Cornerstone University, a Christian institution in Michigan, is organizing an event to discuss the adverse impacts of communism. The event will feature scholars and individuals who have lived through oppressive regimes.
Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño, president of Cornerstone University, explained that the theme was selected months ago due to shifting public opinion favoring communism and socialism. The event, taking place on October 1, is titled “Why Not Communism? A Wisdom Conversation on Freedom, Faith and the Future of America.” Moreno-Riaño expressed concern about the history of communism and socialism, calling it a “dark one.”
“Frankly, we became alarmed and concerned because the history of communism, socialism is a dark one,” Moreno-Riaño told Fox News Digital.
Yeonmi Park, a North Korean defector set to speak at the event, warns that the downfall of America could spell doom for the world.
Moreno-Riaño emphasized the importance of informing and educating both the community and students about the moral shortcomings of communism and socialism. The university is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, an area where Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed received more than 61% of the primary vote, according to state records. El-Sayed’s campaign notably involved Hasan Piker, a Twitch streamer known for defending communism as the ultimate aim of socialism.
Notable speakers at the event include Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon, Dr. Gary Saul Morson, an expert on Soviet communism, Xi Van Fleet, a survivor of Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, and Yeonmi Park.
Moreno-Riaño highlighted the stories of Park and Fleet as essential learning experiences, noting similarities between the revolutions they experienced and current events in the U.S.
“Yeonmi Park’s story is incredible, as a defector of North Korea. Xi Van Fleet, her time in a labor camp in China. And what they saw, what they experienced, what they witnessed is absolutely essential, because there are certain similarities between what happened in North Korea and is happening there now, what happened in China during Mao Zedong and thereafter, similarities between what happens there in those revolutions and what’s happening here has been happening here for several years,” Moreno-Riaño said.
Yeonmi Park shared her experiences with oppressive regimes and stressed the disconnect between academic perspectives and real-life experiences of socialism.
Park recounted her life in North Korea during the 1990s famines, where she faced hunger, poverty, and persecution. She escaped to China at age 13, enduring human trafficking and exploitation before finally gaining freedom.
Once in the U.S., Park encountered students who dismissed her experiences, misunderstanding her life under oppressive regimes.
She urged American students to recognize the value of freedom and global realities, citing data from the Varieties of Democracy Institute indicating that about 74% of the world’s population lives under autocracies.
Park made an urgent plea regarding the fragility of freedom, asserting the essential need to preserve America as a haven for liberty.
“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 said.
Moreno-Riaño emphasized the connection between freedom and Cornerstone University’s Christian beliefs, stating that liberty is foundational to the Christian faith.
“I mean, we believe that the gospel sets us free. So, liberty and freedom are at the core of our Christian faith through the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said.
He explained the concept of Imago Dei, underscoring the necessity of freedom for human flourishing.
Moreno-Riaño hopes the event will inspire students to actively participate in civic life, emphasizing the importance of being engaged citizens who represent their faith and contribute positively to society.
Rachel Wolf reports on media and culture for Fox News Digital.