Cornerstone University, a Christian institution in Michigan, will hold an event focused on anti-communism. This gathering will feature scholars and survivors from oppressive regimes. Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño, president of Cornerstone University, initiated the theme due to growing public support for communism and socialism in the United States. Scheduled for October 1, the event is titled “Why Not Communism? A Wisdom Conversation on Freedom, Faith, and the Future of America.”
“The history of communism and socialism is alarming,” Moreno-Riaño said in an interview with Fox News Digital. The event aims to educate people about the moral failures of communism and socialism.
“Yeonmi Park, North Korean defector and speaker at the event, warns that if America falls, the world could be doomed.”
The university is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, an area with significant political activity. In recent elections, Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed received over 61% of the vote in the primaries there.
Speakers include Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon, Dr. Gary Saul Morson, a Soviet communism scholar, Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution survivor Xi Van Fleet, and North Korean defector Yeonmi Park.
Park commented on the dangerous allure of communism among students who have not experienced its realities. She lived under oppressive regimes and emphasizes that American students might not grasp the global struggle for freedom. According to the Varieties of Democracy Institute, 74% of the global population lives in autocracies, a reality Park understands intimately.
Her story involves escape from North Korea, human trafficking in China, and eventual freedom in South Korea. Park highlights that many students see her as “White-passing”, unaware of her traumatic background.
Moreno-Riaño ties the fight for freedom closely to Cornerstone University’s Christian principles. “Liberty is at the core of our Christian faith through the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he explained. He wants students to actively participate as engaged citizens influenced by these values.
Moreno-Riaño envisions the event inspiring students and the community to reject passivity. “We seek to involve our students in public life, modeling their faith and citizenship,” he said.
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