Ben Carson speaks at Liberty University on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Carson warns Liberty students about 'secular progressives'

Ben Carson, fresh off defending himself on Tuesday night's debate stage about media reports questioning his biographical claims, on Wednesday found a welcoming embrace at Liberty University, where he urged students to stand up against "secular progressives."

Carson has faced a week of intense media scrutiny about his claims that he tried to stab a friend as a teenager, tried to attack his mom with a hammer and that, after finding redemption, was offered a full scholarship to West Point. He also has been defending himself against his theory that the Great Pyramids of Giza were constructed by the biblical figure Joseph to store grain, saying "secular progressives" are trying to ridicule him for this belief.


The retired neurosurgeon, speaking before the religious university's weekly convocation in Lynchburg, Virginia, again talked about the threat of people "who are trying to push God out of our lives," or otherwise negate or belittle those who believe in God as "some kind of idiot."

"Well, let me tell you, our nation’s survival as the pinnacle nation in the world, I believe is rooted in our values system, the values and principles that made us into a great nation. And 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 asked. "The secular progressives don’t care whether you agree with them or not, as long as you sit down and keep your mouth shut, and I think that the secret to the prosperity in this nation is we must be willing to stand up for what we believe in."

Carson, speaking hours after flying in from a two-hour economic debate in Milwaukee, still had the economy on his mind — not to mention his disdain for "unscrupulous politicians and news media."

“If you listened to the news last week, you saw a lot of people rejoicing that the unemployment rate is down to 5 percent. You know, that’s essentially full employment," Carson said. "But if you know anything at all about economics, you know you can make that number anything you want it to be, based on who you include and who you exclude and that the real number is the labor force participation rate which is at its lowest level in 38 years."

The United States' system of governance "is based upon a well-informed and educated populace," Carson said, paraphrasing the Founding Fathers.

"And if they ever become anything other than that, the nature of the country will change," he said. "Because if the people are not well-informed, all it takes is unscrupulous politicians and news media and off the people go, in the completely wrong direction, listening to all kinds of propaganda and inculcating that into their method of thinking. And then it becomes real easy for them to swallow things."

In an apparent swipe at Democrats, Carson said that if people do not understand the financial problems facing the country, and someone mentions free college, for example, "they’ll say, oh what a wonderful person, and they have no idea that all you’re talking about is hastening the destruction of the nation.”

In the Democratic primary race, Bernie Sanders, who spoke at Liberty University in September, has been the most vocal in pushing tuition-free college.

During a question-and-answer period after his address, Carson responded to a question asking him what advice he would give his college self by reciting Proverbs 3:5-6.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not to your own understanding. in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will direct your paths," he said, adding that he has "clung to that" verse "through all kinds of adversity in my life."

"I cling to it now, when so many in the media, you know, want to bring me down because I represent something that they can’t stand," he said, in another shot at the scrutinizing media. But the fact of the matter is, in Romans, chapter 8, it says, If God be for you, who can be against you? You don’t have to worry.”