"People who have a religion should be
glad, for not everyone has the
gift of believing in heavenly things. You don't neccessarily even have to be afraid of punishment after death;
purgatory,
hell, and
heaven are things that a lot of
people can't accept, but still, a religion, it doesn't matter which, keeps a person on the
right path." - July 6th, 1944
When I came across this quote while reading The Diary of Anne Frank: The Critical Edition recently, I was brought to tears. The clarity that Anne Frank had was tremendous, and I find a new way to relate to her every time I re-read the book. I can only wish we, as one human society, had the brevity to face each other with open hearts and open minds in order to recognize the simliarities we share in our spiritual paths. I wish Anne's story didn't have to serve as a tragic reminder of how far away from that ideal we still are.
*sigh*