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Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Paul Harvey's, "If I Were the Devil" Transcript 1996


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.”

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Thank You for Praying for Our Miraculous Cancer Surviving Graduate, Carissa

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Your mother and I weren’t sure that we would have the joy of ever seeing this day. Ten years ago, when you were diagnosed with cancer your doctor gave us a survival rate that wasn’t promising. Then your health continued to decline, and he eventually told us that “we’ve done all that we can do.”

But your mother and I prayed for you. People from all over the world prayed. Your family and people in this room prayed. And I told you to pray to Jesus to save your soul fearing that you would prematurely see Him.
 
Then, tragically, all the friends you made in the hospital, Kelsey, Alexis, died of cancer. But God saved you. I‘ve never tried to answer the question, “Why God spared your life?,” except knowing that by doing so He showed us His undeserved mercy upon mercy.

So here we are, rejoicing that our Charis, God’s gracious gift to us, is now a beautiful, caring and determined young woman. And my charge to you is to you find the answer to the question, I never answered, and to live your life in pursuit of fulfilling it.For God did not give (you) a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control,2 Tim. 1:7. Jesus loves you and your life is His gift. Live it for Him and for His glory. Congratulations Honey!