"If I Were The Devil..."

"You were the anointed cherub that covers

with overshadowing wings and I set you so...

You were blameless in your ways from

the day you were created until iniquity

and guilt were found in you."

Ezekiel 28:14,15

The Fallen Angel

Gustave Dore

"If I Were The Devil" is a timeless social commentary

 written by the legendary radio host, Paul Harvey.
 An essay in the form of social criticism, it's message

is as relevant for today's distracted and debased culture

 as it was when first aired on his national radio

program over fifty years ago...

"IF I WERE THE DEVIL"

BY PAUL HARVEY

If I were the Prince of Darkness

 I would want to engulf 

the whole earth in darkness.

I'd 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."

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 married

 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
-to say after me-

 "Our father which are in Washington."

Then I'd get organized.

I'd educate authors how to make lurid literature exciting

so that anything else would appear dull, uninteresting.

I'd threaten TV with dirtier movies, and vice-versa.

I'd infiltrate unions and urge more loafing, less work.

Idle hands usually work for me.

I'd peddle 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 would encourage schools to refine

young intellects, but neglect to discipline emotions;

 let those run wild.

I'd designate an atheist to front for me before the highest courts 

and I'd get preachers to say, "She's right."

With flattery and promises of power I would get the

courts to vote against God and in favor of pornography.

Thus I would evict God from the courthouse, then from the

schoolhouse, then from the Houses of Congress.

Then in his own churches I'd substitute

 psychology for religion

and deify science.

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'd take from those who have and give to those

who wanted until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious. 

Then my police state would force everybody back to work.

Then I would separate families, putting children in uniform,

women in coal mines, and objectors in slave-labor camps.

If I were Satan, I'd just keep doing what I'm doing

and the whole world go to hell as sure as the Devil."

Paul Harvey

American Radio Pioneer 

September 4, 1918-February 28, 2009