Anne Frank and the Nature of People

As most of us are busy with work, school, spiritual, and social activities, it is entirely possible that a significant date escaped us. It was in February or March of 1945 (70 years ago) that one of the most well-known victims of World War II died. Anneliese Marie Frank, according to Wikipedia, was born June 12, 1929 and died (probably of a typhus epidemic that killed 17,000, including her sister Margot) in prison in Bergen-Belsen, located in Northern Germany. (Unless otherwise stated, all quotations are from Wikipedia).

History

When the Nazi party gained power in 1933, “Antisemitic demonstrations occurred almost immediately.” Otto Frank, fearing this mood that was sweeping through the country, moved his family to Amsterdam in 1934. However, the Nazis invaded the Netherlands in 1940, and in July of 1942, the Franks (shortly joined by another family) moved into a secret annex in a house, where they lived for more than two years. Those hiding these two families could have been killed for doing so. These eight souls had no direct contact with the outside world and could not risk calling attention to themselves in any way, since the house was also a work place. Those aiding them brought them food; the refugees had to depend on them for everything.

During these two years, Anne took advantage of the time and wrote copiously in her diary. Eventually, someone betrayed them in August of 1944 (2 months after D-Day), and they were all taken to prison camps, where (as mentioned previously) Anne (and seven of the eight who dwelt in hiding) perished. Ironically, only her father, Otto Frank, survived.

One of those who had aided the Frank family returned the day after the Jewish families were arrested. Anne’s diary was on the floor, along with many other papers. They rescued it, in hopes of returning it to Anne after the war. When Otto returned, they gave it to him. He was astonished at the contents.

He saw for the first time the more private side of his daughter and those sections of the diary she had not discussed with anyone, noting, "For me it was a revelation…. I had no idea of the depth of her thoughts and feelings…. She had kept all these feelings to herself" (Wikipedia).

Since the time of its first publication, people all over the world have become fascinated by the thoughts of this teenage girl—denied the freedoms that most take for granted. Although a prisoner of the house where they were hiding, her thoughts remained free. She addressed her diary as, “Dear Kitty.” The Diary of Anne Frank was released as a movie in 1959 and the following year won three academy awards. It remains high on the list of most inspirational films.

The Significance

People have been rightly touched by the life of a girl who never reached the age of 16, but there is an indisputable fact that ought to be taken into account. Seven other people lived in the same confined space for two years. They did not leave a diary behind but were also human beings who undoubtedly had thoughts that were worthy of consideration as well. And what about others who lived in hiding and fear of being taken off to the concentration camps where so many died?

In fact, what about the lives of 6,000,000 people who were taken from them—who were guilty of no worse crime than being born Jewish? Imagine what they might have become—writers, scientists, teachers, humanitarians. Their voices will never be heard; they might have benefitted mankind, but their contributions are lost. They are victims of a perverted ideology that cost the lives of the French, the English, Americans, and, yes, many of the youth of Germany, also.

Yet allegiance to false ideologies continues in Muslim terrorist attacks. According to Wikipedia, Boko Haram means “Western Education is forbidden.” This group In April, 2014, kidnapped 276 girls. About 50 escaped, but the rest have never been released, which leaves 226 young girls whose stories may never be told. Some of them may have been comparable to Anne Frank, but the world will probably never know. As someone once said (and this is a paraphrase), “Statistics are just numbers; a personal story is a tragedy.”

The Quote

Among the things that Anne Frank wrote is something quite astonishing. Considering that: 1) she was in hiding because of an evil man named Adolph Hitler and those who supported him; 2) her fellow Jews were being put to death regularly and relentlessly; and 3) she had no idea what would happen to herself and her family, these words seem incredible:

It’s a wonder I haven’t abandoned all my ideals; they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.

We all desperately wish she were right. Under certain circumstances, it actually is true, but it is not universally true. She had reasons, undoubtedly, for what she wrote. Some people were kind-hearted enough to help her family. Eventually, word would have reached them about the success of the D-Day operation. The world was doing something to stop the evil that had spread throughout Europe. Total strangers beyond the Atlantic Ocean had come to defeat the Nazis. They did so at their own sacrifice and peril—because it was the right thing to do.

Bad-Hearted Souls

Unfortunately, many are trained at a young age not to be good at heart. Teachers observe bad behavior in students that come from godless homes. They absorb crude language from their environment and regurgitate it because it is all that they know. The same is true of attitudes. Many have not learned tenderness; they have instead seen yelling, screaming, pushing, and shoving in arguments over petty possessions. They have heard threats issued even to family members and possibly even witnessed fights born of jealousy. Their world may consist of an atheistic “might makes right” mentality. Stealing may not be prohibited; it’s only wrong if you get caught. Selfishness is at the root of those who are raised this way.

We know for a fact that some Muslim groups teach their children to despise Jews and Americans from an early age. Do children come into the world filled with prejudice and hatred? No, but they can be trained to develop those attitudes. One of the most thought-provoking songs from the musical, South Pacific, illustrates the truth elegantly but simply.

You've got to be taught
To hate and fear,
From year to year,
It's got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,

Rogers and Hammerstein were absolutely brilliant in this description—as well as absolutely right. Children are not born hating anyone. They are corrupted and perverted—often from a very young age. They never have an opportunity to develop a good heart.

In the Bible, we also read of periods of time when children are heavily influenced toward evil. Jezebel had a daughter, Athaliah, who followed in her mother’s ungodly footsteps. Jezebel was a self-centered person who connived to get what her husband wanted even though it meant ruining the reputation of a righteous man and making certain that he was put to death. Furthermore, she never experienced an ounce of remorse. Although her wicked husband was impressed by Elijah’s victory at Mount Carmel, she cared not at all; truth and evidence made no difference to her. Her daughter killed all of her own children so that she could continue to reign as queen after the death of her husband. She exhibited no kindness of heart.

For some, it is all about me. Who can be bothered with the deaths of the innocent? Not Planned Parenthood. Not Jezebel. Not Athaliah. Why should I care about others or what happens to them—especially if I really believe that this life is all there is? Why put myself at risk to save others? These folks would make lousy firemen or policemen. Why not steal? The only reward I will ever have is right now, according to atheistic doctrine. Why not help myself to as many goodies as I can get now? I don’t owe anybody anything. I’m only interested in myself and what I want.

Godly Influence

Anne Frank is probably right, however, in a world where there is predominantly a godly influence. When Christian principles are allowed to be taught, people learn about love, kindness, compassion, and sacrifice. These values make no sense to materialists, but others recognize their importance. Those who teach their children and set the example for them are much more likely to produce people that truly are good at heart.

Of course, no guarantees exist. Anyone, even with the proper training, can grow up to be a cold-hearted killer. However, the greater the influence of the home, the less likely such an option will occur. Because America has been influenced for centuries by Christianity, most Americans are kind, civil, and generous. The fewer of us who believe in God, however, the greater the tilt in the other direction. We should ask ourselves, “Could what happened in Germany happen in this country?” To even raise the question seems appalling. But the fact is that a new generation is being raised apart from the influence of Biblical principles.

The Roman world was a cruel place. It allowed the death of Jesus, an innocent man. Did they care when they crucified Jesus? They might have after three hours of darkness, after the earthquake, or after they saw the way in which Jesus conducted Himself while dying on the cross. A centurion concluded, “Truly, this was the Son of God.” Guards at the tomb of Jesus feared, also, but they got over it and took the bribe offered them.

But Jesus brought a way of life that was different than what was usually found in a dog-eat-dog world. How stunning it must have been to observe Christians even being kind to their enemies. How odd for them to face death with serenity, refusing to renounce their Lord. This demonstration of living Christianity made an impact on the world and changed it for the better. People became good-hearted the same way that they became evil-hearted—through training.

It is sad that those who would rule the world want to rid it of all opposition. Hatred begets more hatred, strife, and violence. Hitler had to be stopped, and so do the Muslim fanatics who want the world to share their religion—or else! How many more innocent Anne Franks will there be in that quest for supremacy? Logically, it ought to be realized (even in a pitiless heart) that killing innocent souls cannot enlist sympathy for their cause.