Commitment Card Form - St. Peter: Fill & Download for Free

The main issue was the peddling of Indulgences, receipts purchased to reduce folks stay in Purgatory after they died. It forgave the amount of sins committed in a lifetime, sort of get out of jail free card.The Indulgences were sold for a person's family members and even for those who had died already. This gets them to heaven faster. And Indulgences were a complete scam. To raise money to build St Peter's Cathedral in Rome.Martin Luther believed the forgiveness of sins was free for all. But this also challenged the Pope’s authority to authorize such a theological system.For his challenges he was fired as a University Professor of Old Testament, excommunicated from the Catholic Church, and given an outlaw warrant dead or alive.

This is my article published in Merinews...Modi government believes in ‘reform to transform’ and it is happening'Reform to transform' is my goal”, PM Modi reiterated while addressing the Economic Times global business summit on Friday 29th January 2016.“True reforms are those which result in transformation in the lives of citizens,” PM Modi remarked.Reform means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory etc. Considering the years of misrule of Congress led UPA, ‘to reform’ is now a full time job for the PM as all sectors such as economic, social, educational, governance etc. require reform badly for the nation to move forward. Congress made the nation paralyzed and Modi wants to induce new life through a series of reforms.Transformation means ‘to change (something) completely and usually in a good way’. What Modi meant by ‘reform to transform’ is that he intends to improve the quality of life of all Indian citizens through reforms in all sectors. The good news is it is happening.Subsidy gets a new lookSubsidies play an important role in the minds of people. Ask Kejriwal, he will give an account of how subsidies can help in winning elections. Since independence, the successive governments have given subsidies on many things just for the appeasement of the electorate to win their votes. The money thus expended is recovered by some other means which basically proves the concept of ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’. This expression refers to times before the Reformation when Church taxes had to be paid from St. Paul's church in London and to St. Peter's church in Rome. Subsidy does not transform lives, it is only a gimmick.“I believe that there cannot be any ideological position on matters related to subsidy. We have to be pragmatic. There is a need to eliminate bad subsidies”, PM Modi said.His appeal to give up LPG subsidy motivated more than 65 lakhs people to give up voluntarily. Then LPG subsidy is denied to those earning more than 10 Lakh rupees in a year."Some subsidies are necessary to protect the poor and the needy. Hence my aim is not to eliminate subsidies but to rationalize and target the poor." Modi said.The repercussion of such a reform is that it enables genuine beneficiaries to get the benefits while eliminating those who are spurious.After LPG, the next commodity is kerosene which is hugely subsidized and misused. PM Modi had begun a pilot project in 33 districts who will sell kerosene at market price and the difference between the market price and subsidized price shall go the bank account of the beneficiary. The universal access to banking through the Jan Dhan Yojana has enabled plugging of huge leakages in subsidies. Therefore like LPG, where subsidies are now directly transferred to bank accounts of users thereby eliminating multiple and bogus connections. We will see elimination of spurious kerosene consumers and corruption thereof limiting the benefits to the needy only. Kerosene quotas were stopped for 42,000 families who already had gas connections.In order to get the support of states for its implementation, the central government passes 75% of the savings on to the states. A master stroke indeed.People like Kejriwal will laugh at the idea of eliminating subsidies, but true transformation cannot happen unless it is done. If quality of life of people improves, they will gladly pay for the commodity without subsidy and live a life of self-esteem.Economic reformsSince assuming power, PM Modi had done a series of economic reforms that gave us dividends. India contributed 7.4% of global GDP in terms of purchasing power terms and 12.5% (68% more than its share) to global growth. FDI in India has increased by 39 per cent in the last 18 months at a time when global FDI has fallen due to economic slowdown in trading. India saw increase in growth with decrease of fiscal deficit, balance of payment deficit, and inflation during the last four quarters."While there is economic stagnation in many parts of the world, India has been the fastest growing large economy during the last four quarters,” PM Modi said with a hint of satisfaction.Economic reforms will certainly transform India, no doubt about it.Governance"If a government is progressive, non-corrupt and efficient in administration, the biggest beneficiaries are the poor. Poor governance hurts the poor more than it hurts others. Therefore, improved governance is as important as economic reform," PM Modi said.Good governance essentially means elimination of unnecessary controls and distortions and efficiency in allocation of resources as well as creation of opportunities for citizens to progress.Good governance resulted in elimination of double counted and ineligible pensioners which reduced the outgo of government funds by 12% without affecting the poor in any way. The subsidized urea was always a tool for corruption. To check its diversion the below-market priced nutrient is neem-coated now.BJP as a party is known for good governance and PM Modi is a champion in this regard. So far there has not been a single allegation against Modi government on corruption. A non-corrupt and efficient government like Modi’s will surely transform India.Environmental reformsPM Modi is committed to reduce our nation’s environmental footprint. The LED initiative has already shown results, both in reducing the peak load demand and environmental footprint. By 2030, 40% of India's electric power capacity will be from non-fossil fuel like solar, wind, tidal etc. Additional carbon sink of over 2.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent shall be built by creating additional forest cover."We are committed to reducing the emission intensity of our GDP by 33 per cent by 2030 even while growing at a fast pace. For a country which is already at a very low base of per capita emission, this is a very ambitious target," PM Modi said.Development wheel is movingPM said that he is targeting 10,000km of highway projects this year, a leap from 3,500-km awarded in 2013-14 under the previous UPA regime. Over 200 million unbanked people have been brought under the banking system under the Jan Dhan Yojana and these accounts today have a balance exceeding Rs 30,000 crore. ‘Make in India’ initiative provides job opportunities. Indian Railways already have a new look and bullet train is coming. 4000 villages deprived of electricity since time immemorial now got electricity and more to follow.Focus on farmersIn addition to the commitment of MSP (minimum support price), a new and comprehensive program of crop insurance has been introduced and soil health cards issued to farmers.The list of reforms undertaken by PM Modi is a long one and cannot be written in a short article. What is important is he is undertaking reforms to transform India.True transformation occurs when there is an improvement in the quality of life of citizens. The previous Congress governments since independence always focused on improving their own life standards by making the poor suffer. No wonder why Modi had to say during election campaign, “I will have to fill the potholes created by 60 years of Congress misrule”. True to his words, he is plugging all loopholes one after the other keeping the interest of the poor in his mind.Despite leg-pulling by Congress led opposition using manufactured issues of intolerance and discrimination thereby stalling the parliament and defaming the government, I am astonished how PM Modi is successful in achieving his vision to transform India.Taking a measure as a reform is immediate, but transformation takes time. But it happening. Patience is a virtue which we need to demonstrate and continue to support Modi.Today I can safely say, ‘Good days are knocking at the door’.

Disclaimer: None of the examples I give should be interpreted as attacks on specific religions, since I hold them all in equal contempt. I am an atheist and, hence will group religion and superstition under the same banner, since they are both supported by equal amounts of evidence, which is to say - NONE. Anyone who contends that religion != superstition is free to submit their reasoning to the jokes column of their local newspaper.For me personally, the very fact that something is a pack of lies is reason enough to combat it. However, most people prefer to completely ignore something unless it harms them personally. This kind of apathy is what allows the things I have described below to happen. I could go on and on about how religion and superstition harm people and the world. I will restrict myself to 5 points. I will try to give examples from both India as well as from around the world.Superstitions can kill.I am sure we have all heard stories about the death cults which commit mass suicides. But I will start off with a recent example from Poland.Page on DailymailA schoolgirl has killed herself because she was desperate to be reunited with her dead father in heaven. Maria Kislo, 12, was discovered hanging in her room by her mother Monika, 35, when she went to read her a bedtime story. Next to the tragic youngster's body was a short note saying: 'Dear Mum. Please don't be sad. I just miss daddy so much, I want to see him again.'Filling the minds of small children with lies can cause them to do things like this. Religious parents paint heaven as wonderful and desirable, and this world as flawed and filled with pain. This may very well be interpreted by young, impressionable children as a reason to commit suicide. Ironically, the punishment for suicide in the Abrahamic faiths is hell. Guess she won't be seeing her daddy anytime soon.A quick search brings up 2 recent cases from India.Three arrested for human sacrifice bid in BengalAccording to police, Samrat Maal, seeking to resolve marital discord, had approached the woman, who told him that a resolution of his problems was possible if tantric rituals that required the head of a human being were performed. Maal was also told that Saturday was an auspicious day for human sacrifice, being Kali Puja day.11 arrested for Narainpur human sacrifice - India - dnaPolice said the 53-year-old labourer identified as Jawaharlal Mora was killed on Thursday allegedly by other labourers who suspected him to be practising witchcraft at Kalabil Basti of Narainpur Tea Garden of the district. The man, who was blamed for the various illnesses being suffered by the people of the area, was buried at Kalabil near the tea garden after some rituals to appease the gods. Blaming Mora of practicing witchcraft, arrested woman Rita Mora has alleged that Mora with his 'evil power' had paralyzed her husband, while another woman Radhamoni has claimed black magic by him had made her relative ill. The third arrested woman Kunjabati was also convinced that Mora was the reason for her son's illness.This is the same mentality that caused the witch hunts in Europe and America. Gullible, illiterate, misinformed people latch on to convenient targets to vent their anger at life's unfairness. The moment someone believes in black magic, all logic and reason go out of the window.Superstition undermines the healthcare and medical system.This ties into my previous point. In India, we have all heard cases of children being taken to the temples to be prayed over when they fall sick, instead of being taken to the doctor for treatment. However, we have an inherently screwed healthcare system, so superstitions do not really have much to work with as far as undermining goes.There are several christian denominations that reject medicine. They include Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Scientists and the Amish (a Mennonite sect). In some cases, they only reject "invasive" procedures like blood transfusions and surgeries. In other cases, they reject ALL medicine, believing that prayer is the only righteous way to achieve healing. This is one of the most disgusting cases.Faith-Healing Parents Arrested for Death of Second Child : DNewsHerbert and Catherine Schaible belong to a fundamentalist Christian church that believes in faith healing. They lost their 8-month-old son, Brandon, last week after he suffered from diarrhea and breathing problems for at least a week, and stopped eating. Four years ago, another son died from bacterial pneumonia. That boy, a two-year-old named Kent, died after the Schaibles refused to take him to the doctor when he became sick, relying instead on faith and prayer. The couple were convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years on probation. In the latest tragedy, they told police that they prayed for God to heal Brandon instead of taking him to a doctor when he fell ill. Officials said that an autopsy will be performed on the child, and depending on those results the parents may be charged with a crime. The couple attend, and have taught at, Philadelphia’s First Century Gospel Church, which cites Biblical scripture favoring prayer and faith over modern medicine. Other religions, including Followers of Christ Church, Christian Scientists, and Scientology, have doctrines that prohibit or discourage modern medicine and therapeutic interventions.If that does not turn your stomach, nothing will. But it raises an important point, which is examined by Sean Faircloth in his excellent book Attack of the Theocrats. In it, he devotes an entire chapter to the ways in which religious dogma cause people to abandon medicine. He gives examples to show that most often, small children are the victims of this kind of neglect. He also asserts that religious exemptions from health laws are dangerous.Attack of the Theocrats!: A Review and an Interview with Author Sean FairclothMore than ten states allow federally funded, unlicensed religious child-care facilities. Depending on the state, this can mean that some of these religious child-care facilities are exempt from a broad range of health and safety laws. Others are offered fewer exemptions, but the real question is why would any exemption exist at all, particularly when the safety of children is at stake?EDIT: Added video. Contains graphic descriptions of physical harm.Superstition allows "spiritual" figures to have their way with.... just about anyone.I hardly need to list out the various sex scandals that spiritual leaders like Asaram Bapu, Swami Nityananda get into.Asaram Bapu raped teen, aides helped organise the crime, says policeCondoms, drugs and secret contracts... the story of why Nithyananda is in troubleOf course, the most widespread and egregious occurrence of this type is the widespread abuse of children by priests. They are viewed as the trustworthy elders of the community, who can do no wrong. Children are unlikely to speak up against such figures, and are told to hold their tongues even when they do.Catholic sex abuse casesCases have also been brought against members of the Catholic hierarchy who did not report sex abuse allegations to the legal authorities. It has been shown they deliberately moved sexually abusive priests to other parishes where the abuse sometimes continued. This has led to a number of fraud cases where the Church has been accused of misleading victims by deliberately relocating priests accused of abuse instead of removing them from their positions. As recently as 2011 Fr Curtis Wehmeyer was allowed to work as a priest despite many people having reported concern about his sexual compulsion and suspicious behavior with boys. Wehmeyer was employed as a priest without proper background checks. Wehmeyer was later convicted of sexually abusing two boys. After Wehmeyer's arrest there are complaints the responsible clergy were more concerned with how to spin the story in a favorable light than in helping victims.The question is WHY? Why do people, especially women, get into those situations? I quote here a paragraph from one of my own blog posts.The Genesis EquationPart of the problem is our own culture. We are brought up to instinctively deify “Gurus” and elders and teachers; taught to be silent and respectful around them, and to never question or contradict anything that they do or say. This allows god men an impenetrable armor of social acceptance and support, and exempts them from the even cursory critical scrutiny their target audience would, and indeed, does subject everyone else to.Their subversion of laws extends beyond the bedroom, which brings us to my next point.Superstition separates fools from their wealth.This is actually the least serious of my points. I don't really give a damn about the victims. Anyone that stupid totally deserves to be ripped off. But here are a few examples.ISKCON battling fraud, conspiracy charges‘Tantrik’ arrested for cheating family of over Rs 1 lakh'Tantrik' jailed for cheating woman, outraging her modestyThese are actually small fry. In the USA, mega churches run by people like Joel Osteen and televangelists like Joyce Meyer rip off gullible people en masse, taking in hundreds of millions of dollars.Defending success and fame: Joel Osteen says he is keeping the faithMeyer's $57 million evangelism empire - St. Louis Business JournalHere is one criticism of their brand of faith. Ironically, the writer is a preacher himself. One part of it is about their financial practises.Why I Called Out Joel Osteen and Joyce MeyerBut there is a line to how much money we as leaders should spend on ourselves. I don’t know where the line is, but it is somewhere before the ministry purchasing million dollar homes for us and our kids. That line is somewhere before purchasing us a $10 million private jet. The line is somewhere before the ministry spending $261, 498 for 68 pieces of furniture. That equates to $3,845.56 per item. That line is somewhere before spending so egregiously that the U.S. Senate investigates us. Joyce Meyer lands on the other side of that line.This is, of course, completely separate from the thriving merchandise industry. Earlier, it used to be nails from the cross of Jesus, finger bones of St. Peter etc. These days, there is a flourishing industry in "Healing crystals", Pyramids etc. In India, we hear of "Ek mukhi Rudraksh" and "Panch dhatu anghuti" (rings made of 5 metals) and pendants with 12 semi precious stones etc being peddled by quacks like Bejan Daruwalla.This industry is part of the astrology camp, along with things like spirit communication, palmistry, tarot cards etc. Almost every newspaper carries daily horoscopes. These things have been debunked over and over again. People like James Randi, and Narendra Nayak and Sanal Edamaruku in India, do their best to fight this particular brand of irrationality. Sadly, it appears that their success has been minimal.EDIT: Feng Shui also comes under this category. People sometimes spend lakhs on feng shui experts to make their house "feng shui compliant", and to make sure that "positive energy" is flowing. This sometimes results in completely wacky usage of space and placement of furniture. The latest trend is for prospective buyers to bring along the expert when house hunting. In fact, it is now standard for builders to consult with these quacks while the building is being designed.In India, we need to have a "puja" for every tiny occurrence. When we move into a new house, when we purchase a new car, on every festival - big or small, at marriages and births and deaths. Certain car showrooms have even started employing in-house priests to suck out some more money from the newly "cashtrated" customer.It harms our education system and fills our children's heads with lies.This is a recent one. I ROFLed when I heard it, since I thought it was a spoof story. No such luck.NCERT textbook says meat-eaters lie and commit sex crimes"The strongest argument that meat is not essential food is the fact that the Creator of this Universe did not include meat in the original diet for Adam and Eve. He gave them fruits, nuts and vegetables," reads a chapter entitled Do We Need Flesh Food? The chapter details the "benefits" of a vegetarian diet and goes on to list "some of the characteristics" found among non-vegetarians. "They easily cheat, tell lies, forget promises, they are dishonest and tell bad words, steal, fight and turn to violence and commit sex crimes," it says. The chapter, full of factual inaccuracies, refers to Eskimos (Inuit) as "lazy, sluggish and short-lived", because they live on "a diet largely of meat". It adds: "The Arabs who helped in constructing the Suez Canal lived on wheat and dates and were superior to the beef-fed Englishmen engaged in the same work."This is actually not the most serious example of this kind of nonsense. Powerful, well funded groups with vested interest have been attempting to undermine the educational systems of various nations, and insert religious material into textbooks. The most famous case of this was Kitzmiller vs Dover District School board, chronicled in an excellent NOVA Documentary by PBS. It is available for viewing on Youtube.EDIT: Added Video.Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on TrialThe school board of Dover, a small rural town in Pennsylvania, passed a policy in which biology teachers in Dover Area High School must read a disclaimer regarding evolution, stating that it is not fact and contains gaps in evidence. It then pointed them to a set of books advocating intelligent design, called Of Pandas and PeopleMore recently, there has been controversy of the same sort in Texas.Creationists Stomp on Texas Textbook ScienceIn 2009 the state science standards were weakened, with clearly Biblically based beliefs behind the effort. In 2010 the BoE approved revisionist history in the textbooks (including apologetics for Joseph McCarthy, in case you were wondering just how ridiculous this stuff gets). In 2011 Texas creationists tried to get religious supplemental materials inserted into classes but lost. It goes on and on, and all the while they've been picking away at science and reality.For anyone wanting more information on how strategically religious groups attack educational systems, I recommend Katherine Stewart's excellent book The Good News Club.