During episode 18 of his ArkanSanity podcast, UFC bantamweight Bryce Mitchell weighed in on two stories that caught his attention: the Chicago Bulls cutting Jaden Ivey and Canada’s controversial Bill C9, which he believes is part of a movement to silence Christians for speaking about the Bible.
Starting with the Ivey situation, Mitchell made it clear that he strongly disagreed with the decision.
“The whole thing makes me mad because like I said, I’ve already described this. LGBTQ, all that just means you’re gay,” he said. He continued by questioning the terminology used in public discourse. “So he’s making anti-gay comments. I don’t know why they make up all these letters.”
Mitchell argued that the comments attributed to Ivey were not meant to mock anyone. “He wasn’t even making fun of him. He just said some stuff, some factual comments, and that got him fired,” he said.
He then framed the incident as a sign of cultural change. “And that’s the world that we’re living in, guys. God bless him. I’ll be praying for him,” he stated.
From there, Mitchell connected the Ivey firing to what he views as a larger global trend, pointing specifically to Canada’s Bill C9.
“Canada just criminalized the Bible,” he read from a post. “Bill C9 passed by Canada’s lawmakers. Now quoting scripture on marriage, sin, or God’s design for s*xuality can be prosecuted as willful promotion of hatr ed.”
Mitchell noted that this development could spread beyond Canada. He stated, “So they’re going to continue banning the Bible, I’m sure, in countries all over the world.”
He then explained how he believes the legislation could affect religious practice on a day-to-day level.
“What’s interesting about this is you can be a Christian, you just can’t talk about it,” he said. Mitchell expressed concern about what he sees as growing discrimination. “Canadian brothers and sisters are facing serious discrimination because of this new bill.”
Continuing his interpretation of the law’s potential impact, he warned about restrictions on evangelism. “If it is passed, it would make true discipleship illegal in Canada,” he said.
He emphasized the seriousness of that claim by expanding on his definition. He said, “Like the whole country, you can’t have true discipleship. “By discipleship, I mean you can’t be walking around trying to convert others. It’s illegal.”
He then explained why he believes such restrictions would conflict with core Christian teachings. “Because to do that, you have to tell them the truth about sin and that it’s evil.”
For Mitchell, the distinction between banning religious texts and restricting speech about them is central to the issue.
“They’re not banning the Bible. They’re just making it to where you can’t talk about it,” he said. He predicted what he believes could happen next. “The next step is banning it totally. That’s coming in the future.”
Mitchell argued that certain religious messages could increasingly be treated as threats. “You can say love your neighbor all you want, but as soon as you say repent and obey Christ and flee from s*xual immorality because it’s wicked, well, now you’re considered dangerous.” He added, “Now you’re a target.”
Toward the end of the discussion, Mitchell urged fellow believers to remain steadfast in their faith regardless of government policy. “Don’t stop being a disciple,” he said. “Because that’s what we’re called to do. A true disciple will not do what the government tells them.”
Mitchell reinforced that point by stressing loyalty to scripture above all else. He noted, “They won’t even consider it. A true disciple only does what the Bible instructs. And if they sin, they stumble, they repent. That’s what true discipleship is.”
Ultimately, Mitchell characterized the issue as a fundamental battle over authority and truth. “With Bill C9, the government gets to define truth, not the Bible,” he said.”This is a war of truth.”
