Weekend Bonus

Hey Gang,  I am writing this from a mountain top condo in a beautiful resort in Branson, Missouri.  We are enjoying this  time of rest and relaxation recouping our energies and strength to return to Voice of Martyrs for the final half of the commitment.  We are in the midst of a huge gully washer so laying out under the sun is out of the question.  

The bride of my youth was bringing her correspondence up to speed when she came across an old commentary that was written by Paul Harvey many years ago (1965)  that is more relevant today than it was when he wrote it..  It is a piece that should be read in the White House, the Halls of Congress, every college and university and high school and junior high school and yes, even the elementary schools and kindergartens of the land.  It should also be read from every pulpit and presented on television and radio six or eight times a day.

He begins with this catchy phrase and title:“If I were the Devil"…

"If I were the Devil...I mean, “if I were the Prince of Darkness” I would of course, want to engulf the whole earth in darkness.  I would have a third of its real estate and four-fifths of its population, but I would not be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree, so I should set about however necessary to take over the United States.

I would 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.”  “Do as you please.”  To the young, I would whisper , “The Bible 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”.  In the ears of the young marrieds, I would whisper that work is debasing, the cocktail parties are good fro you. I would caution them not to be extreme in religion,   In patriotism, in moral conduct. And the old, I would teach to pray.  I would teach them to say after me:  “Our Father, which is in Washington.”

If I were the Devil, I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull an uninteresting.  I’d threaten T. V. with dirtier movers and vice versa.  And then, if I were the devil, I’d get organized.  I’d infiltrate unions and urge more loafing and less work, because idle hands usually work for me.  I’d peddle narcotics to whom I could.  I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction.  And I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.

If I were the Devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellects but neglect to discipline emotions …let those run wild.  I would designate an atheist to front for me before the highest courts in the land and I would get preachers to say “she’s right”.  With flattery and promises of power, I could get the courts to rule what I construe as against God and in favor or pornography, and thus, I would evict God from the courthouse, and then from the school. House, and then from the houses of congress an then, in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion, and I would deify science because that way men would become smart enough to create super weapons, but not wise enough to control them.

If I were Satan, I’d make the symbol of Easter an egg, and the symbol of Christmas, a bottle. If I were the Devil, I would take from those who have and I would give to those who wanted, until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.  Then, I could separate families, putting children in uniform, women in coal mines, and objectors in slave camps. In  other words, if I were Satan, I’d just keep on doing what he’s doing.

Paul Harvey, Good day!

What say you.