Russell Moore, once a reliable voice for theological clarity, now presides over a publication that, during Holy Week no less, ran a piece questioning the inerrancy of Scripture and speculating that Jesus might have been tied to the cross rather than nailed. Moore said nothing. No clarification, no correction. Just silence.
He also had nothing to say when Roe v. Wade was overturned—arguably the single most significant victory for the pro-life cause in nearly half a century. Again, silence. But when it came time to rebuke fellow believers who support peace negotiations in Ukraine, Moore found his voice. Those Christians, he warned, were “murdering Ukraine.” A breathtaking accusation—and one that reveals a deeper problem emerging in American evangelicalism.
The problem isn’t theological disagreement. Christians have weathered doctrinal and political differences for centuries. The problem is a new class of elite evangelical commentators, many of them Never Trumpers, who mimic the cultural shaming tactics of the secular left. Disagree with their view, and you’re not just wrong—you’re immoral. Dangerous. Part of the problem.
Christianity Today received $2M in taxpayer grants.
Russell Moore is literally an agent of the Regime. pic.twitter.com/zC6VYO2wiY
— Andrew Isker (@BonifaceOption) February 5, 2025
This brand of righteousness has found its pulpit in projects like The After Party and podcasts like Good Faith, both co-founded by Moore, David French, and Curtis Chang, and funded, at least in part, by leftist foundations. These projects are framed as bridges between political tribes within the church—but their content routinely tilts left, dodging core Christian convictions on marriage, life, parental authority, and border sovereignty.
This isn’t pastoral care. It’s ideological discipline, dressed in gospel garb.
Voters who backed Trump are dismissed as driven by “fear-based idolatry.” But they didn’t vote for a savior—they voted for a candidate who promised to end the madness: open borders, botched foreign policy, medicalized gender ideology for kids, abortion up to birth, and fiscal insanity. That’s not idolatry. It’s discernment.
Moore, French, and Chang now traffic in a worldview that blames white evangelicals for every political disaster, while overlooking the catastrophic failures of the left. French routinely excoriates Trump voters but has little to say about Joe Biden’s executive overreach, his son’s scandals, or the DOJ’s abuse of power. French’s selective outrage comes wrapped in Christianese and moral superiority, but it’s deeply partisan in its execution.
At Wheaton College, Chang and journalist Tim Alberta scoffed at Christians who vote for morally imperfect candidates. But they offer no better alternatives. Did French not vote for Kamala Harris, whose rise was steeped in old-school political quid pro quo? Did he forget about Bill Clinton, whose presidency was marred by sexual misconduct but who now looks tame compared to today’s radicals?
When evangelicals exercise political agency, they are told they’ve compromised the gospel. But when left-leaning Christians back leaders who push late-term abortion, gender experiments on children, and lawfare against political opponents? Silence. Or worse—defense.
