The Cost of Conservative Hypocrisy: A Gospel Response to the Crisis of Moral Credibility

By Dr. Tim Orr

Katy Faust’s article The Cost of Conservative Hypocrisy lays bare a reality that many of us have sensed for a long time—conservative leaders are often just as guilty of moral relativism as the progressives they critique. If we claim to uphold the biblical design for marriage, family, and the sanctity of life, yet bend those convictions when they apply to our allies, what does that say about our integrity?

More importantly, what does it say about our witness for Christ?

At the heart of this issue is not just political inconsistency—it is a crisis of moral credibility. When conservatives compromise on biblical truth to protect their own, they reveal a dangerous tendency: the prioritization of tribal loyalty over righteousness. And Scripture is clear that when righteousness is abandoned, nations fall:

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)

The conservative movement has long opposed Western society's moral collapse, decrying the destruction of the family and the abandonment of objective truth. But if we are willing to set aside our own moral convictions when they become inconvenient, then we are not actually standing on biblical truth—we are simply playing power politics.

What Are We Actually Conserving?

One-man-one-woman marriage, the sanctity of life, and the necessity of mothers and fathers are not merely “conservative” values. They are reflections of divine order. They are how societies flourish because they align with how God has structured human relationships. If conservatives cannot defend these truths consistently, what exactly are they conserving?

The events Faust highlighted are not small anomalies. They represent a pattern of selective moral outrage within conservative circles:

When Dave Rubin, a gay conservative commentator, announced the surrogacy of two motherless children, many prominent conservatives celebrated. TheBlaze, PragerU, and even Gov. Ron DeSantis publicly congratulated him. But would those same figures have responded similarly if it were Pete Buttigieg and his partner making the same announcement?
When Ashley St. Clair revealed that she had given birth to Elon Musk’s child outside of marriage, the response from conservative influencers was overwhelmingly celebratory. But would these people have congratulated her if an unmarried, progressive actress had done the same?

This double standard is glaring. It suggests that conservative values only matter when it is politically advantageous.

But truth is not a political brand—it is a person. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). If we say we stand for truth but are willing to set it aside to protect our own, then we are no different from the world.

The Devastating Consequences of Hypocrisy

Jesus reserved His harshest rebukes for the religious hypocrites of His day:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.” (Matthew 23:27)

The Pharisees knew the Law. They enforced it mercilessly when it applied to others. But when it came to their own sins, they found loopholes. This is what conservatives are doing when they celebrate a traditional family structure in theory but excuse its destruction in practice.

And Gen Z sees it.

This is a generation that is turning away from the chaos of the sexual revolution. They have seen firsthand the devastation of family breakdown. They know what it’s like to grow up without fathers, to be raised in homes broken by divorce, to feel lost in a culture that tells them their biological sex is meaningless. They are desperate for something real.

Bible sales are up, and church attendance among young men is increasing. Gen Z is rejecting the casual sex culture of their millennial predecessors. They are looking for meaning and hope.

But what happens when the very people who claim to stand for biblical morality prove themselves to be just as hypocritical as the left?

They walk away.

This is not just a political failure. It is a spiritual tragedy. If we lose Gen Z, it won’t be because progressivism won them over. It will be because we failed to live out what we preached.

The Gospel Demands Consistency

There is no room for favoritism in the Kingdom of God. The same standard that applies to Pete Buttigieg applies to Dave Rubin. The same biblical principles that condemn surrogacy-for-convenience and broken families in progressive circles must also apply when conservatives engage in the same behavior.

Jesus did not compromise truth for relationships. He ate with sinners, but He also called them to repentance. When He encountered the woman caught in adultery, He did not stone her—but He also did not celebrate her sin. Instead, He told her:

“Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11)

This is what true love looks like. It does not celebrate brokenness. It points people to the better way.

If conservatives truly care about marriage, family, and children, they must be willing to call out violations of these principles no matter who commits them. If we are silent when our allies destroy the family, we are complicit.

A Call to Integrity

The solution to this credibility crisis is not just a return to better politics but to biblical faithfulness. We need to remember that:

Marriage is not a political position—it is a divine institution. God created marriage to reflect Christ’s love for the Church (Ephesians 5:25-32). It is not something to be redefined or treated as optional.
Children are not commodities—they are image-bearers of God. The use of surrogacy to intentionally create children without mothers or fathers is not a personal choice—it is a moral offense. Every child deserves a mother and a father.
Sex is sacred, not transactional. Whether embraced by progressives or powerful conservatives, the hookup culture leads to the same destruction.
Truth is not flexible. If we believe in moral absolutes, then we must apply them consistently. Otherwise, we are just as relativistic as the left.

This moment presents a crucial opportunity. Gen Z is searching for meaning. They want to follow leaders who believe what they say. They are looking for authenticity and conviction in people who will live out the truth they proclaim.

Will we be those people?

Or will we forfeit our credibility for the sake of temporary alliances?

History has shown that movements built on compromise do not last. But the truth of God’s Word endures forever. Let us hold fast to that truth—not selectively, not when it is easy, but with unwavering faithfulness.

Because in the end, it is not conservatism that saves.

It is Christ alone.

Faust, K. (2025, February 19). The cost of conservative hypocrisy. WORLD Opinions. https://wng.org/opinions/the-cost-of-conservative-hypocrisy-1739940814

Tim Orr is a scholar of Islam, Evangelical minister, conference speaker, and interfaith consultant with over 30 years of experience in cross-cultural ministry. He holds six degrees, including a master’s in Islamic studies from the Islamic College in London. Tim taught Religious Studies for 15 years at Indiana University Columbus and is now a Congregations and Polarization Project research associate at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at Indiana University Indianapolis. He has spoken at universities, including Oxford University, Imperial College London, the University of Tehran, Islamic College London, and mosques throughout the U.K. His research focuses on American Evangelicalism, Islamic antisemitism, and Islamic feminism, and he has published widely, including articles in Islamic peer-reviewed journals and three books.