The Slubgob Correspondences: Letter V

My Dear Screwtape,

     I’m relieved to hear you’ve reversed course and are finally making progress on the homosexual issue. Your pupils’ influence over that church leader who so magnificently represents our interests as if they were the Enemy’s, plays excellently to your initiative to weaken His foundations among the people. The true believers will be encouraged to heat up their rhetoric and the fence-sitters will be all the more reluctant to view the Enemy in a favorable light. But remember the epistler. See that your pupils remain tenacious and be sure to broaden your attack. For every pupil who takes on a religious community, be sure to put two on the prostitutes or drug addicts. He has a soft spot for them and they always seem willing to change.

     Now, as to your question on the subject of religious fundamentalism: There are ways to twist it to our advantage as with any other isms the humans are so fond of inventing. All concepts and intellectual frameworks employed to suit the Enemy’s will on Earth have limitations since they are all human by nature. The Enemy did not invent religion. Religion came about because human beings are social animals whose survival depends on their numbers. Religion is about bringing people together. A religion’s intent to serve Him is always secondary to it serving its people. That’s why it takes so much energy to attack religious institutions.

     Our advantage with fundamentalist sects is in their intention to serve the Enemy first and serve others through serving Him. Do you see the angle? They believe in a personal relationship with their creator and that He will always guide them onto the right path. They fail to realize that as corporeal beings they are fundamentally – no pun intended – incapable of discriminating His will from our own. You see, in our conflict both sides occupy the same corner of the human conscience. They cannot look to Him without also opening themselves to us. 

     But do not think turning them will be easy. They have discipline, old friend. They have discipline that even some spirits envy. Corrupting under these conditions can be most trying indeed. It’s not enough to appeal to their carnal appetites because they’re simply not interested in such things…at least not to the point of excess which is all we care about. They get some kind of haughty thrill from denying themselves the Earthly pleasures so common among most. This habitual self-denial hardens the soul resulting in the increasing weakness of subsequent attacks.

If we are to snatch them up, we must focus on what they do to one another. In learning their prejudices, we become able to blur the distinction between sin and virtue. Humans were never meant to know right from wrong and therefore have faulty moral indicators. Once we have them embracing sin as if it were virtue, we can rationalize any wicked action by reminding them that being good doesn’t matter as long they have faith. We just need to conceal the fact that it is us in whom they’ve placed this faith.

Your Merciful Master,

Slubgob