Paul Harvey warned America

If I were the devil!

f 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 on what he’s doing.