A Rare Open-Minded Liberal

I've become more conservative because I wanted more freedom. Rising disgust at the Liberal Mental Lockstep moved me to the right. I found the folks who claimed to be the most open were the most closed-minded.

So it was with pleasure that I read this article about an Ivy League student who transferred to Liberty College to infiltrate the student body in order to write a book and ended up being a little infiltrated himself.

He starts with

"As a responsible American citizen, I couldn't just ignore the fact that there are a lot of Christian college students out there," said Roose, 21, now a Brown senior. "If I wanted my education to be well-rounded, I had to branch out and include these people that I just really had no exposure to."

And ends with

Roose said his Liberty experience transformed him in surprising ways.

When he first returned to Brown, he'd be shocked by the sight of a gay couple holding hands — then be shocked at his own reaction. He remains stridently opposed to Falwell's worldview, but he also came to understand Falwell's appeal.

Once ambivalent about faith, Roose now prays to God regularly — for his own well-being and on behalf of others. He said he owns several translations of the Bible and has recently been rereading meditations from the letters of John on using love and compassion to solve cultural conflicts.

He's even considering joining a church.

Imagine what would happen if he stayed longer than a semester.