It was a commentary that first appeared 50 years ago that put globalism, paganism, propaganda, anarchism, atheism, humanism, Marxism, socialism, communism, liquor and drugs, feminism, progressivism and more into one category: tools of the devil.
And since then, Paul Harvey's famed "If I were the Devil" has been reproduced, re-recorded, rerun, replayed, rewritten and restored. Millions have heard the soliloquy since it was moved online, and it still regularly surges across the cyberworld as someone new discovers it.
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It's drawn attention once again as the 50th anniversary of its first broadcast in 1965 comes Friday.
One recent text of the speech by Harvey, one of the most popular broadcasters ever in America, says:
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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, thee, so I should set about however necessary to take over the United States.
I'd subvert the churches first. 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."
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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 is bad is good, and what is good is "square."
And the old, I would teach to pray. I would teach them to say 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 an uninteresting. I'd threaten T.V. with dirtier movies and vice versa.
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'd soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves, nations at war with themselves. Until each in its turn was consumed. And with the promises of higher ratings, I'd have mesmerizing media fanning the flames.
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If I were the devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellects but neglect to discipline emotions . . . 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, and then from the schoohouse, 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.
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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 I would give to those who wanted, until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious. And what will you bet I couldn't 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 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 on doing what he's doing.
Listen to Harvey's "If I were the Devil":
WND columnist Ellis Washington pointed out the evils identified by Harvey.
For engulfing the whole earth in darkness, read "paganism," he wrote in a 2012 column. And for taking over the "ripest apple on the tree," "globalism." The campaign of whispers? "Propagandists." And "do as you please," anarchy.
Harvey was born in 1918 and died in 2009, but his commentary continues to inspire and challenge with its message that if the devil wanted to corrupt and own America, he should just keep doing what he's doing right now.
WND reported his 1978 "So God Made a Farmer" was a hit at the heart of a moving, two-minute Super Bowl ad.
Harvey, born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, eventually was featured on some 1,200 ABC Radio Network stations as well as 400 Armed Forces Radio stations.
An estimated 24 million listened to him daily.
At the time, Paul Batura, author of the biography "Good Day! The Paul Harvey Story," noted much of Harvey's work provided more than the news.
"Paul Harvey loved strong opinions, but he was no shock jock. He might have been shocking to some – articulating his love of God and Jesus Christ, embracing the American miracle and touting our nation's exceptionalism, not to mention regularly displaying an unfailing devotion to his wife," Batura wrote.
WND Founder and CEO Joseph Farah wrote a tribute at the time of Harvey's death.
"He was a giant in journalism. He was a giant in the news business. … Yes, he could tell a great story, as in 'the rest of the story.' But what I loved most about him was his ability to find those great little gems of news – stories that escaped the attention of so many of his colleagues," Farah said.
In 2001, Harvey credited God with healing him after contracting a virus that left him voiceless for three months that year.
In a Thanksgiving weekend broadcast a little more than two months after the 9/11 attacks, Harvey said he believed God wanted him to broadcast to Americans an important message.
"Americans, this is the testing time, and we are at our virtuous best," he said on his "News and Comment" program. "America is falling in love again with America."
