Phil,

How true, unfortunately.

Love and Blessings,

Pat Ferguson

At 05:43 PM 11/7/04, you wrote:
>IF I WERE THE DEVIL
>
>
>
>                                By
>
>                            Paul Harvey
>
>
>
>
>
>      If I were the prince of darkness, I'd want to infold the
>whole world in darkness and I'd have a third of its real estate
>and 4/5th of its population but I wouldn't be happy until I have
>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
>visa versa.  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'd 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'd lure priests and pastors into misusing boys
>and girls and church money.  If I were the devil, I'd make the
>symbol 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'd caution against extremes in hard work; in patriotism; in
>moral conduct.  I would convince the young that marriage is old
>fashion, that swinging is more fun, that what you see on 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.
>
>
>I Flew Kites With Jesus
>www.SafePlaceFellowship.com