The broadcaster Paul Harvey wrote and broadcast this in 1965 – nearly sixty years ago. It was not intended to be a series of predictions, but just a warning. It is overtly religious – Christian in fact in an era when mainstream churches actually believed in a Creator, the Bible, and a real person named Satan. But it has political warnings and implications.

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“IF I WERE THE DEVIL”: A Warning to America From Paul Harvey

“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 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 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 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 want 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 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 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.”

Paul Harvey, good day.

[Hear his 1965 broadcast of these remarks at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnPE8u5ONls]

(Paul Harvey was a newscaster, born in 1918, died 2009; his full name was Paul Harvey Aurandt. Most of these warnings had actually taken place before he died 15 years ago; and since then, the situation has continued to get worse as almost all these things were taken to new extremes.)

What Paul Harvey did not express and perhaps did not understand was the the vast majority of religions in the States, as well as judges, politicians, and media, were already beyond reform in the mid-1960s. He alludes to this but did not realize at that time that the rot was deep and continung to spread. That American liberty had been eroded away for a century-plus, and that the process was accelerating.