Christian University to Host Anti-Communism Event Amidst Shifting Public Opinion

Cornerstone University, a Christian institution in Michigan, is preparing to host an event titled “Why Not Communism? A Wisdom Conversation on Freedom, Faith and the Future of America” on October 1. The university states the event was conceived months ago due to concerns over what it perceives as a national shift in public opinion toward communist and socialist ideologies.

Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño, president of Cornerstone University, expressed alarm regarding the historical record of communism and socialism, characterizing it as a “dark one.” He stated the university’s commitment to educating the public about the “moral bankruptcy” of these systems. The event aims to inform students and the broader community.

The event features speakers including Yeonmi Park, a North Korean defector; Xi Van Fleet, a survivor of Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution in China; Dr. Gary Saul Morson, a scholar of Soviet communism; and Seth Dillon, CEO of The Babylon Bee. Moreno-Riaño highlighted the relevance of speakers like Park and Fleet, whose experiences with oppressive regimes, he noted, bear similarities to current trends.

Park shared her perspective with Fox News Digital, suggesting that students often learn about communism in comfortable settings without fully grasping its real-world implications. “I had to live through [a] real socialist government every day until I escaped from North Korea,” Park said. “And I know it is not nice when it is actually enforced [in] real life.” She added that many who advocate for such policies lack understanding of their potential impact.

Park recounted her harrowing escape from North Korea at age 13 with her mother, detailing experiences of famine, poverty, human trafficking, and exploitation in China before eventually finding refuge in South Korea. She also described encountering American students who, unaware of her background, have told her she does not “understand oppression” and referred to her as “White-passing.”

“They have no idea that I was, at 13 years old, being sold as a sex slave in China for two years of my life. I do understand oppression,” Park stated, emphasizing the disparity between theoretical discussions of oppression and lived reality.

Park expressed concern that Americans take their freedom for granted. Citing data likely from the Varieties of Democracy Institute, she stated that approximately 74% of the global population lives under authoritarian governments. “For me, I was fortunate that I had a country to escape to from North Korea to America, but if we lose this country, we are all going to die, actually,” she asserted.

Moreno-Riaño linked the defense of freedom to Cornerstone University's Christian identity, asserting that liberty is fundamental to the faith. He cited the Christian concept of Imago Dei (image of God) as requiring freedom for individuals to flourish. The university president hopes the event will inspire students to actively participate in civic life and resist complacency.

The university is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, an area where Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who has campaigned with streamer Hasan Piker—an advocate for socialism—received significant support in the primary. The event aims to provide a counter-narrative to such political currents.