If I were the
Devil . . . I mean, if I were the Prince of Darkness, I would of course, want
to engulf the whole earth in darkness. I would have a third of its real estate
and four-fifths of its population, but I would not be happy until I had seized
the ripest apple on the tree, so I should set about however necessary to take
over the United States.
I would 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.” “Do as you please.” To the young, I would whisper, “The
Bible is a myth.” I would convince them that man created God instead of the
other way around. I would confide that what is bad is good, and what is good is
“square”. In the ears of the young marrieds, I would whisper that work is
debasing, that cocktail parties are good for you. I would caution them not to
be extreme in religion, in patriotism, in moral conduct. And the old, I would
teach to pray. I would teach them to say after me: “Our Father, which art in
Washington . . ."
If I were the
devil, I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that
anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. I’d threaten T.V. with
dirtier movies and vice versa. And then, if I were the devil, I’d get
organized. I’d infiltrate unions and urge more loafing and less work, because
idle hands usually work for me. I’d peddle narcotics to whom I could. I’d sell
alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. And I’d tranquilize the rest
with pills.
If I were the devil, I would encourage schools to refine young
intellects but neglect to discipline emotions; let those run wild. I would
designate an atheist to front for me before the highest courts in the land and
I would get preachers to say “she’s right.” With flattery and promises of
power, I could get the courts to rule what I construe as against God and in
favor of pornography, and thus, I would evict God from the courthouse, and
then from the school house, and then from the houses of Congress and then, in
His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion, and I would deify
science because that way men would become smart enough to create super weapons
but not wise enough to control them.
If I were
Satan, I’d make the symbol of Easter an egg, and the symbol of Christmas, a
bottle. If I were the devil, I would take from those who have and I would
give to those who wanted, until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.
And then, my police state would force everybody back to work. Then, I could
separate families, putting children in uniform, women in coal mines, and
objectors in slave camps. In other words, if I were Satan, I’d just keep on
doing what he’s doing.
Paul Harvey,
Good Day.
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times
some shall depart from the faith,
giving heed to seducing spirits,
and doctrines of devils speaking lies in hypocrisy;
having their conscience seared with a hot iron.
1 Timothy 4:2, 3
