The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-12-15
REALRELIGI0N
TO BASEDEATH
BY CASH TO KIN
Bible Text Held to Justify
Provision for Bereaved
When Home Head Dies
CHARITY ICY, SAYS HAM
Poor House and Orphange Not
Proper Place; He Would Sell
Policies if Not Preacher

Life inst rance is another form Of
religion, in the view of the Rev.
John w. Ham, who has been con-
Quoting evangelistic services at the
Presbyterian church here. 1t is
high-gra religion, he believes and.
Furthermore, it is sanctioned by text,
he holds, and by the story Of Joseph
and the famine in Egypt. In fact, ne
sees in the story of Joseph and the
famine that smotc the land Of the
Nile, the first life insurance organ
ization in the history Of the world.
The same kind Of provision as was
made to preserve Egypt from starv-
ing, he believes should be made for
loved ones by the heads of families,
so that when death strikes, it's sting
may not include imposition on kin,
the GOODNESS of tie poor house or the
family disruption of the Orphanage.
This provision, he told a congre-
cation at the Thursday evening serv-
ices at the Presbyterian church, is
assured if life insurance is carried.
If he were not a minister, he said,
he would be a life insurance agent,
for he would feel that he was per-
forming religious service when he
sold men protection for their fami-
lies after death. So, he said. insur-
ance in this life is as essential as
insurance for the life in the here
after. He sued as his text, Second
Kings, chapter 20, verse l: "Set your
house in order; for thou shalt die
and not live"
He said in part:
God Is For Pr0vidcr
"Some people object to hearing a
sermon that refers to death. They
do not want to consider the grim
realities of this inevitable expert
cnce. 1t is the solemn duty of
servant of God to warn men to pre-
pare for this issue. The task of
urging men to set their houses in or
der is not a pleasant one.
1.-THE prophet Isaiah came to King
Hezekiah with the message of my
text. His preaching was both per-
sonal and propketical. l do not in
tend to be personal, but l may be
prophetical. Someone in this city
may. before another day elapses, be
in eternity and therefore the wisdom
and necessity of making this plea.
There are some passages in the
Bible that are capable Of double
application. This text is one of that
kind. Set your house in order
literally applied in the material
realm, means making provision for
those dependent upon you. This
word provision includes property,
with the necessary legal safeguards
for those yea desire to benefit. God
is on the side of every man who
struggles to keep those dependent
upon him from becoming objects Of
charity. He is interested in the ma
terial prosperity of even the heath
en-, much less the Christian nations.
Story of Joseph Applied
"A monarch on the throne in
Egypt dreamed that he saw seven
fat calves coming up out of the river
Nile and consuming all of the grass
of the valley. This was followed by
seven lean calves who consumed the
seven tat calves. The dream was
upsetting to the monarch. He called
in his wise-men and requested an in
terpretatio. They failed to give a
satisfactory Interpretation. So
journing in Egypt at the time was
Joseph. He was called in to listen
to recital of the dream.
Joseph declared that Egypt was
in for period Of plenty that would
cover seven years. This would be fol-
lowed by period of famine of
equal length of time. The monarch
asked Joseph what measures should
be employed to meet the famine per-
iod and Joseph advised the setting
up of a federal life insurance COM
pany that required every citizen to
pay an annual premium of 20 per
cent gross of their incomes.
"This plan to the ruler seemed
sound in principle and sufficient in
volume to meet the emergency that
would come on later. He gave Or
ders for perfecting this organization
and Joseph, a brilliant Jew, was
made the first president of the first
life insurance company in the his
tory of the world.
I'VE read in Genesis, so there was
bread to eat in all the land Of
Egypt. If Joseph had not been on
the scene to suggest methods to pro-
tect Egypt, we would have read, so
the land Of Egypt was bleached with
bones Of the dead, because there was
no bread to cat God was on the
side Of the Egyptians.
Two Ways to Create Estate
There are Two ways of creating
an estate. One is by saving and in
vesting. That is splendid for the
man who is able to save and wisely
invest. It is so often true that the
salaried man or other worker finds
it not only difficult but well-nigh
impossible to invest in property. 1t
is just here that sound business
principles Is expressed in the life
insurance companies of the nation
step in and offer to assist man of
sound body and mind who is limited
IN income.
These companies do not exact for
such service the high premium rate
th9t Joseph requested. Egypt had
no reserve and, therefore, had to
put the rate very high. Old-line
companies have created reserves and
are thereby able to offer 1t : mini
mum. protection that is within reach
~ almost everyone.
The cheapest way to create m
estate = IN the ownership Of life
1e1nrance policy. Insurance is the
0G1hne bnsinos; IA the nation.
0uu1neos ID Unreliable
Fifty Per cent Of the business en-
terpyises Of the nation fail ct one
time a. another. Iighty-five per
cent ok the investments Of the nation
turn out Bad. especially in worthless
sot6eke. No such experience comes
~ - insurance business. No man
So - wrong IN this form Of invest
o1k
8 widow II New York was left
- 1state eonaprising stocks in 3S7