LIFE INSURANCE
an Article re-Printed in “The Gospel Banner”
of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ
March 2, 1916
pages 10-11
[ Read this Edition of The Gospel Banner ]
We have before us a four-page leaflet on the subject, “The Crime of not Insuring.” The first three pages are taken up in a reprint of an old sermon by T. Dewitt Talmage for which life insurance companies could well afford to pay him a princely sum for his valuable services. The last page contains reasons why the company issuing the circular should be the one patronized. While we had Talmage’s famous sermon in Life Insurance before, we confess that we were greatly impressed by reading the circular. These are some of our impressions:
1. The hypocrisy of companies and agents: – The burden of the circular in hand is to convince men that they are criminally neglecting their families by not having their lives insured. There is a seeming great concern for the poor widows and children, and not a word to indicate that this is simply an ingenious way of drawing custom. One might conclude that this is a great philanthropic organization being conducted at a great sacrifice for the benefit of the poor and needy – were it not for a few notable omissions.
We wonder: Why was there no mention made of the liberal commissions paid to agents and other promotors? of the princely salaries paid to officers? of the fact that only about two-fifths of the money paid to life insurance companies gets back to the policy holders; that large funds are paid lobbyists maintained to secure legislatives enactments favorable to life insurance; that in the United States over $20,000,000 finds its way annually from the pockets of the masses into coffers of rich corporations; that all companies are trying desperately to get all the trade they can and are not very scrupulous about how they get it; that no life insurance company could long exist by conducting business according to present methods were it not for the many who are persuaded to take out policies, are too poor to keep them up, and finding the burden too heavy allow their policies to lapse, losing all they put in? of the fact that those who most need charity – such as are not able to pass a physical examination or too poor to pay their initiation fees and premiums – are debarred from its privileges? It calls to mind the stinging rebuke which Peter administers to all who for gain pretend one thing while they have in mind another: “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not,” II Peter 2:3.
2. Their contempt for God’s promises to His own. – The promises of God to care for His own are many. He says: “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” “Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive: and let thy widows trust in me.” “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” Such promises are found in God’s Word by the scores; yet life insurance companies make it a business to make people feel unsafe until they are loaded down with policies that grind many poor people for the sake of doubtful aid after death. God says, “Let your widows trust in Me.” They say, “Let your widows trust in me.” By perverting Scripture and teaching people that they are unsafe without having their lives insured in some worldly company, they make void the promises of God and invite His curse upon people for taking flesh for their arm.
3. Bad business management. – We have already pointed out that only about two-fifths of the money paid to insurance companies finds its way back to the policy holders; that princely salaries are paid to the officers and liberal commissions given to agents; that notwithstanding lavish expenditures in various ways the leading life insurance companies of the United States clear of $200,000,000 annually at the expense of the people they are professing to help. Is this good business investment for the average investor? We are not denying that for some investors it is a great speculation; but the same is true of any gambling enterprise. Looking at it from a cold, business viewpoint alone we know that since only about two dollars out of five find their way back to the policy holder the average investor must lose. The tempting baits thrown out to make people bite at it makes the business all the more reprehensible.
4. The crime of insuring. – It is a sin against God, for it turns aside from His many promises to care for His own and prefers the doubtful protection offered by man. It is a sin against man, because it encourages the gambling spirit, and the system is possible only because of the many who through poverty are compelled to allow their policies to lapse, this enriching the rich at the expense of the poor. It is selfishness, in that few people would insure if they knew beforehand that they would pay in more than they or their beneficiaries would ever get out. It is a chance game, depending upon length of life as to whether the insured of the company is loser. It is next to blasphemy, in that worldly companies pretend to insure life when only God can add to our length of days. Directly or indirectly, it has been the cause of much domestic unhappiness and many premature deaths.
5. Give God a chance. – The reason why God is not more fully glorified in the lives of His people is because they do not give Him a chance. This is pre-eminently a materialistic age in which men walk by sight, not by faith. People have learned to prefer man to God in everything. The business maxims in God’s Word are ignored while man’s wisdom is man’s sole guide in business. Notwithstanding the many promises of God to care for His own, men do not feel safe until they have their lives and property mortgaged in insurance and their buildings staked down with lightning rods. While loud in their professions of love for peace, the nations feel unsafe without the protection of large armies and navies, even though it has been proven over and over again that these are fruitful sources of war. Putting our trust in men, taking flesh for our arm, the oldtime faith and trust in God has well nigh passed out of existence, so that God has little opportunity for showing what He would do in response to real, self-sacrificing faith, and the world is robbed of the privilege of witnessing the glory of God as manifested in the life of and His care for His people. Again we say, Give God a chance; and He will give you abundant reasons why your faith and trust in Him is not bestowed in vain.
– Gospel Herald (Old Mennonite). [NOTE: this means the article is a re-print from their newspaper, the Gospel Herald. It isn’t related to our evangelists, the Gospel Heralds. ]
From Our History of the Quakertown Church:
“By 1878 rule of the preachers’ conference had come completely under the control of men who came out of the Upper Milford congregation as had Jonas Musselman. The conference passed a resolution that no one could be a member of the conference who owned a life insurance policy. All members were given until October of 1878 to relinquish their association with their life insurance company or be removed from the preachers’ conference. The record says that William N. Shelly and Henry Diehl of Quakertown chose their life insurance company and therefore they were stricken from the roll of preachers. Now, of the three original men from Quakertown among the seven founders of the EMS, only Joseph B. Schneider remained.” (Quakertown: Celebrating 150 Years of God’s Faithfulness by C. Robert Roth)
From the June 1878 Semi-Annual Conference:
6. RESOLVED: That we add to our doctrine the following: it shall not be allowed, for preachers or members of our denomination to hold a life insurance policy.
7. RESOLVED: That, since some brethren hold life insurance policies, they shall have time until the next Conference (the first Monday in October, 1878) to think about whether they will give up this life insurance or not. (Second Meeting of the June 1878 Semi-Annual Conference of the Evangelical Mennonite Society)
From the October 1878 Semi-Annual Conference:
11. It was decided that the resolution made at the last Conference which was held in Quakertown, Bucks County, shall continue to stand in full force in regard to life insurance policies, as an addition to our Doctrine of Faith. According to this resolution, those who had taken refuge in the insurance companies had time until this Conference to reconsider and leave the company or to forfeit membership in our denomination in the future. Brother33 stood up publicly and said, with, tears, he would leave the life insurance company and put his trust in God and God’s children. However, the preachers, Brethren William N. Shelly and Henry Diehl from Quakertown, do not want to leave the life insurance company and do not want to submit it to this resolution. Consequently in the future they shall not be considered members of our denomination or conference. (Second Meeting of the October 1878 Semi-Annual Conference of the Evangelical Mennonite Society)
From the 1882 General Conference:
Whereas, we believe that taking out life insurance policies is contrary to the spirit and teaching of Christianity (Acts 20:24; 1 Tim. 4:8, etc.) therefore
Resolved, That any person so doing shall have no place among us. (1882 General Conference of the Evangelical United Mennonites)
From the 1896 Annual Conference:
WHEREAS, We realize the great evils around us of life insurance, therefore
Resolved, That we believe that the article on life insurance in our Discipline includes every description of the same. (1896 Annual Conference of the Pennsylvania District of Mennonite Brethren in Christ)
From the 1897 Doctrines and Disciplines:
SECTION XIV. LIFE INSURANCE.
Believing that taking out life insurance policies is contrary to the spirit and teachings of Christianity (Jer.49: 11; 1 Tim. 4: 8, etc.), no member shall be permitted to have his life insured. (1897 Doctrines and Disciplines of the MBC)
From the 1912 General Conference:
Resolved, That Sec. XIV of the General Rules in the Discipline be erased and the following inserted:
“Believing the holding of Life Insurance is not in harmony with the spirit and teaching of the scriptures, we will not receive any one into the ministry under Quarterly or Annual Conference License, neither permit any one to hold the office of deacon, S. S. Supt., class leader, steward, or trustee, who has his own or some one else’s life insured. Matt. 6:19-21-25; Eph. 4:28.
…
The Committee of Wording and Arrangement of Discipline reports as follows:
We advise that the following scripture references be added to the section on Life Insurance in the Discipline: 2 Cor. 6:17-18; 1 Thess. 5:22; Psa. 37:1-3, 24-25; Matt. 6: 25-34; Mark 10:29, 30; Psa. 22:4, 5; 31:19; 118:8; Rom. 12:2; I John 2:15-17; Jer. 17:5; Coll. 3:1-3; Phil. 3: 20; Jer. 49:11; Jas. 1:27. (1912 General Conference of the MBC)
NOTICE: the change from 1897 which said “no member” to 1912 which said no leader. It is into that recent change that the 1916 article was printed in our newspaper.