Evil is in the World It is a Reality

The Twenty First Century in the United States, known as the “greatest nation in the world,” has left those Catholics who truly believe in God puzzled and disturbed. The American culture is loaded with false truths and harmful ideals which have led many astray from God. The importance of glory and fame, materialism, money, and the power of science and technology have exploded to create a monstrous society, a culture consumed by evil. Many people in this day and age give little thought to the importance of faith, let alone the reality that evil exists and is a deadly plague which continues to destroy the lives of Americans. The majority of Americans claim that they believe in God, this most certainly is true. However, the God they believe in and center their lives around, is not the Creator of Heaven and Earth. In American culture, religion has become the worship of ideals and false truths. Evil has been the stronghold which has snatched Americans from authentic love and the truth, namely Jesus Christ.
Evil is all around and fills the world we live in. All one has to do is read the newspaper or turn on the television and this dangerous force cannot be missed. However, the American culture which is consumed by evil has turned its cheek from reality, the fact that the world is a complete disaster. One of the most influential factors which has brought about and given way to the “Evil Empire” (America) is modernity. Modernity can be explained as the devil’s advocate as it has continuously pulled Americans away from their faith in God, the importance of religion, and the truth. Modernity has developed the idea that humans are individuals, de-emphasizing the significance that God made us to be people who live in a community of love. More and more emphasis has been placed on the self and the notion of what “I” want to do, not what is best for society as a whole. As a result of the American culture forming into a mass of individuals, there has been a complete separation and isolation that essentially has led to destruction. Americans become isolated from one another because of the “children of modernity,” things such as materialism, wealth, fame, and science/technology, and thus Americans have been ultimately separated from God.
It blows the minds of those truly devout Catholics to think that our American currency states, “In God We Trust.” America would be an entirely different country if this were indeed true. Unfortunately, God is very hard to find in the society in which we live. Nevertheless, the God or Gods that many Americans worship are ever present and found on a daily basis. Most Americans work hard to acquire material goods, things that they believe will make them happy. A common idea is that the more “stuff” I have the happier I will become. This obviously is a false notion, an example of how evil and modernity has corrupted the minds and souls of individuals. Nowadays who strives to live the humble life? Instead, American culture demands that individuals seek glory and fame. People forget that money is a resource and blessing from God, which if used properly could change the world and improve the human situation. Yet, in America money is a god which is worshipped and glorified because it is falsely believed to be able to gain happiness and hope for people. A prime example of this is the title of a recent rap album by super star 50 Cent which states, “Get Rich or Die Trying.” Why can’t people see that Christ is not present, and cannot be present, in such an evil and dark society?
Furthermore, science and technology have stolen Americans away from their Creator, as there are more evil distractions now during the Twenty First Century than ever before. Not many people question the legitimacy of science, usually only those such as Catholics who have a deep and authentic faith in God. Why is it that people tend to so easily believe whatever society tells them, rather than acknowledging that God is the “X Factor” who allows for the created world to develop by means of evolution? It is mind boggling that Americans do not have enough time to go to Church, that is spend less than an hour per week with the one (God) who loves, sustains, and blesses them constantly. Yet, Americans always have the time to text- message, talk on the phone, IM, and Facebook others numerous hours each day. This leaves Catholics in America with the question, “Where is God present in this country?” Murder, prostitution, drug usage, mass consumption of alcohol, and the like have warped the minds of Americans and kept them from knowing and loving God the Father who so graciously wants to save them from destruction. The Gospel of Luke (Luke 16:13) tells us that "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (money)."
If Americans would merely listen and not ignore the Catholic approach to life the society we live in would not be so constrained by the evil forces of the world, for in Christ there is true hope and salvation for all. Devout Catholics understand that the only way to combat evil is by means of peace, brotherly love, and unselfishness. In order to overcome temptation, sin, and the falsehood of the American culture, one must place his/her full trust in God, work to live together in community as people with others, and live life by facing reality to make changes in what is a dark world. Catholics in America face a great obstacle, this being the negative influence of culture. However, those who stay strong by keeping the faith and do not lose heart in doing good, will in due time reap the harvest if they do not grow weary (Galatians 6:9). Salvation is available to all, as God calls all of His people to spend eternity with Him. Although this is the truth, Americans have overlooked this grace and have been so clouded by the dominating modern culture that God is no longer in the forefront of their minds. As a result, the kind of hope that St. Jude gave to Catholic women during the Twentieth Century is no longer being realized by many in America who have fallen by the wayside, losing all connection with God. Maybe there is a reason why the cross in the Protestant Church has no Christ on it. The American culture has portrayed that Jesus has disappeared or is no longer present in society. It is not a question of whether God and His Son Jesus Christ have left America, but the reality that America no longer desires to acknowledge the “way, the truth, and the life”(John 14:6) in a world which they have manufactured—one full of sinfulness, darkness and death.
In conclusion, modernity and the evil factors in the world have extinguished and destroyed the importance of God in America. The American culture has acted as the devil’s “poster child,” leading people astray like sheep being led to the slaughter. For faithful Catholics in the United States it is extremely difficult to witness so many Americans falling off the road to eternal life, which God had paved for all by means of the ultimate expression of love that Christ lived out on the cross. There is no doubt that the gospel of Matthew is accurate in stating that “For many are invited, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). Until American culture changes from a society that is plagued by modernity, being filled with selfishness and greed, many will remain blinded from the truth. These Americans may never see the true light of the world—Jesus Christ, the one who can lead all to triumph over evil and gain true life.