Getting Religion

God gets the blame . . . insurance companies pocket the money . . . homeowners are up the proverbial creek without a paddle.  So goes the so-called “acts of God” the exclude insurance companies from having to pay when a natural disaster occurs.  According to the dictionary an act of God is “an event that directly and exclusively results from the occurrence of natural causes that could not have been prevented by the exercise of foresight or caution; an inevitable accident.”  Most insurance companies pretty much keep religion out of their business . . . if you have ever had to deal with one you understand what is being said . . . that is, until there is an actual natural disaster that wreaks havoc.  Then insurance companies suddenly find their religion and cry out, “Acts of God!”

Acts of God . . . which keep them from quickly making payment or even revoking payment on all the claims that come pouring in.  Acts of God . . . as they jack up the price of insurance policies after a natural disaster.  Acts of God . . . as they cancel a policy or refuse to renew it when policy holders actual attempt to collect on what they have paid for.  Acts of God . . .

I think God gets tired of being blamed.

Our area of Montana got nailed with quite a storm in mid-May with hail as big as golf balls beating the hell out of just about everything.  Made a mess out of a lot of homes and property . . . millions of dollars worth of damage.  The big town’s newspaper states that there have been over 40,000 claims made on the damage that was done in that one storm.  Last year there was a similar storm with similar damage.  The year before that was a big flood and even more claims.  Seems that not only was this part of Montana getting beat up, so were the insurance companies . . . all that hail was beating the hail out of their triple digit profits.  So, they got religion . . . invoked the acts of God on everyone by either severely raising the policies or canceling them by refusing to reissue the insurance when the policy expired.  After all, these were acts of God . . . acts of God allow insurance companies not to have to take responsibility . . . gets them off the hook and cuts the losses.

In our area . . . and across the state . . . the religious motives of the insurance companies has been to be slow in responding to the claims . . . in paying the bare minimum in coverage . . . in canceling policies . . . and, in jacking up the cost of insurance for everyone.  This did not sit well with a lot of the people it effected . . . many were shocked at having their policies canceled after many years of paying in for insurance that they never used.  Of course, insurance companies do not see this as a way of recouping losses . . . no, they see this as good business practice.  As one insurance executive stated: “There’s been some storms come through the area.  You have had some adverse exposure.  We look at past claims experience to determine future risk.  This is not intended as a way to recoup past losses.  It’s rather a reflection of the increased risk.”  In other words, insurance companies want to cut their losses and make sure they don’t lose any more profit on down the road.  Besides . . . it’s an act of God.  Religion sure feels good.

One exasperated individual argued that his insurance policy could not be canceled because of an act of God.  The insurance companies argued that it had nothing to do with it being an act of God . . . but that the companies have the right to not renew policies over issues like claims.  Don’t make a claim and you won’t lose your insurance . . . kind of defeats the purpose of paying all that extra money for insurance doesn’t it?  Besides, what the policy states it won’t cover as acts of God, the company will sell an exclusive policy just for that specific act . . . flood insurance is a separate and extra bit of insurance one gets to pay for if he or she wants coverage from floods.  Having religion the insurance companies did what any religious entity would do . . . it turned it back on those in need and started canceling and raising rates. 

I don’t think that God appreciates carrying the blame for these so-called acts.  In fact, I really do not think that God has anything to do with these so-called acts . . . they just happen.  As they say in Alcoholics Anonymous, “Poop happens.”  Natural disasters just happen.  I do not think that God looks down from the heavens and declares that a certain place needs to be shook up a little by sending down a tornado.  I don’t think that God does that.  There have been places a lot more deserving of the havoc of a natural disaster than the little communities that have been hit so far this summer . . . for example, an act of God would be cleaning up Washington, D.C.  But God doesn’t do that . . . at least I do not believe that God does that.  I don’t think that would be an act of God.

But . . . always the big but statement . . . if all of these natural disasters are truly an act of God, why do we lament so much over them.  If these are truly an act of God shouldn’t we the faithful buckle up and deal with it . . . accept it as God’s will . . . try to figure what we did to deserve it and then work really hard to avoid doing it again?  I mean, if these natural disasters were an act of God, wouldn’t it be unfaithful to not just accept the consequences and move on?  If it is God’s will . . . so be it.  Have a little faith, surely there was some reason God dropped that golf ball size hail all over our cars . . . probably because we bought foreign.  I do not think that God is such a vindictive sort of a deity . . . God would not do this on purpose.  These are not acts of God . . . so, let’s quit blaming God.

In our society we have a problem with religion . . . we seem to think that it a sort of pick and choose sort of deal . . . we pick and choose when it is to our advantage whether we are individuals or some big time company.  As I stated earlier, it is amazing that there is nothing too religious about dealing with an insurance company when it comes to purchasing a policy . . . it is all legalese.  There is nothing too religious about an insurance company, but it is amazing how quickly insurance companies find religion when it comes to moral obligations involving big payouts.  Religion is found when the wallet gets squeezed . . . acts of God are invoke, and responsibility is thrown out the window.  It is amazing how often companies and individuals hide behind religion to avoid moral obligations.

Insurance companies no more found religion than one can squeeze blood out of a turnip . . . they found an excuse to protect themselves and their profits.  They did not respond with empathy . . . they did not respond with acts of kindness . . . they did not take care of those who were in need . . . they walked on by the other side of the road.  If insurance companies had truly found religion there would not be increases in the policy rates, not would any policy be canceled.  As the song goes, “They will know we are Christian by our love, by our love”.  In other words people will know we are religious by how we respond in these times of natural disaster . . . did we respond in love.

God doesn’t deserve the blame, but is handling it quite well.  God is also watching . . . watching to see how the children of God respond.  Through acts of caring and love, God is revealed as a living presence.  Maybe someday insurance companies and others will actually get it . . . maybe they will find religion.

Watch Out . . . It’s Coming!

“I'm going on a diet.  (Crud, I know)

I am going to be cranky.

I am going to be irritable.

I am going to be moody and sad and mean.

And, yes, I am going to be hungry.

Please don't feed me, even if I try to bite you.

Please don't tease me, I may hurt you.

Please don't try to encourage me, I may growl and snap at you.

Please don't help me, I may blame you for everything aggravating in the known universe. 

Please don't be offended by my scowl, I cannot smile. 

But most importantly, please keep your distance until this trial is over to prevent any unnecessary casualties.

Thank you for your understanding. ”

(Richelle E. Goodrich)

I’m warning folks now . . . it ain’t going to be pretty in the next couple of weeks . . . I need to lose some weight.  To lose weight one has to watch what he or she eats (also called a diet) and exercise.  Neither of which, at this point in my life, sounds like a whole lot of fun.  I guess you could almost say that I would rather have four root canals while listening to rap music before dieting and exercising.  As I said, it ain’t going to be pretty.

One of the perks of my job at the university is that I have excellent health care insurance that pays for health check-ups on a regular basis.  This means that every couple of months I can check my health and see how healthy I am.  This is always an adventure . . . lately, an adventure that has gone wrong.  The wrong numbers keep going up and the ol’ middle keeps expanding . . . primarily around the equator just above my belt.  Of course the insurance company wants me to know that things are going south when they send me my test results.  They hint at things that I should improve to be healthier.  I do not think that it is that they actually care about my health, but that if the numbers keep going up, I become a health risk to their income.  Heaven forbid if the insurer actually use his or her insurance that they have spent years paying for. 

So, I got one of those letters with my health results.  They explained that I was not a risk . . . yet; but if I kept with my increasing results, I would be a risk.  Not wanting me to be a risk, they made several suggestions.  Among the top two . . . actually, the only two . . . they suggested that I watch my diet and start exercising more.  If I do those two things, they figure, I should get healthier and can keep paying my insurance premiums for another twenty to thirty years.  They are serious, too.  They even warned me that they would be calling to see if I wanted to be a part of a special program designed for people like me . . . I am bursting with anticipation.  I am bursting so much my belly is jiggling!

Approximately eleven to twelve years ago exercise faded out of my life.  Prior to that I was a runner and played a lot of basketball each week.  But it slowly faded out until it disappeared . . . and, to be honest, I really haven’t missed it too much.  Naw, that is a lie . . . I miss it a lot.  I really did enjoy running . . . really did enjoy playing basketball.  It kept me in shape and kept the insurance company off my back.  The problem is that I got busy . . . busy with work, busy with keeping up with the kids as they grew up . . . busy, busy, busy.  And, as I said, exercise just slowly faded out of the picture.

Gone with the exercise was my physical conditioning—or what they call being in shape.  The old rule of thumb from my years of running is that it takes two days to make up for every day you miss from running.  The adage is the same with exercise.  I figure if that is true it will take me approximately 8,790 days or 24 years to get back into shape . . . I’ll be 79 years old by then . . . I’ll let the wheelchair do the work for me.  Plus, starting any exercise means work . . . means pain.  Not real positive reinforcement there.  It just sounds tiresome . . . I am already tired.

Dieting . . . or, as the insurance company recommends, watching what I eat . . . isn’t much better than dieting.  For the past year the wife has been trying to get me to change my diet . . . actually, she has been forcing it on me.  We eat all sorts of fancy meals that are supposed to be healthy for us.  Lots of chicken . . . lots of fish . . . lots of vegetables.  I don’t care for chicken much anymore, the wife has fed so much of it to me that I just cringe at the mention of it.  There is only one way l eat chicken and that is deep fat fried with the skin on . . . the KFC way!  Same with salmon . . . other fish I can enjoy, but salmon is inching its way up next to chicken.  Too much of a good thing can kill ya too!  I want the insurance company to know that I watch everything that I eat . . . and, lately, the added bonus is that I can even watch it longer as it congregates around my midsection. 

At the start of August . . . it begins.  I begin to watch what I eat.  I begin to exercise more.  Everyone has been forewarned.  It ain’t going to be pretty . . . or at least, I ain’t going to be pretty . . . or nice.  I don’t know what will kill me first, the diet and exercise or someone tired of my attitude.  Either way, things are going to get interesting after the youngest son’s wedding.  In the meantime, I am going for broke . . . I am eating that which I shouldn’t be eating, drinking that which I should not drink, and sitting around enjoying it all.  Kind of pisses off the insurance company, but I am bearable for the time being.  In another two weeks . . . watch out!