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CNN Live Today

Interview With David Van Biema

Aired March 11, 2002 - 14:43   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Many Americans relied on their faith to get them through the early days after 9/11. But that has apparently dissipated over time. We took some poll numbers here. And a new CNN- "USA Today"-Gallup poll shows that 37 percent of those asked have prayed more in the last two weeks because of terror attacks. That's down from 74 percent in September. Some may think that's obvious. Let's look as to why now.

"TIME" magazine religion writer, David Van Biema, is live in New York. David, good afternoon. How are you?

DAVID VAN BIEMA, "TIME": Good, Bill, thanks.

HEMMER: Do those numbers surprise you at all, when you listen to poll numbers like that, waning over time?

VAN BIEMA: I don't think so. I think that the depth of people's religion is going to sort of vary with the news, to some extent. People have kind of a baseline religion, and then when someone terrible happens they think about it more.

HEMMER: Is that what explains why it's temporary then, David?

VAN BIEMA: I think -- I don't think that people -- I don't really think it's temporary. I think that devotion may fluctuate to some extent with what's going on. For instance, when people had a moment of silence today -- I imagine that a lot of people when they had that moment were praying.

HEMMER: You know, I hear so many people who go to ground zero -- and I was one of them -- who just do not have words to explain and describe what they're seeing. I think that's in large part because none of us have ever seen anything like this, this level of devastation in our lives. But I'm also wondering, is the flight to faith out of our lack of ability to secure answers on our own?

VAN BIEMA: I don't think so. I think that basically, that a lot of Americans do feel that faith helps give them their answers. I mean, for instance, if you -- a lot of people were recalling the words to the 23 psalm immediately after 9/11. Those prayers are, at least by tradition, the prayers of King David. But they provide words for people in situations like this.

HEMMER: I know the churches were packed back in September. How are they today, specifically in Manhattan? Have you been able to gauge that?

VAN BIEMA: I don't have numbers, but I think they're probably back, with the exception of today, when you have an anniversary or half anniversary, I think they're back to where they were before 9/11. The attendance has probably resumed where it was before.

HEMMER: We're calling a marker -- a day, rather than an anniversary, just because it does not go by the official definition. But can you give us a gauge of how you feel Manhattan is reacting today?

VAN BIEMA: I think that Manhattan feels this very deeply. I don't know how the rest of the country responded to the documentary that showed last night. But I know that I was shaken and my family was shaken. And it brought back memories. And for people who are faithful, for those who's response to suddenly realizing again that death can occur when you don't expect it, it brought back feelings of faith and devotion.

HEMMER: I know we brought you on to talk about religion. But we had a very interesting discussion last hour with Dr. Alvin Poussaint, from Harvard. And he said the media at this point is drilling this thing over the head, to a degree that it should not. Have you thought about that at all? And what is the reaction to that?

VAN BIEMA: I think that the media does the best that it can. And the media is -- the media has to work with things like -- I'm sorry to use the word again -- anniversary, half-anniversary, markings by date and that sort of thing. And there is sort of an automatic quality to it that Dr. Poussaint is probably referring to.

But I think that, in sort of our kind of clumsy, by-the-numbers way, we are reflecting what people are feeling deeply. We're just doing it in a slightly more mechanical manner. And that may be somewhat irritating, but I think it would be more irritating if there were just a great silence.

HEMMER: Yes, quickly here, I know you touched on it, but some of us at work this morning were saying that we feel bad to be at work. We feel like we should be in church. We were feeling a bit down earlier. A natural feeling?

VAN BIEMA: Oh, yes. I definitely think so. And I that it will recur probably less and less frequently. But I think it, you know, it's not the kind of thing that disappears. And it causes you to want to somehow get in touch with God.

HEMMER: Enjoyed it. Thanks. Say hello to your family, OK? That was a powerful, powerful documentary last night on CBS. David Van Biema with "TIME" magazine. Thanks, David. We'll talk again, all right?

VAN BIEMA: Thanks, Bill.

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