Paul Harvey's "If I Were the Devil"

"If I Were the Devil" is a piece that has been attributed to the American radio broadcaster Paul Harvey. Paul Harvey was known for his distinctive voice and storytelling style, often delivering his radio broadcasts with a mix of news, commentary, and moral lessons.

The piece "If I Were the Devil" is a hypothetical speech where Harvey speaks as if he were the devil, outlining how he would go about corrupting society and leading people astray. It's a cautionary tale, warning about the temptations and pitfalls that can erode the moral fabric of a community.

Here is the text of "If I Were the Devil":

"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.' 'Do as you please.' To the young, I would whisper, '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. I would teach them 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 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 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 the way to get rich. I would caution against extremes in 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 the 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."

This piece is a stark commentary on the potential pitfalls and moral decline that can happen within a society when certain values are eroded. Harvey's style of delivery made this speech particularly impactful for many listeners.