Canada Area Presidency Statement on Bill C-9 and Religious Freedom

Canada Area Presidency Statement on Bill C-9 and Religious Freedom

January 15, 2026

We have been following recent legislative developments concerning Bill C-9: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places). The bill seeks to strengthen existing provisions on hate propaganda and address the willful promotion of hatred. We acknowledge the government’s stated objective to enhance protections for identifiable groups under Bill C-9 — groups defined by characteristics such as race, ethnicity, language, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, among others.

Canadians who are targets of hate need strong legal protections. At the same time, these protections should be carefully balanced to prevent misuse that could restrict legitimate religious expression and belief. Religious communities — recognized as a protected group under Bill C-9 — need clear and enforceable laws that safeguard against harm without being applied in ways that penalize good faith religious beliefs or teachings offered with peaceful intent. One such safeguard is the religious speech defence, defined in Section 319(3)(b) of the existing law, as good faith expressions of arguments or opinions on religious subjects or expressions based on a belief in a religious text.

A majority of the final House committee reviewing Bill C-9 voted to remove the religious speech defence. The majority of lawmakers have explained that their intent is to prevent hate speech from being disguised as religious expression, addressing what they view as a loophole. However, the existing hate propaganda law already broadly prohibits speech that incites violence or willfully promotes hatred, regardless of religious context. By definition, good faith religious speech will not incite violence or promote hatred. Removing the religious speech defence risks unintended consequences, introduces legal uncertainty and may unnecessarily restrict legitimate religious discourse offered in good faith.

We respectfully urge lawmakers to:

1. Retain the religious speech defence; or
2. Add clear language affirming that nothing in the law should be interpreted to infringe upon Charter-protected freedoms of expression and religion done in good faith.

In this moment, we reaffirm the principles of freedom of conscience and religion that allow individuals to live openly and responsibly according to their deepest convictions. In a diverse society, reasonable people will disagree. Preserving peace and freedom requires mutual accommodation and respect.

Recognizing space for others to live according to their beliefs — even when those beliefs differ from our own — is not a moral failure. It is a civic virtue that sustains democracy and pluralism. We must cultivate the ability to disagree respectfully without resorting to violence.

Peace is preserved through the responsible exercise of freedom. No freedom — including religious freedom — is absolute; it must be exercised with restraint and reciprocity. We invite all Canadians of goodwill to uphold respect for freedom of conscience and its related freedoms of religion and belief. In a diverse society, these principles create space for dialogue rather than division. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints affirm their commitment to live by the teachings of Jesus Christ and to follow His example as a model for peacemaking.

Sincerely yours,

Vern P. Stanfill
D. Martin Goury
James E. Evanson

The Canada Area Presidency