Do Not Trust a Convert Without a Conversion Story

Safeguarding Conservatism In The Age Of Political Opportunism

Photo by kaleb tapp on Unsplash

Every movement rooted in truth and ordered liberty must wrestle with a timeless question: Whom should we trust to carry its message forward? Conservatism—true conservatism—does not merely represent a political preference. It is a worldview anchored in natural law, personal responsibility, faith in God, the dignity of the human person, free markets, and a reverence for the constitutional framework that guards our liberties. Anyone who embraces these principles is welcome. But not everyone who claims the label has truly undergone the transformation the label demands.

Over the past several years, America has witnessed a profound political realignment. Many individuals who once embraced progressive ideology have grown disillusioned with the cultural upheaval, economic mismanagement, moral confusion, and institutional distrust that now define the left. They are walking away from an ideology that promised compassion but delivered coercion; that preached justice but practiced favoritism; that claimed inclusion but demonized dissent.

Some of these individuals have begun to gravitate toward conservatism, drawn by its clarity, its moral coherence, and its refreshing honesty about the human condition. Their arrival is a welcome development. But I have learned this: a convert is only as credible as the story of the conversion that brought them to your doorstep.

This is not gatekeeping; it is stewardship. Stewardship of ideals, stewardship of influence, and stewardship of a movement charged with preserving liberty for future generations.

Why Conversion Stories Matter

The beauty of conservatism is that it stands open to all who seek truth. It demands no tribal allegiance, no recitation of slogans, and no conformity of personality. But it does require an internal shift—a turning away from one set of assumptions toward another. And such a shift always leaves traces.

A conversion story reveals the depth of someone’s transformation. It answers fundamental questions:

• What opened their eyes to the failures of progressivism?

• Which ideas did they abandon—and why?

• Which principles did they discover in conservatism that changed them?

• What intellectual or moral struggle did they undergo?

• What truth did they embrace that cost them something?

A person who undergoes no struggle rarely experiences any change.
A person who gives up nothing rarely gains anything real.

When someone adopts conservative positions but cannot articulate the journey that led them to those positions, one of two things is likely true: either their “conversion” is superficial and will evaporate under pressure, or it is strategic, designed to gain followers, attention, or relevance.

Neither serves the movement. Both can harm it.

The Landscape of Realignment

The recent political realignment in America has pulled back the curtain on the contradictions of the progressive worldview. The more aggressively the left has pushed its policies, the more people have awakened to their consequences. This disillusionment has created a wave of ideological immigrants—some sincere, some curious, some opportunistic.

Conservatism, by its nature, is hospitable. It welcomes anyone willing to defend liberty and uphold the moral framework that makes freedom possible. But hospitality does not mean naivety.

A movement that stands for timeless truth must not be manipulated by temporary enthusiasm.

In recent years, I have noticed a tendency in conservative circles to elevate new voices the moment they “sound conservative”—even if their foundations are unknown. Their backgrounds are unexamined. Their convictions are untested. Their loyalties are unproven.

This is dangerous.
It is how confusion infiltrates.
It is how division begins.
It is how movements fracture.

The Purpose of Discernment

Discernment is not suspicion; it is wisdom. It separates the knowledgeable from the merely loud, the sincere from the performative, the principled from the fashionable.

Conservatism is not a trend. It is not a brand. It is not a marketing opportunity. It is a commitment to truth that precedes popularity and transcends political cycles.

Therefore, when evaluating those who claim to have joined its ranks, I rely on the conversion story test. It is simple, fair, and the best predictor of durability.

1. What was the catalyst that changed them?

A defining moment must exist—the instant when truth pierced the illusion.
Without such a moment, change is rarely real.