Full Breakdown
Cornerstone University Hosts Anti-Communist Event
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
Cornerstone University, a Christian institution in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is holding an anti-communist program in early October.
Background and Rationale
President Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño said the university selected the theme months ago after observing a perceived shift in public opinion toward communism and socialism. He described the history of those ideologies as “dark” and argued that the university’s Christian identity compels it to educate students about what he calls the “moral bankruptcy” of communism and socialism. The program is positioned as a response to what organizers view as growing acceptance of left-leaning ideas on college campuses.
Key Participants
- Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño – President of Cornerstone University, who framed liberty as central to the Christian faith.
- Yeonmi Park – North Korean defector who survived famine, trafficking and imprisonment before seeking asylum in South Korea and later the United States.
- Xi Van Fleet – Survivor of China’s Cultural Revolution labor camps.
- Seth Dillon – CEO of the satirical outlet *The Babylon Bee*.
- Dr. Gary Saul Morson – Scholar of Soviet communism.
Official Statements & Responses
Moreno-Riaño emphasized that the gospel’s concept of “Imago Dei” demands freedom for human flourishing, and he urged students to become active citizens rather than “sit on the sidelines.” She linked the rise of authoritarian governments—estimated by the Varieties of Democracy Institute at over 70 % of the global population—to the need for vigilance against any adoption of socialist policies in the United States.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Frankly, we became alarmed and concerned because the history of communism, socialism is a dark one,” — Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño, the president of Cornerstone University
- “I had to live through [a] real socialist government every day until I escaped from North Korea,” — Yeonmi Park
- “Most people are not free right now in the world. More than 70% of humanity right now live under authoritarian governments,” — Yeonmi Park