If I Were the Devil

After my post the other day about Bringing Lunch out to the Field, I was thinking about Paul Harvey's commentaries we would listen to on the radio.  As Dad and I would eat our lunch each day by the family cemetery under the shade tree of a century old oak tree, Mr. Harvey would join us for lunch saying, "Hello, Americans, this is Paul Harvey.  Stand by for news!"  It was one of those routines that you hated to miss.

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We liked listening to him.  It was like an old friend had joined you for lunch.  He told the news along with commentary and his "The Rest of the Story" segments were always so interesting and inspiring. He (along with Vienna sausage sandwiches and having lunch with my Dad) can be credited with making lunches on the farm a memorable experience.  I wonder if Paul Harvey liked Vienna sausages or if he preferred Olive Loaf?

Regardless, back on topic: If you're like me, you've probably received more than your fair share of chain emails.  Most of them are untrue or embellished and the others are designed to make you fearful.  Back 7 years or so, I received one containing an essay entitled, "If I were the Devil," supposedly written by Paul Harvey.  Actually (according to Snopes.com), the one that was making the rounds on the Internet was not written by Mr. Harvey, but was somewhat similar, with the same cadence and theme.

The original essay that Mr. Harvey penned back in 1964 and was included in his newspaper column back then.  I searched and found the one he really wrote and it is as follows:

If I Were the Devil

If I were the prince of darkness, I would want to engulf the whole world in darkness.

I'd have a third of its real estate and four-fifths of its population, but I would not be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree — thee.

So, I would set about however necessary to take over the United States.

I'd subvert the churches first, and I would 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 the children that man created God instead of the other way around. I'd 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 are in Washington ..."

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 peddle 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 intellect but neglect to discipline emotions. I'd tell teachers to let those students run wild. And before you knew it, you'd have drug-sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.

With a decade, I'd have prisons overflowing and judges promoting pornography. Soon, I would evict God from the courthouse and the schoolhouse and them from the houses of Congress.

In his own churches, I would substitute psychology for religion and deify science. I'd lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls and church money.

If I were the devil, I'd take from those who have and give to those who wanted until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.

What'll you bet I couldn't get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich?

I'd convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging is more fun and that what you see on television is the way to be.

And thus, I could undress you in public and lure you into bed with diseases for which there are no cures.

In other words, if I were the devil, I'd just keep right on doing what he's doing.

51 years later, here we are.  Mr. Harvey hit the bulls eye.  How could he have been so prescient?  I only wish he wouldn't have written it as I think the Devil used it to develop his strategy to hasten America's fall.  In reading that and seeing how far we are down the path of darkness, it might be easy to become discouraged, but there is always hope.  Rather than shake our heads and give up, we can do a few things: First - Pray.  Ask for guidance and direction and deliverance.  Then, begin to make a difference by being a Light in your own sphere of influence - with your spouse, your kids, and your extended family.  Don't give up in doing good.  Finally, as the Good Book says, "Submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil and he will flee."