On this episode of the Confederation Report, Steven is joined by Paul Lawton of ARPA Canada to discuss Bill C-9, which has radical implications for free speech and religious expression in Canada. They explore what the bill means for Christians, the importance of civil liberties, and how believers can respond to legislative challenges.

Bill C-9 broadens definitions of hate and could threaten religious expression. The removal of the religious defense increases uncertainty for Christians speaking publicly. Christians are called to speak truth boldly despite legislative pressures.

📖 Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to the Confederation Report
00:29 Overview of Bill C-9
01:51 Understanding ARPA Canada
03:20 The Problematic Nature of Hate Speech
05:08 The Good Faith Religious Defense
06:05 Legal Implications of Bill C-9
08:58 Current Status of Bill C-9
10:08 Self-Censorship Among Christians
12:58 The Role of the State vs. the Church
15:14 Mobilizing Christian Citizens
17:58 Encouragement for Pastors and Teachers
19:44 Resources for Engaging with Culture

ARPA Canada - https://arpacanada.ca/

📚 Episode Resources:
ARPA Canada - https://arpacanada.ca/
Stop C-9 Campaign - https://stopc9.ca/
Lex Rex by Samuel Rutherford - https://www.amazon.com/Lex-Rex-Political-Theology-Authority/dp/1601785914
King of Kings by James Verde - https://www.amazon.com/King-Kings-Political-Thought-Religion/dp/XXXX

Follow the Cántaro Institute
𝕏: http://twitter.com/cantaroinst
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cantaroinstitute/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CantaroInstitute/
YouTube: @cantaroinstitute

For more information, go to cantaroinstitute.org
For books on worldview, philosophy, and theology, go to cantaroinstitute.store

This is The Confederation Report, a flagship podcast of the Cántaro Institute providing analysis of Canadian news and culture from a Biblical worldview.

Excerpt: The Confederation Report returns after a brief hiatus to examine major political and cultural developments—from the fall of Nicolás Maduro to Canada’s Bill C-9 controversy—while reflecting on these events through a distinctly biblical worldview.

Opening Words (00:00-00:35)

Part I: It Has Been Awhile (00:35–05:31)
After a brief hiatus, The Confederation Report returns to reflect on major developments—from Nicolás Maduro’s removal and the national backlash against Bill C-9 to the Cántaro Institute’s acquisition of the 171-acre Worldview Campus—while considering these events in light of God’s providence.

Part II: Bill C-9, Clinton, and Allie-Beth Stuckey (05:31–10:19)
Bill C-9 raised serious concerns among Canadians—especially Christians—about the potential criminalization of biblical teaching, prompting a rare nationwide backlash that forced the government to pause the legislation while the cultural debate over truth, empathy, and political coercion continues.

Part III: Drugs, Cartels, and Puerto Vallarta (10:19–13:20)
Following the death of cartel leader “El Mencho” during a Mexican military raid, violent reprisals erupted across western Mexico, exposing the deep instability surrounding cartel power and prompting Christians to pray for justice, repentance, and gospel renewal in the region.

Did You Know? (13:20 –14:04)
On June 2, 1866, Canadian militia forces clashed with Fenian insurgents at the Battle of Ridgeway—the last foreign invasion fought on Ontario soil—an engagement that left nine Canadians dead and later helped inspire the tradition that evolved into modern Remembrance Day.

Recommended Resource (14:04 –15:32)
This week’s recommended resource is authored by yours truly, The Seven Woes: Christ’s Indictment of False Religion and the Call to True Religion.

For more information, go to cantaroinstitute.org
For books on worldview, philosophy, and theology, go to:
📚 https://cantaroinstitute.store

Closing Words (15:34)

Follow the Cántaro Institute 📲
X: http://twitter.com/cantaroinst
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cantaroinstitute/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CantaroInstitute/
YouTube: ⁨ ⁨@cantaroinstitute⁩

For all things Cántaro Institute, visit: https://cantaroinstitute.org

This is The Confederation Report, a weekly analysis of Canadian news and culture from a Biblical worldview.

Excerpt: Christ is Lord over all things—yes, even over Caesar. We believe the Gospel we proclaim changes lives. And if we disciple believers in a holistic, full-orbed Gospel—Christ for all of life—we should expect to see culture and society change as well.

Opening Words (00:00-00:35)

Part I: Bill C-9 and the Lordship of Christ (00:35–05:17)
The Liberal government, with the support of the Bloc Québécois, has moved to remove Canada’s long-standing religious-text exemption from the Criminal Code’s hate-speech laws. This exemption has historically protected Canadians who speak “in good faith” from Scripture or other sacred texts—even when addressing controversial moral topics. Under new amendments tied to Bill C-9, that defence would be eliminated, meaning religious expression itself could be exposed to hate-speech prosecution.

Part II: Property Rights Out the Door (05:17–09:09)
A recent court ruling recognized an Indigenous title claim over a defined area of land in the Lower Mainland, land upon which hundreds of Canadian homeowners have long held ownership. While the ruling itself does not immediately dispossess residents of their homes, it has exposed a profound failure of government leadership.

Part III: A Heritage Older Than We Knew(09:09–11:43)
Would you believe me if I told you that Christianity may have reached Canada well before the French and the English?

Did You Know? (11:43 –13:04)
Recent scientific research has established with remarkable precision that Norse explorers were present in what is now Canada in the year 1021 AD, exactly one millennium ago.

Recommended Resource (13:04 –13:54)
This week’s recommended resource is This Is My God: The Story of a Dutch Immigrant, His Country, and His God, the autobiography of John Hultink.

Pre-order today!: https://www.cantaroinstitute.store/collections/frontpage/products/this-is-my-god-the-story-of-a-dutch-immigrant-his-country-and-his-god-pre-order

Closing Words (13:54)

Follow the Cántaro Institute:
X: http://twitter.com/cantaroinst
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cantaroinstitute/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CantaroInstitute/
Youtube: ⁨@cantaroinstitute⁩

For more information, go to cantaroinstitute.org
For books on worldview, philosophy and theology, go to cantaroinstitute.store

This is The Confederation Report, a weekly analysis of Canadian news and culture from a Biblical worldview.

Excerpt: This week’s Confederation Report announces the forthcoming Paideia Study Center, explains the meaning of paideia, and touches on federal election rumours.

Opening Words (00:00-00:35)

Part I: Exciting News on the Horizon (00:35–05:24)
Our much-envisioned Paideia Study Center will be a hub for advancing the Christian worldview for the reformation and renewal of the church and culture through rigorous Christian teaching, worldview formation, and mentorship.

Part II: What Does Paideia Mean? (05:24–07:35)
Have you ever wondered what the Greek word paideia means The Greek word paideia (παιδεία) refers to far more than education in the modern sense. It describes the cultivation of the whole person—the shaping of the soul, the training of the mind, and the ordering of the heart toward what is true, good, and beautiful. It was the ancient term for the moral and cultural formation that gives shape to a people’s way of life.

Part III: Another Election on the Horizon? l (07:35–10:02)
If you’ve been paying attention to the news—or perhaps just overhearing the rumor mill (not that you should ever take part in it!)—you may have heard whispers of another possible federal election. Some are even calling it a potential Christmas election.

Did You Know? (10:02–11:24)
If you’ve been keeping up with Canadian news, you’ll know that the Toronto Blue Jays lost the World Series in the final moments of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Recommended Resource (11:24–12:47)
This week's recommended resource is Creation as an Introduction to Christian Thought by Henry Vander Goot and published by Wipf & Stock.

Closing Words (12:47)

Follow the Cántaro Institute
X | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube

For more information, go to cantaroinstitute.org
For books on worldview, philosophy and theology, go to cantaroinstitute.store

This special episode of The Confederation Report, part of the “Early Narratives” sub-series, is made possible by the generous supporters of the Cántaro Institute.

The early decades of the seventeenth century saw the dawning of a new era in Europe’s encounter with the Americas. Colonies were being planted, fur-trading companies established, and kings were eager to stake claims on vast lands across the ocean. For France, the prize of Canada — or New France, as it was called — beckoned with both material wealth and spiritual opportunity. The Jesuits, that powerful missionary arm of the Catholic Church, sent forth men of steely resolve to carry the Christian message into these new frontiers. Among them was Jean de Brébeuf, a Norman priest whose zeal and courage made him one of the most striking figures in early Canadian history.

Opening Words (00:00-00:22)

Jean de Brébeuf (00:22-12:49)

Jean de Brébeuf was born in 1593 in Condé-sur-Vire, a small town in Normandy. France at the time was emerging from the religious wars of the sixteenth century. The Catholic Reformation had taken deep root, and new religious orders such as the Society of Jesus — the Jesuits — embodied a fierce zeal for spreading Catholic teaching both in Europe and abroad, seeking to outcompete what God was doing amongst the protestants. Brébeuf entered this order in his twenties, attracted by its discipline and its devotion to mission. Though part of an order that represented and embodied a distorted Christianity, God would use Him for His glory, demonstrating that God can accomplish His purposes even with a slit of light shining through into the dark.

Closing Words (12:49-13:40)
The Confederation Report, hosted by Steven Martins of the Cántaro Institute, is expanding its uniquely Christian analysis of Canadian news and culture with new historical vignettes and a broadened scope—urging listeners to look to the past with biblical clarity and support the mission at www.cantaroinstitute.org/give

Event Reminder
Join us for the Niagara Conference, All Hail the King: Christ & Government on November 14–15, 2025, in Welland, Ontario, with Rev. Doug Wilson, Dr. Scott Masson, Dr. Michael Wagner, and myself. Register now at cantaroinstitute.org/niagara2025 for early bird rates!

Follow the Cántaro Institute
X | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube

For more information, go to cantaroinstitute.org
For books on worldview, philosophy and theology, go to cantaroinstitute.store

In this week’s episode of The Confederation Report, Steven R. Martins sits down with Dr. Nathaniel Jeanson—Harvard-trained biologist and author of They Had Names—to discuss his groundbreaking research on the genetic and historical roots of North America’s Indigenous peoples. From the Tower of Babel to the First Nations of Canada, Jeanson challenges prevailing narratives, integrates genetics with biblical history, and opens up new ways of understanding the deep past of the Americas.

Event Reminder
Join us November 14–15, 2025, in Welland, Ontario, for All Hail the King: Christ and Government with Douglas Wilson, Scott Masson, and Michael Wagner. Register now at cantaroinstitute.org/niagara2025 for early bird rates!

Follow the Cántaro Institute
X | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube

For more information, go to cantaroinstitute.org
For books on worldview, philosophy and theology, go to cantaroinstitute.store

This is The Confederation Report, a weekly analysis of Canadian news and culture from a Biblical worldview.

Excerpt: On the morning of September 10, 2025, a thirty-one-year-old American conservative Christian arrived at the University of Utah to take part in a public debate. He was a husband and father of two young children, known for living unashamed of the Gospel and letting the truth of Christ shape both his public witness and his private life. During the debate, he was assassinated.

Opening Words (00:00-00:35)

Part I: In Memoriam – Charlie Kirk (00:35–10:38)
Kirk’s death was not merely a political assassination; it was an attack on a worldview, on a witness, on a way of life grounded in Scripture and lived out with courage. It was meant as a warning, a silencing, a public spectacle to intimidate others who dare to speak.

Part II: Charlie Kirk's Memorial (10:38–14:53)
On September 21, 2025, nearly 70,000 people gathered at State Farm Stadium in Arizona to honour Charlie Kirk. Many observers noted that the memorial blended patriotic fervor, evangelical language, and deep political passion. Yet at its core—and throughout the event—Christ and His gospel were proclaimed, just as Kirk would have desired.

Did You Know? (14:53–16:24)
St. Jean de Brébeuf (1593–1649) was a French Jesuit missionary who became one of the patron saints of Canada and a towering figure of early New France.

Recommended Resource (16:24–18:08)
This week's recommended resource is The Gospel according to Marx: Stripping Political Rhetoric from the Kingship of Jesus by Joe Owen, Institute associate for biblical cosmology and director of World Outreach with Answers in Genesis.

Pre-order today!: https://www.cantaroinstitute.store/collections/frontpage/products/the-gospel-according-to-marx-stripping-political-rhetoric-from-the-kingship-of-jesus

Closing Words (18:08–18:50)

Event Reminder
Join us November 14–15, 2025, in Welland, Ontario, for All Hail the King: Christ and Government with Douglas Wilson, Scott Masson, and Michael Wagner. Register now at cantaroinstitute.org/niagara2025 for early bird rates!

Follow the Cántaro Institute
X | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube

For more information, go to cantaroinstitute.org
For books on worldview, philosophy and theology, go to cantaroinstitute.store

In this conversation of The Confederation Report with Doug Wilson, we probe the theme of Christ and Government—clarifying common caricatures while outlining a distinctly Christian vision for national life under Christ’s lordship. We consider how Scripture defines a nation and distinguishes it from empire, how God’s providence orders the rise and fall of peoples, and how believers can engage law, education, and public policy with humility and courage—advocating righteousness while preserving liberty of conscience and refusing coercion.

Event Reminder
Join us November 14–15, 2025, in Welland, Ontario, for All Hail the King: Christ and Government with Douglas Wilson, Scott Masson, and Michael Wagner. Register now at cantaroinstitute.org/niagara2025 for early bird rates!

Follow the Cántaro Institute
X | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube

For more information, go to cantaroinstitute.org
For books on worldview, philosophy and theology, go to cantaroinstitute.store