Insurance

Insurance is not a replacement for God.

The earliest life insurance policies can be traced to ancient Roman burial clubs, which covered the cost of internment for members, and even paid small sums to their families. The first life insurance company in America was set up in the 1700’s by the Presbyterian Synod of Philadelphia for ministers and their families. Although astronomer Edmund Halley is best known for the comet that bears his name, his pioneering work on the first mortality table in 1683 set the groundwork for sliding age premiums used in life insurance policies to this day.
Over the centuries, societies became less fatalistic and more eager to eliminate any form of risk. As a result, the insurance industry expanded to cover anything and everything people were willing to pay for with higher and higher premiums.
With the explosion of lawyers in the late 20th Century, the frequency of lawsuits, coupled with jury awards beyond all logic or responsibility, have made liability Insurance common practice for many businesses.
And so we place our trust in paper and premiums, hoping they will somehow shield us from a world of sorrows.
* You are purchasing a downloadable PDF file of a copy-written document.