“If I Were the Devil”: The Essay That Proposed a Dark Path for America
What would the devil do to gain control of America? In 1965 that was the question commentator Paul Harvey posed in his famous essay, “If I Were the Devil.” In it, he outlined a number of ways in which the devil could corrupt human civilization and lead us down a dark path. But what’s most chilling is that – what he pointed out is happening in the world today.
If I were the devil …
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If I were the Prince of Darkness, I’d want to engulf the whole world in darkness. And I’d have a third of its 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 at 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 want it, until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.
And what’ll you bet I couldn’t get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich? I would caution against extremes, and hard work, and 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 what he’s doing.
The above was an essay written in 1965 by Paul Harvey. It is chillingly accurate in describing the state of America today. We have turned our backs on God and now we are reaping the consequences. Our country is in moral decline and unless we turn back to God, we will continue on this path to destruction.
I ask you now [2022], have the pulpits of the church not been subverted by the devil himself, have the authorities not tried to dictate what can and cannot be preached, have we not turned to Washington to sustain us from cradle to grave, have states not sanctioned and even promoted vices that were once thought immoral, have we not promoted a culture of child abuse in our schools and houses of government by allowing the grooming of our children, have our schools not forced requirements on our children to hate themselves for being what god made them (boys and girls), are children not a captive audience to teachers pushing an agenda that promotes self-hatred based on the pigment of their skin tone until they no longer feel they have a reason to live and begin committing suicide at alarming rates, do we not have the mainstream media that flames the fires of perceived and real injustices – pitting one race against another?
Has the devil won? You tell me.
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