OTTAWA, Ontario (LifeSiteNews) — Liberals have passed an amendment that could criminalize parts of the Bible dealing with homosexuality under Canada’s new “hate speech” laws.

Following a nearly eight-hour committee review on December 9, Liberals adopted an amendment to Bill C-9, the “Combatting Hate Act,” that removed protections in the “hate speech” legislation for quoting Scripture, essentially allowing Canadians to be punished for quoting the Bible.

“This is a direct attack on the freedom of expression and the freedom of religion, given how toxic and how divisive this Bloc amendment is and will continue to be,” Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Larry Brock told the committee.

The clause-by-clause review lasted into the late hours of the night as Conservative MPs fought against the proposed amendments.

“This meeting could go until close to midnight and Conservatives are ready to stand up for freedom of speech and freedom of religion to push back against this Liberal attack on our fundamental freedoms in this country,” Conservative MP Garnett Genuis declared.

Finally, after nearly eight hours of debate, MPs voted in favor of the amendment, according to MP Andrew Lawton, who attended the meeting.

“The Liberal-Bloc amendment to Bill C-9 stripping the religious speech defense from the Criminal Code has been adopted,” he wrote on X. “If Bill C-9 passes, people will be subject to criminal prosecution for expressing religious beliefs and citing religious texts.”

Currently, the amendment is not law in Canada, as Bill C-9 itself remains under review in Parliament. However, Liberals appear intent on passing the legislation before Christmas.

As LifeSiteNews reported earlier this week, inside government sources revealed that Liberals agreed to remove religious exemptions from Canada’s “hate speech” laws as part of a deal with the Bloc Québécois to keep Liberals in power.

Bill C-9, as reported by LifeSiteNews, has been blasted by constitutional experts as empowering police and the government to go after those it deems to have violated a person’s “feelings” in a “hateful” way.

Now, the Bloc amendment seeks to further restrict free speech. The amendment would remove the “religious exemption” defense, which has historically protected individuals from conviction for willful promotion of hatred if the statements were made “in good faith” and based on a “religious subject” or a “sincerely held” interpretation of religious texts such as passages from the Bible, Quran, or Torah.

As a result, quoting the Bible, Quran, or Torah to condemn abortion, homosexuality, or LGBT propaganda could be considered criminal activity.

Shortly after the proposed amendment was shared on social media, Conservatives launched a petition, calling “on the Liberal government to protect religious freedom, uphold the right to read and share sacred texts, and prevent government overreach into matters of faith.”