The sin of insurance should be somewhat familiar to ex-JWs.
Insurance and ChristiansDoes a Christian who trusts in God's help and anticipates the end of the system of things need insurance? Back in the year 1910, some posed this question to Charles Taze Russell, editor of the magazine now known as The Watchtower, companion magazine to Awake! Russell acknowledged that the Bible foretells the end of the present economic system, adding that personally he carried no life insurance.
"Nevertheless all are not situated alike," Russell observed. "A father having dependent wife and children-if the latter be of tender years and unable to make their own living-has some responsibility for them." (1 Timothy 5:8) A man might set aside funds to provide for his family, Russell noted. "But in case he could not do this, he might be able to discharge his duty toward them through the medium of life insurance."
from http://www.watchtower.org/library/g/2001/2/22/article_02.htm
Organizations for Mutual Benefit, etc. We are living in a day of organization, and it must be admitted that some of these have been and are truly wise and beneficial arrangements. Insurance companies of every kind are, of course, on a commercial footing, not, strictly speaking, philanthropic. They are endeavors on the part of humanity to bridge over the uncertainties and difficulties of the present life--to make provision ahead for death and its calamitous results in the affairs of dependent ones. We need not go into descriptions or details respecting the various kinds of insurance, but may say at once that it is purely a matter of business judgment, and not a religious question, whether or not the Lord's people shall avail themselves of insurance opportunities. We have known circumstances in which we consider that the father of a family did wisely in keeping an insurance policy for the benefit of his wife and children. Especially is this a wise course where the wife is not in sympathy with Present Truth and the husband's views respecting the near future, and when she desires insurance as a protection and as a rest and relief to her mind. If the husband's judgment in any considerable degree coincides with that of his wife, we think he would do well to maintain such insurance. We are not advocating insurance, and as for the writer, he carries none. We are merely pointing out that nothing in the Scriptures is designed to govern or regulate the conduct of New Creatures in this respect, and that each must use his own judgment in harmony with his own peculiar conditions in deciding the matter. According to our expectations the stress of the great time of trouble will be on us soon, somewhere between 1910 and 1912--culminating with the end of the "Times of the Gentiles," October, 1914. The beginning of the severity of the trouble is not distinctly marked in the Scriptures, and is rather conjectural. We infer that so great a trouble, so world-wide a catastrophe, could scarcely be accomplished in less than three years, and that if it lasted much more than three years "no flesh would be saved." In harmony with these anticipations we expect that when the financial storm shall sweep over Christendom, business and banks and insurance and property values will all go down together; that this, indeed, will constitute a serious feature of the trouble, carrying dismay and chagrin to hearts which have nothing else to rest upon--no heavenly treasures. It is very reasonable to assume that what are called the fraternal insurance societies will fall before the regular companies, because the former are without capital, and depend upon assessments; and because these assessments will become the more onerous as the membership of the societies not only ceases to increase, but, under pressing conditions, will dwindle. The failure of these various associations will, undoubtedly, dash the hopes of many, and make them reckless respecting all earthly prospects. Each, therefore, must decide for himself his wisest course as a steward of whatever property or income he may have; but none of the New Creation, controlled and guided by faith in the Lord, will feel such a trepidation in respect to the future as would bring fear to their hearts; nor will this class place such confidence in any human agency, protection or assistance as would make them feel dependent upon it as their treasure, and heartbroken in the event of its failure.
from http://www.nsbible.org/sits_v6/v6s14.htm
