LYNCHBURG, VA — This much is true: Ben Carson has fans at Liberty University.
Before a crowd of nearly 12,000 strong Wednesday for the school’s thrice-weekly convocation, Carson struck a religious note familiar with the evangelical collegiate audience in his speech, during which he praised God and attacked the “secular progressive movement.” The retired neurosurgeon made his remarks to the school only hours after participating in the fourth GOP debate in Milwaukee, Wis. Tuesday night.
“This nation is an incredibly special place, because when you look at our founding document — the Declaration of Independence — it talks about certain inalienable rights given to us by our Creator, also known as God,” Carson said. “And we have so many people now who are trying to push God out of our lives, and they take the word of God, and they turn it … and make it seem like if you believe in anything that’s there, then you’re some kind of an idiot. Well let me tell you — our nation’s survival as a pinnacle nation in the world … is rooted in our values system.”
“The real question is are we willing to stand up for those values and principles, or will we allow ourselves to be intimidated by the secular progressives,” Carson railed. “The secular progressives don’t care whether you agree with them or not as long as you sit down and keep your mouths shut, and I think the secret to prosperity in this nation is we must be willing to stand up for what we believe in.”
Carson, a Seventh-Day Adventist, also spoke to the crowd about his poverty-stricken background in Detroit, marked Veterans Day by noting the need to support veterans and amplified his views about the economy, the main topic of the fourth GOP debate.
But it was his calls for a religious renewal in America that captured the Vines Center’s attention, especially of the scores of medical school students seated front-and-center on the basketball arena floor. Kayla Weston, one of those students, was particularly impressed with Carson’s parting words of wisdom for the students.
“[I liked his] advice for the college students: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding,” Weston told the Washington Examiner after his address. “As a future physician, that is really what I’m going to be relying on is the wisdom from the Lord and trusting that he’s going to lead me, just like he led Dr. Carson.”
“Even though he wasn’t the best student, God still brought him to be one of the top physicians,” Weston explained. “I hope one day to… in following the Lord to have the impact to help patients that Dr. Carson’s been able to have as he’s followed the Lord.”
The medical students were also taken with Carson’s straightforwardness and passion for what he believes in.
“He’s a real stand-up guy. He stands for what’s true, and he’s not ashamed or afraid to speak the truth no matter what his audience is,” said Josh Reynolds, a second-year med student, who also said he hopes Carson wins the White House next November. “He doesn’t back down when he’s faced with challenges and all of us medical students are going through challenges right now with school So to see someone like him who has had a successful career and now is pursuing something even more difficult — it’s really encouraging.”
The leading GOP candidate also went on to continue to tout the role of God in the world when discussing his plan for a flat tax, which has equated repeatedly to tithing.
“The reason I liken it to tithing is because I believe God is the fairest individual that there is,” Carson explained to David Nasser, the university’s senior vice president for spiritual development. “And if he thought it was fair, it must be pretty fair.”
Carson became the third 2016 candidate to make the trek to Lynchburg for convocation at the Jerry Falwell-founded university, with Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Bernie Sanders having already done so. Cruz launched his campaign during the program in late March.
