I am excited to be a part of a Christian forum. I haven’t attended church in 3 years. Not that I don’t want to, but I live in a rural area, with very little to choose from, and the one church in the area I attended wasn’t confronting sin in the church, but made excuses for it. I can’t sit under leadership that allows a weak brother to be bullied and not confront the oppressor, but reward them by putting them into a leadership position. I am looking forward to participating in deep theological discussions. I am a dedicated Bible student, and follower of my Lord Jesus Christ. Blessings to you all, and look forward to joining in some discussions.
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I do understand. It is getting harder and harder in general to find a Jesus-centered, Bible-saturated, Truth-oriented, Holy Spirit-filled, Mission-focused Church. I understand that Canada, it may be getting even harder. I say keep praying about it, and God will lead you where He wants you.
I also see Canada as a warning for us here in America. Practicing faith publicly, expressing traditional biblical positions on sex, gender, and marriage, particularly in the public square, professional workplaces, or online, then there is no question that the cultural, legal, and institutional landscape has become significantly more restrictive and challenging.
The tension comes down to a fundamental clash between traditional Christian ethics and a rapidly shifting, secular Canadian legal framework. The most significant flashpoint centers on how the Canadian government defines and prosecutes “hate speech.” The Debate Over Bill C-9. The Combatting Hate Act. In early 2026, Canada’s House of Commons passed Bill C-9, sending it to the Senate. While the bill is intended to curb a very real rise in extremist violence and harassment, it has caused major alarm among Canadian faith leaders, including the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Canadian Council of Christian Charities.
Previously, the Supreme Court of Canada defined hate speech strictly as text involving extreme “detestation and vilification.” Bill C-9 relaxes that standard, defining it as an emotion “stronger than disdain or dislike.” A highly controversial amendment stripped out a long-standing clause in the Criminal Code that explicitly protected individuals who expressed controversial moral views in “good faith” based on a religious text.
The Justice Ministry maintains that standard preaching, teaching, and reading of Scripture will remain fully protected under a general “public interest” clause. However, legal experts warn that losing the specific religious exemption leaves a massive grey area, leaving it up to courts and prosecutors to decide if a traditional sermon on marriage crosses the line into “hate.”
For the average layperson, the pressure isn’t coming from the police knocking on their door; it’s coming from human resources, professional regulatory bodies, and universities. In Canada, standard Christian orthodoxy regarding the nuclear family and human sexuality is no longer viewed merely as an “alternative viewpoint,” but in many secular spaces, it is viewed as inherently harmful. Christians working in medicine, law, public education, and civil service increasingly report a “chilling effect.” Expressing traditional views on social media or in a workplace discussion can lead to professional discipline, loss of licensing, or termination.
Under Section 2a of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, freedom of religion is a fundamental right. However, Canadian courts operate on a principle of balancing competing rights. When religious freedom conflicts with Charter protections regarding equality and non-discrimination, particularly regarding LGBTQBS rights, Canadian courts and tribunals increasingly rule that equality rights trump religious expression in public or professional spheres.
Religion is increasingly treated by institutions as a private right, or something you are free to do inside your home or church building, but something that must be checked at the door when you enter public life. Canada is not criminalizing Christianity yet. But the cultural cost of holding public, orthodox Christian convictions has skyrocketed. The boundary of what the state and culture consider acceptable public speech is shrinking, leaving many Canadian Christians feeling increasingly alienated and cautious.
Peter
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I agree with you. I am not one of many words, but what I’m finding, is that churches are losing their influence, in that they are becoming too tolerant of sin. We must be loving, and sin in the world is already being judged by God, but sin in the church MUST be addressed. In Revelation 2, Jesus speaks to the church of Thyatira commending their love, faith, service, and perseverance, but He rebuked them for allowing a false prophetess they called “Jezebel” to lead believers into immorality and idolatry. It’s the church that is becoming weak and worldly. I love the sweet fellowship of believers, when we’re operating in our gifts, glorifying God in what we do and say, building up and encouraging one another. I fear that the church has gone soft, instead of taking a hard stand, it has welcomed the ways of the world in an attempt to attract people inside. But the church is the body of believers. We need to stand strong for truth, being equipped to go out and spread the gospel so that we can bring in new converts into the body. I’m not good with words, or expressing myself very well, but I know when the Holy Spirit prompts me when something is off, and also when something is very right. Everything must line up with scripture.
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Yes. One of the many reasons is fear. Fear of losing people if the Truth, the Total Truth, is preached. Watered-down theology is false theology. Watered-down Gospel is false gaspel. We need boldness and truth. We need love and consequence, then you have the false church rising. The Ichthy ears churchs. The Romans 1 chuerches. The churches of Satan disguised as churches of God. It is more important now than ever, for I fear it will get even worse, to be grounded in the Word ourselves. Read it, digest it, make it ours. Then, when you hear or see the lies, you will be able to discern the lies. May God be with you. Always.
Peter
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Absolutely! 110% What Christians need now more than ever, is discernment. I fear it is sadly lacking. Thank you brother Peter!