not criminalise quoting the Bible, preaching the Gospel, or sharing Scripture. Instead, it strengthens Canada’s hate-propaganda framework while sustaining a high legal standard for criminal liability.
Conclusion
DUBAWA found the claim to be false. Canada’s Combatting Hate Act does not criminalise quoting the Bible. Rather, it amends the country’s hate-propaganda laws while maintaining a high legal threshold for criminal liability.