The Devil Made Me Do It!

In the seventies, Flip Wilson, a well-known comedian, had a popular weekly TV show. One regular feature was a skit in which Flip was the fiery preacher Reverend LeRoy, constantly warning his congregation about the devil’s plans to lead ‘em all straight to hell. Just when he had worked himself up to his self-righteous best, he would let it slip that he himself had committed the very sin he had been warning them about. Caught in his own hypocrisy, he always offered only one excuse, the one the TV audience just knew was coming: “The devil made me do it!”

We all laughed, of course, because each of us saw ourselves in his silly skits. We’re all looking for a devil to blame.