Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Paul Harvey: "IF I WERE THE DEVIL" TRANSCRIPT [1965]

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 
1 Peter 5:8

"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 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 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 who have and give to those who want until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.

---And what do you bet I could get whole states to promote gambling as the 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 what he’s doing.

Paul Harvey, good day.”