Screwtape’s three-pronged strategy

– with indebtedness to C S Lewis

Let them think that God’s remote
– to him they do not matter,
and so they need not give much thought
to get to know him better.

Let them think there is no God,
there’s nothing else but matter,
and human wisdom has evolved
to understand things better.

Let them think there is no code,
that morals do not matter,
with no restraint, experiment,
and think they’ll feel much better.

Do anything to keep from thought
of God, who walked this earth,
by miracle had human birth,
revealing God to whom we matter,
and showed a way of life that’s better,
a God who is and was and shall be,
and soon will change this world of tragedy;

keep them from joy, discarding mutiny.