If I Were The Devil

If I Were The Devil

Via - Jah Bless
By Paul Harvey
September 14, 2014

If I were the devil … If I were the Prince of Darkness, I’d want to
engulf the whole world in darkness.

And I’d have a third of it’s real estate, and four-fifths of its
population, but I wouldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest
apple on the tree — Thee.

So I’d set about however necessary to take over the United States.

I’d subvert the churches first — I’d begin with a campaign
of whispers.

With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as
I whispered to Eve: ‘Do as you please.’

To the young, I would whisper that ‘The Bible is a myth.’

I would convince them that man created God instead of
the other way around.

I would confide that what’s bad is good, and what’s good
is ‘square.’

And the old, I would teach to pray, after me, ‘Our Father,
which art in Washington…’

And then I’d get organized.

I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting,
so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting.

I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies and vice versa.

I’d pedal narcotics to whom I could.

I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction.

I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.

If I were the devil I’d soon have families that war with themselves,
churches at war with themselves, and nations at war with
themselves; until each in its turn was consumed.

And with promises of higher ratings I’d have mesmerizing media
fanning the flames.

If I were the devil I would encourage schools to refine young
intellects, but neglect to discipline emotions — just let those
run wild, until before you knew it, you’d have to have drug
sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.

Within a decade I’d have prisons overflowing, I’d have judges
promoting pornography — soon I could evict God from the
courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, and then from the
houses of Congress.

And in His own churches I would substitute psychology for
religion, and deify science.

I would lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls,
and church money.

If I were the devil I’d make the symbols of Easter an egg and
the symbol of Christmas a bottle.

If I were the devil I’d take from those who have, and give to those
who wanted until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.

And what do you bet? I couldn’t get whole states to promote
gambling as thee way to get rich?

I would caution against extremes and hard work, in Patriotism,
in moral conduct.

I would convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that
swinging is more fun, that what you see on TV is the way to be.

And thus I could undress you in public, and I could lure you into
bed with diseases for which there is no cure.

In other words, if I were the devil I’d just keep right on doing
what he’s doing.

- Paul Harvey, 1965



Paul Harvey, (September 4, 1918 – February 28, 2009), was
a conservative American radio broadcaster for the ABC Radio
Networks.