Statutory Directives from Uncle Screwtape
I wrote this letter on behalf of Screwtape to Wormwood for an online class, ‘The Literatures of C.S. Lewis,’ and later published it on my blog.
My dear Wormwood,
I was very disappointed after I went through some lines of your last letter. It seemed like you were wasting precious time. Now is the time to influence the Patient’s thoughts while he is focused on the Enemy. Having said that, I also strictly caution you not to make any hasty moves, either. Be vigilant in observing his every thought and action, and strive to understand his motives. Be careful in your excitement. As I have mentioned earlier, the gradual degradation of human animals’ spirituality is beneficial for us, and it best works in our favor.
Your Patient certainly knows how to use modern technologies in the market. The Enemy’s two-legged animals have proved how gifted they are by setting their feet on the moon. Their intelligence is not always good for them either. Some of these two-legged animals have already demonstrated that they could also serve as helpful agents in waging war against their race. At present, some are posing a threat to the world due to weapons of mass destruction. But then people are developing new concepts and tools to promote an invisible web on the air called the “World Wide Web,” or generally the internet.
We want more confusion so that doubt will rule over the ninny Patient. However, there is also a significant risk that could lead him to recognize both his inner spiritual condition and his outward reactions to his actions.
The latter tool is accessible to even children worldwide. No other tool will be more effective than that. Your Patient is very familiar with it. However, he has learned to handle it properly recently. Thus, the Enemy has excluded us from the Patient’s interests.
You, however, ought to change your manipulation strategy for your Patient. Otherwise, he could be a grave threat to our plan. Then, you know the consequence that you’ll have to bear. First, make him stop reading the Enemy’s book called the “BIBLE.” Rather, help him do more research online for his spirituality than read the Word and obey the Enemy. By doing so, he’ll discover more complicated and unreliable resources that some of our agents have championed. We want more confusion so that doubt will rule over the ninny Patient. However, there is also a significant risk that he may become aware of his inner spiritual condition and his outward reactions to his actions. Therefore, you must divert his attention from that kind of resource and lure him to fix his eyes on the conspicuous advertising banners. Avoid becoming frightened when you encounter attractive young women online, as such behavior could reveal your intentions and cause them to lose their innocence.
Second, influence him and take him into your confidence before you make another move. Make him believe that browsing the internet to watch beautiful women is not a sin, since he meets dashing and charming women every day. Remember, the skin-deep beauty of their opposite sex can easily attract these revolting creatures of the Enemy. Now, use every coherent argument, if needed, as a weapon to persuade him to watch semi-nude pictures of women. Remind him of his past heydays and how much he enjoyed going to the beach and basking his back in the sun, glaring at those beautiful women in bikinis. See if he sees a difference between the women in bikinis on the beach and those online. If he feels comfortable with it, you are half done.
Finally, understand the weaknesses of these stubborn animals. Now, hit the spot! Persuade him to visit the forbidden sites that contain exclusive pictures and videos. You must not retreat until you make sure that his mind is absorbed in whatever he is watching on the sites. You have to treat your Patient very well and be very cooperative at this point until he moves toward the slippery slope of any form of addiction, whether it’s porn or whatever. The open gate of our Father Below in Hell will be wide for him if you can guide him to other levels—a dark pit of adultery or fornication from which he can never come out.
Your affectionate uncle
SCREWTAPE
Character's Guide
Screwtape—Senior devil
Wormwood—Screwtape’s cousin, a protégé
Enemy—God of the Bible
Patient – a new believer
Two-legged animals—humankind
Father Below—Satan, ruler of the hell
