I remember as a little kid riding around town with my parents and occasionally we would listen to Paul Harvey and "The Rest of the Story".
He was such a great storyteller and a great American.
Recently, I was looking at old American speeches and ran across this broadcast that was astonashing in its predictions.
I am a Christian. We are not fighting princes and principalities. We are all fighting the devil. He wants America as his own, and unfortunatley, he has been very busy. Thank you Paul Harvey, May God grant that we listen and learn.
"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 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 would encourage schools to
refine young intellect, 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 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 would caution against extremes, and hard work,
and patriotism, and 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 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 would just
keep on doing what he is doing".
Paul Harvey, March 16, 1993
