RELIGION AND LIFE INSURANCEIn a prior post, we talked about how conventional wisdom cautions against mixing politics and religion with business – but that in truth, these two topics are highly influential on business, and really should be discussed. Of course, there is a right way to do so.
That article pointed out the impact of politics on the life insurance consumer. Today, we will relate how religion has an equal – if not greater – impact on the purchase of a policy.
Here goes: how do you feel about dying?
BOOM! Some question, isn’t it? Who wants to talk about their death? In today’s society, that event is the furthest thing from the mind of many people. They would rather think about ANYTHING else. It’s just not part of their programming.
The thing is, death is part and parcel of the world view of traditional and native people. It is part of the “circle of life.” For the Jewish nation, the reality of our mortality is faced head-on as we observe the Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur this time of year. We accept that we – and all people – are the creation of the Creator, and are governed by His laws.
His laws include the demise of every living being. So, we each need to make ourselves worthy of the short life He has given us. I am sure you will find that other nations who believe in One God have a similar perspective.
The fact of the matter is that the imperative to make your life meaningful, is a driving force behind the purchase of life insurance. People want to be remembered as a caring, generous person. They want their lives to have made a difference in this world, for the better. They take out a policy so that even when they die, their family can keep growing; their business can thrive; their favorite charities or causes can continue their good work.
They make their death – their actual moving on from this life – a meaningful and important event, because that is when the insurance benefit is paid out to those they love and care for.
I see this act of benevolence as being extremely “religious” in nature. Some people do it per the mandates of a formal religion. Others buy policies per “spiritual” teachings, or simply as an act of love, or of responsibility.
Even those people who buy life insurance for “purely” legal or financial reasons – such as to qualify for a business loan, or per the dictates of a divorce decree – are “doing the right thing.” They are taking care of their obligations.
Believe it or not, that itself is a “religious” act. For if you take a look at the world around us – at all the societies that are anti-religion; who erase God from their lives; who let the government determine “right and wrong” – you can see they have no sense of obligation at all; no accountability to anyone but themselves. They think they run the world.
And they run it into the ground.
Those of us who care about life do just the opposite. We work for a better,. more promising future. We do the things that show we care.
And that includes buying life insurance.