Why else is it called grounding?

http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/magic-story.html

Joking aside, even if this were running to the literal ground, it would probably still be wired incorrectly. As I understand it, ground is supposed to be bonded to neutral at the service. Running ground to the earth could end up being dangerous.

I'm not an electrician, though. If you aren't either, you should get one to at least check your setup.