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