So, the Pope has opened is sanctimonious pie-hole to lambaste the United States – again.

John Paul warned [a] group of U.S. prelates that American society is in danger of surrendering to a "soulless vision of life." […]

"Ambiguous moral positions, the distortion of reason by particular interest groups…are just some examples of a perspective of life which fails to seek truth itself and then abandons the search for the ultimate goal and meaning of human existence."

We are not sheep. We are not shallow. Our morality is not ambiguous. We are not swayed by "particular interest groups". This is our search for the ultimate goal and meaning of human existence. John Paul fought in opposition to those with a "soulless vision of life" when he confronted the horrors of Nazi Germany; he ought to know better than to compare the "soul" of American society to such a standard. While not without our faults, and certainly more than a little vain, America possesses a relentless passion for truth, compassion, and the betterment of mankind. On November 2, 2004, we'll prove it.

UPDATE: "What is the purpose of life? [...] To be the eyes and ears and conscience of the Creator of the Universe, you fool." - Kilgore Trout.