Back in 1965, radio legend, Paul Harvey, first broadcast his classic essay, “If I Were The Devil”. At that time much of what he said seemed laughable for being so extreme. Over the years he edited and re-broadcast the essay. What we share here is his last version from 1996. That is still 29 years ago (as of 2025)! Read it and see if it makes you laugh or cry. Then ask yourself, based on how much our nation has morally crumbled in the last half century: Where will we be in the next 29 years…or will we even survive at all?
“If I were the devil…if I were the Prince of Darkness, I would 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 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 is bad is good, and what is good is ‘square’ [or not cool]. And the old, I would teach to pray, after me, ‘Our Father, which is in Washington…'”
“And then I’d get organized. I’d educate authors on how to make lurid literature exciting, so that anything else would seem 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 that war with themselves, churches at war with themselves, and nations at war with themselves; until each in 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 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 would make the symbol of Easter an egg and symbol of Christmas a bottle.”
“If I were the devil I would take from those who have, and give to those who wanted until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious. And what do you bet? I could get whole states to promote gambling as a 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 TV is the way to be. And thus I would undress you in public, and I could lure you into bed with diseases that have no cure. In other words, if I were the devil I’d just keep on doing what he’s doing. Paul Harvey–good day.”
(Source: Prophecy Watchers magazine-January 2023)