(LifeSiteNews) –– Canada, like the United States, is pursuing a new law that could see Christians prohibited from quoting the Bible in public under the guise of addressing “antisemitism.”

“I call this bill the ‘Closet the Christians Bill,’ because that is exactly what it intends to do – put Christians in the closet. Under threat of jail-time, it will silence believers who oppose the woke ideology that is overrunning our country,” observed Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) Campaigns Manager David Cooke in a recent blog regarding Canadian Bill C-367, a proposed law that mirrors much of what was just passed by the House of Representatives in the U.S.

Bill C-367 was tabled by Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet last year in the House of Commons. The bill aims to eliminate allowances for one’s religion to be used as a defense against “hate speech” charges because of a rise in anti-Israel protests in Canada.  

“We can fear that these acts were encouraged by an exception in the Criminal Code,” Blanchet told the House of Commons about his bill.  

While the Canadian bill has only passed its first reading, America’s Republican-backed bill, House Resolution 6090, also known as the Antisemitism Awareness Act, is already off to the Senate, and was likewise justified by those voting in favor of it based on an increase in “antisemitism” following terrorist group Hamas’ attack on Israel and the war that has since ensued. 

Canada’s Bill C-367 has the support of Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who commented, “We will be looking at my honorable colleague’s bill to see whether it can help combat hate and incitement of violence. This is a complex issue, but we are here to work constructively to protect Canadians.”  

Should the Trudeau Liberals vote in favor of it, the bill will most certainly pass, where it too, like in the U.S., would head to the rubber-stamping Senate for review. 

Cooke observed that Bill C-367 makes one ask the question, “Should Christians be arrested for quoting portions of the Bible in public? Should pastors be charged with a ‘hate crime’ when they preach against certain sins? Should churches be closed if the government does not approve of their beliefs?” 

”You might think these are ridiculous questions. After all, this is Canada – the ‘true north strong and free’! Our national motto is ‘a Mari usque ad mare,’ quoted from Psalm 72:8, which says that Christ shall have dominion ‘from sea to sea.’ This is not communist China,” he added.  

Canadian bill a ‘repressive Christophobic proposal’ 

Cooke called the piece of legislation a “repressive, Christophobic proposal” which, if passed, will strike a “fatal blow against freedom of religion and freedom of expression in this Dominion.” 

Despite the bill not yet being law, attacks against Christian pastors, as well as Christianity in general in recent years, have seen a sharp increase in Canada. 

One only needs to look at Canadian pastors James Coates, Tim Stephens, and Artur Pawlowski, who were jailed for keeping churches open because it went against COVID health rules.  

Also, Pastor Derek Reimer and Pastor David Lynn are another two examples of Christians who were persecuted for going against the grain. 

While all the above pastors were mostly, with the exception of Pawlowski for some of his charges, eventually vindicated from the accusation of “hate” or for breaking COVID rules, Cooke observed that charges against “Christians have been very difficult to prove because of an important protection in our Canadian Criminal Code.” 

He fears this could all change, however, if Bill C-367 passes. 

Currently, there is a “religious exemption” in Section 319 of the Criminal Code which states: “No person shall be convicted of a [hate crime] offense… if, in good faith, the person expressed or attempted to establish by an argument an opinion on a religious subject or an opinion based on a belief in a religious text.” 

“In other words, if you are saying what the Bible says about sexuality, gender, marriage, family, or anything – no matter how unpopular, offensive, or ‘hateful’ it might sound to someone else, you have the freedom to express yourself under Canadian law. Christians have the right to quote the Bible in Canada,” observed Cooke.  

“But if Bill C-367 passes, that protection will be removed from the Criminal Code. We will then expect to see a flurry of charges against pastors, churches, Christian organizations, and ordinary believers who dare to speak the truth in love in the public square. This will, in turn, create a chilling effect that will diminish everyone’s freedom of speech.” 

Cooke noted that the bill would not even do what it was designed to do, which is go after antisemitism. 

“If Bill C-367 were to pass, I can almost guarantee you that antisemitic demonstrations would still be permitted to continue as ‘political’ protests, while the changes to the Criminal Code would be used to prosecute Christian pastors and laypeople for proclaiming Bible-based truths about sexual morality,” he wrote. 

“In time, Jewish rabbis and Muslim imams would not be exempt, and they would also come under the hammer of the state.” 

CLC has a Action Alert Email one can sign to send to their Member of Parliament to ask them to put a “stop” to Bill C-367.