Advice from Screwtape

Letter in todays' Iowa City Press-Citizen:

C.S. Lewis wrote the "Screwtape Letters." In these letters a senior devil writes to his nephew about how to distract Christians from the message of Christ. I offer the following update:

You are doing a great job! I especially like how you used 9/11. Just think of the good that could have come from it if you hadn't gotten them to go off the deep end.

Keep up the good work of making moral judgments the central political questions. Keep saying these judgments are really the law. Attacking judges is good but remember, constitutional amendments are the goal.

By all means, give them ammunition to fight "big" government. Get more of them to think of government as the morality enforcer and the savior of marriage, life and "the" family. Don't let important socioeconomic and foreign policy issues become important.

One more thing before I have to report to the boss. Continue pushing the differences between Christians and Muslims. You have made a good start, but a world wide Holy War is possible. The key is getting radical attention paid to something that is extremely sacred or to some defining truth, and then help them become even more self-righteous about it. That gets them every time!

Have to go now. Will write again when I can. Keep up the evil work.

Don Van Hulzen
Iowa City