PAUL HARVEY
‘IF I WERE THE DEVIL’
Mr. Harvey gave this speech in 1965

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.

FOR EACH ACTION I TAKE– HOW WILL I ANSWER GOD.