In 1965, Paul Harvey broadcasted, “If I Were The Devil” (Click to hear audio). That’s 49 years ago, if you were counting. At that time
much of what he said seemed laughable for being so extreme. Edited over the years, below, I've posted his 1996 version. Still that's 18 years ago. Read it, and see if
it makes you laugh or cry now. And ask yourself based on how our nation has
morally crumbled in the last half century, “where will we be in the next 50 or 20 years, or
if we will even survive at all?” Here's what he said . . .
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, and who have, and give to those wanted until I had killed the
incentive of the ambitious. And what do you bet? I could 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 the
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.
Paul Harvey,
good day.”
