Nov 02, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source: Facebook (Marc Miller)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Liberal MP Marc Miller is defending his remarks about limiting religious defences in hate speech cases, stating freedom of worship is not threatened, but public incitement of hatred should not be shielded by citing scripture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Miller, who chairs the House Justice Committee<\/a>, made headlines<\/a> Thursday after questioning if Canada\u2019s Criminal Code allows too much leeway for individuals to defend hate speech by referencing religious texts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere are religious texts that say [hateful things],\u201d he told committee witnesses, specifically referencing Leviticus, Deuteronomy and Romans. \u201cClearly, there are situations in these texts where these statements are hateful. They should not be used to invoke or be a defence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Friday, he reinforced the message online, writing: \u201cThere should be no defence to the crime of publicly inciting hatred because, for example, someone relied on Leviticus 20:13 or Deuteronomy 22:22, which prescribe death to homosexuals and adulterers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The remarks sparked criticism from conservative commentators and faith advocates, who accused Miller of targeting scripture and religious speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMark Carney\u2019s Minister wants to CONTROL which Bible passages can be read at church,\u201d political commentator Jasmin Laine<\/a> posted on X, citing Miller\u2019s reference to Biblical chapters \u201chateful to LGBTQ people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Miller responded<\/a> on the platform: \u201cThat couldn\u2019t be further from the truth. You can read whatever you want. However, if you commit a public hate crime, you shouldn\u2019t be able to use it as defence to what otherwise would be a public hate crime. This isn\u2019t rocket science.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The debate centres on Section 319 of the Criminal Code, which criminalizes the willful promotion or public incitement of hatred against identifiable groups.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Miller did not propose immediate amendments to the law, but questioned whether current exemptions reflect the government\u2019s intent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have to be honest about what is being said, how it\u2019s being justified, and whether our laws are working the way we say they are,\u201d Miller told the committee.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Liberal MP moves to muzzle \u201chateful\u201d religious scripture Liberal MP Marc Miller is defending his remarks about limiting religious defences in hate speech cases, stating freedom of worship is not threatened. Walid Tamtam, True North Nov 02, 2025 Source: Facebook … Continue reading ![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!t9oN!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1aac97a1-b9df-4d09-a1f4-ca3484ec51ab_1200x630.png\")
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