Paul Harvey’s “If I Were the Devil” with Transcript

If I Were the Devil by Paul Harvey (1918-2009)

From 1951 to 2008, radio broadcaster Paul Harvey reached as many as 24 million people per week. He was deemed the “most listened-to man” in radio broadcasting, famous for his “rest of the story” radio shows.

On a radio show in 1965, Harvey presented the narrative “If I Were the Devil.”  It’s known that Paul Harvey was a Christian, so the purpose of the broadcast was to bring a revelation of the devil’s work in the mid-1960s.  That was a time of great social and political unrest and increasing sin due to compromising ethics, morals, and values. It was also the decade when prayer in school became prohibited (1962), the hippie culture with sex, drugs, and rock and roll arose, and young people increasingly left the church.

So Harvey used his show to expound on what he (or anyone) might do if he were the devil.  The point was to highlight how Satan thinks and works, which is as true today as in the 1960s.  The only difference is that the devil’s work has become more exposed in our culture but is sadly unseen by more people.   

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 it’s 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 vice versa. I’d pedal 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 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 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 would lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls, and church money. If I were the devil I’d make the symbols 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 wanted until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious. And what do 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, 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 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 on what he’s doing. Paul Harvey, good day.