The Nine Most Devilish Men of All Time

Through out history there have been men who have taken wickedness to a whole new level. They have plagued mankind with their presence and ideas. There are various ways a man can be "devilish" and this list of nine are radically different. Why nine you ask? Because the devil and his minions do not do things in complete numbers. Plus . . . It makes you the reader more apt to remember this list as it is not just another top ten list. Here are the top nine "devilish" men of all time.

Adolf Hitler - This one is obvious. Not only does the man bare a large portion of the responsibility of the holocaust, but his very name has become a by word in modern tongues. Arguably there were other tyrants of the 20th century that could have made this list: Lenin, Mao, Pol Pot, and Stalin but one person had to represent all the dictators of the 20th century. It was around the time of his service in WWI that Hitler began to hear voices or rather "the Voice". Following the voices in his head he took a once prosperous and educated nation and had it commit suicide by attacking nations much larger than it.

Carl Marx - What do all the tyrants listed above have in common? One man: Carl Marx. If you have been in a cave for the last 150 years then be informed that Carl Marx is the founder of that insipid ideology known as communism. Grounded in dialectical materialism, with an atheistic orientation, this ideology when implemented in the world leads to oppression. Millions have been hurt or killed by the communist regimes of the 20th century.

Emperor Diocletian - The emperor's of Rome are known for their extremely bad behavior. As such, one of them must represent this throne of excess. Many persecuted Christians and Jews in the days following the crucifixion of Jesus, but Diocletian's was the last and most severe. Aside from persecuting Christians, the Roman empire conquered and oppressed many people groups around the world. In addition, the emperors of Rome were known for the licentious, sexual practices. Bad personal behavior as well as bad professional behavior that affects much of the world lands Diocletian on this list.

Anton Levay - One gets evil points for dressing up like the devil, founding the Satanic Church, and authoring the Satanic Bible. Also, it is difficult to determine if Anton actually believed everything he spouted or if some of it was a farce. Even though Levay did not influence the mainstream very much, he excelled in bravado. Honestly, how many men go so far as to fully embrace the dark side. Most at the very least feign some air of morality. The Satanic Bible says, "I am my own redeemer" . . . a truly devilish idea.

Aleister Crowley - At one time this man was called, "the wickedest man in the world". Crowley was a mystic and author during a time (the early 20th century) when spiritism was rampant in the western world. He was racist and sexist as well as sexually licentious. He allegedly had contact with spirits. Much of the resurgence in Majick and Paganism in the 20th and 21st centuries can be attributed to him. He is the founder of the ideology/religion called "Thelema". His most famous work is, The Book of the Law" contains the quote: Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

Hugh Hefner - It's no secret why this man is on this list. He is the man that did more than any other to legitimize pornography. He is also the only man living at the time this article was written. He is maligned by both the religious right and the feminist left - not an easy feat to accomplish. Make no mistake about it: "Heff" does not just like to see pictures of naked ladies. His "Playboy" magazine has a manifesto. How many skin magazines have one of those?

Friedrich Nietzsche - This European philosopher is famous for his quote "God is dead". Nietzsche was an ardent opponent of Christianity and religion in general. His philosophy is cynical (and sexist) and calls into question anything absolute. His writings furthered perspectivism and relativism. His writings influenced the Nazis a generation later (although there is debate if he was actually racist); the Nazi's especially liked his idea of an ubermensch. (overman). Towards the end of his life he went crazy but some wonder if he was not crazy from the start.

Pelagius - Not many people today know of this man. He was an ascetic preacher/teacher during the 4th and 5th centuries. In his personal life, Pelagius was considered a "saint" even by his most ardent opponent Bishop Augustine. However, his theology is the most devilish of all. He denied original sin and viewed the first man and the second man (Adam and Jesus) as merely providing a bad example and a good example to follow. Pelagius is often seen as the chief, or archetypal heretic. His teachings are especially dangerous as they sound righteous and were preached by a moral man; it is what is left out of Pelagian theology that makes it so damnable. Pelagius was condemned by the Council of Carthage in 418 A.D.

Woodrow Wilson - Have you ever heard the saying, "There are two sure things in life: death and taxes"? Woodrow Wilson may not be responsible for death, but at least in America, he is partially responsible for the creation of the federal income tax. Woodrow Wilson is a case in point that not all devils have horns, in fact may wear suits and attend church (he was a lifelong Presbyterian) . For about 130 years America flourished without having any federal income text. Rather than oppose the Revenue Act of 1913, he signed it into law. Since then taxes have increased exponentially along with the size of the federal government.

One of the grant ironies is that Wilson often spoke positively about freedom. He is quoted as saying:
"Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come form the subjects of government. The history of liberty is the history of resistance. The history of liberty is a history of the limitation of government power, not the increase of it." Yet this figure key was responsible for the creation of one of the most infernal systems to ever plague Americans - federal income tax.

It should be noted that under Wilson's administration blacks were barred from federal jobs and some were even fired from the jobs they already held. Also, under his administration the draft was reenacted and the first federal law prohibiting drugs (the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act) was passed. So much for freedom.

There you have this author's top nine list of the most devilish men of all time. Honorable mentions go to Don King and Charles Darwin though they weren't quite "evil" enough. I bet you never thought you would see Anton Levay and Woodrow Wilson on the same list.