The first forms of what we now think of as life insurance were essentially widow and orphan funds. There was a huge objection to it on the grounds that one should benefit from death. To write an insurance product that went against essentially god's will was an act of profanation, and therefore shouldn't be allowed. i don't think people even understand what insurance was supposed to be. I mean, my mam, sho's born in the thirties in china, and she describes childhood as being really different in terms of the cultural norms about risk taking.