American elections are just so much entertainment.

As I write this, the Republican National Convention is winding down. The Democrats had the theater of Obama and the Republicans had the zest of Palin. And the pro-life, pro-family, Evangelical, American Catholic crowd was wowed by Palin while the secular, liberals, African-Americans, working guys and gals were wowed by Obama. Both camps were filled with a love of comfort, a love of show, a love of entertainment, a love of novelty, and a love of this thing called American. They all feel that something different, that a change, that victory, that something of historic proportions -- was about to happen. They are wrong.

The country is plunged into World War IV and we do not know when it will end. There are 30 million plus in poverty and the numbers keep growing. Health care is unavailable to tens of millions and the rolls of the uninsured grow. Racism flourishes and is approved by the Government. Abortion kills more than 3,500 per day and shows no sign of abating. Euthanasia is on the rise as families are squeezed. The family itself keeps disintegrating. Income and wages decline while business executives are voted tens of millions of dollars in bonuses. Gasoline is at an outrageous price and oil companies make record profits. We’re told the environment is in a mess and the little guy has to fix it. Hollywood and the other cultural centers spew out their sewage that corrupts and ruins lives thereby making all of us less secure. The value of our houses is declining but the taxes keep going up. The poor get poorer. The rich get richer. And the rich get more powerful.

The problems in this country will only worsen regardless of who is elected. That’s because the real issues in America are foundational. As Pope Leo XIII wrote in 1878: "A religious error is the main root of all social and political evils." The construct known as America is, and has been since its founding, based on grave errors with the primacy of man, and rebellion against God and His order, as the most fundamental.

We see the bitter, deadly fruit of these errors in bloom today. It is most noted in the poverty, the continuing world war, the killing of the innocents and the weak and the defenseless. But this evil harvest can be found in what so many lives, and souls, are suffering: insecurity, fear, anger, resentment, hopelessness, isolation, confusion, emptiness, lack of meaning, sorrow, and endless pointless exhausting toil.

The United States is missionary country. Americans at all levels must be taught that the purpose of this life is to know, love, and serve God, so that we may be with Him in the next life. The suffering we all experience can be made meaningful if we join our suffering selves to Christ crucified. We can change, or re-orient, our lives, regardless of our past, to live in accordance with His will. And society itself, with the economic, political, and cultural systems, is to be structured and organized to encourage, and help us to live, virtuous lives so that we may attain heaven after death. The only church founded by Jesus Christ, and with thousands of years of study and holy inspiration, only the Roman Catholic Church has the fullness of the truth on just how to do all of this.

The problems of America will be remedied only by conversion to the One, True Faith. It is time for Holy Mother Church to again send forth her loyal children to convert the inhabitants of this land.