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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Special Edition: Battle for Terri Schiavo

Aired March 25, 2005 - 19:00   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.


ANDERSON COOPER, HOST: Good evening from New York. I'm Anderson Cooper.
Terri Schiavo close to death, say her parents, who still fight for her life.

A special edition of 360 starts now.

Time running out for Terri Schiavo, more than a week with no food, no water.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S FATHER: Terri is weakening. She's down to her last hours.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Tonight, the battle over Terri Schiavo.

You've seen the pictures of Terri Schiavo in her hospice bed. But what was her life like before? Tonight, we take you beyond the headlines, a look at the person, the woman at the center of the story, the life of Terri Schiavo.

Doctors divided on Terri's diagnosis. Tonight, we separate medical facts from fiction. How subjective is science?

Accusations of abuse and protests in the streets. The battle over Terri Schiavo reaches a boiling point on this Good Friday. Tonight, religion's role in the Schiavo showdown.

And we'll hear from representatives of Michael Schiavo, Terri, and her parents. And men of faith weigh in as well -- Deepak Chopra and an in-depth conversation with Rick Warren of "The Purpose-Driven Life."

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is a special two-hour edition of ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: Good evening again.

Terri Schiavo grows still -- no food, no water for eight days, her life ebbing away. Her body is dying. As far as we know, she is unaware of the whirlwind still circling around her. Her parents have filed yet another appeal to the Sixth Circuit Court in Florida, this time maintaining that their daughter has tried to say the words "I want to live." That's an outside shot of the courthouse there. The judge may rule anytime now. He says it will be no later than noon tomorrow.

Also for the second time since Wednesday, a federal appeals court in Atlanta is considering Terri's case. And right now, as you see in this live shot from Pinellas Park, protesters continue to mill about in front of Terri Schiavo's hospice. The scene there, quiet but tense.

Her parents are increasingly desperate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

B. SCHINDLER: Terri is weakening. You know, she's down to her last hours. So something has to be done, and it has to be done quick.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: We are anticipating a press conference with Bobby Schindler and other members of the Schindler family any moment now. We will bring parts of that to you live.

As you know, we don't take sides on 360, we look at all the angles. And over the next two hours, we're going to look in-depth at this case, talking with friends of Terri Schiavo, lawyers for her, for her husband, and her parents, and doctors who have examined her, doctors who have come to very different conclusions.

Before we do that, we want to introduce you, to however, to someone you may not have met, a young woman, full of life. We want you to meet Terri Schiavo, the woman, not the controversy.

Here's David Mattingly.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When you talk to anyone in Terri Schiavo's life, regardless of where they stand on her fate, it won't be long before the conversation turns to her smile, as prominent in everyday moments as it was on her wedding day.

MICHAEL SCHIAVO, TERRI'S HUSBAND: She was gorgeous. And all's I saw was her big smile, just laughing at everybody and, you know, with that shy little laugh, and -- but just outgoing.

MATTINGLY: Raised outside Philadelphia, the oldest of three children, relatives recall Terri growing up in Catholic school a shy girl, who, in her teen years, began coming out of her shell. She emerged apparently with an urge to care for every lost little animal that crossed her path.

MIKE TAMMARO, UNCLE: All through her life, she loved animals. And so it really surfaced as she got older, because she would bring any animal she could find home with her...

MATTINGLY: Mike Tammaro, Terri's uncle, has joined the family in Pinellas Park in their last attempts to convince the courts to keep her alive. He describes his niece as the picture of compassion, always thinking about others.

TAMMARO: The thing I remember most about Terri is the heart she showed anytime you were around her. She was the type person that, if you were to walk into a room that had just so much seating, she would make sure everyone had the seat before she sat down. And that's -- that's little, but yet it says a lot.

MATTINGLY: It also says a lot about Terri Schiavo to see her loved ones fighting so hard for what they believe is best for her.

In good times, she is remembered as happy-go-lucky, a little naive occasionally, but someone who always enjoyed the fun side of life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, it just seemed like she was always laughing, not even at one particular thing, she would just laugh, and then it would probably be contagious, and other people would laugh from hearing her laugh. It was contagious.

MATTINGLY: And now, in the worst of times, it is clear to those who knew her best that this intensely public fight for her future is the last thing a young woman who always thought about others first would have ever wanted to see.

TAMMARO: This would be outrageous to her, of course, with all the attention shown to her. She would find it probably as hard to believe as we do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: And we take you live to a press conference in Pinellas Park. Bobby Schindler, Terri's father.

SCHINDLER: I hugged her and I kissed her, and I got the lemon face from her again, which was encouraging. But I told her that we're still fighting for her, and she shouldn't give up, because we're not. But I think the people who are anxious to see her die are getting their wish. It's happening. That's what I have to say.

COOPER: That was Bobby Schindler, Terri Schiavo's father. Also with him you saw Brother O'Donnell, who is the family's religious adviser, and Randall Terry, formerly of Operation Rescue.

Randall Terry has been really leading, in many respects, the charge to try to keep -- to try to reinsert the feeding tube into Terri Schiavo. He's held a number of press conferences, has been very vocal, and at one point had been threatening conservative politicians or any politicians who do not try to make an effort to reinstate the feeding tube into Terri Schiavo, saying that there will be political repercussions for that. We're actually going to -- later on in this special two-hour edition of 360 in which we are focusing solely on the battle going on over Terri Schiavo, we're going to look in-depth at Randall Terry and see his role in all of this.

That a live picture right now outside the hospice at Pinellas Park, Florida, a scene we have come to, to, to get very used to. We have seen several hundred demonstrators at times who have been waiting outside, some in support of the Schindler family, some in support of Michael Schiavo, and what he is trying to do to Terri Schiavo.

Both sides represented, at times more on one side, more on the other.

A lot to talk about.

Bob, CNN's Bob Franken has been covering this since it began. He, we join him from Pinellas Park.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Once again, those charged with trespassing included three children, two girls and a boy this time, arrested with the adults.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anybody make you (INAUDIBLE)?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wanted to do this.

FRANKEN: When Kerry (ph) and Gaylen Keys allowed three of their kids to be taken into custody in Wednesday's televised exercise in civil disobedience, the reaction was hardly altogether positive. Critics charged they were misusing their children.

GAYLEN KEYS, MOTHER: With tens of thousands of children and young people being arrested for drugs and violence, I'm proud that my children were arrested for having loving compassion. So I don't apologize for that.

CAMERON KEYS, ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING: I was a little scared, but the policemen were very nice and everything. And they handcuffed us and took us to the juvenile hall. It was a little bit scary.

FRANKEN: Soon they were out to rejoin the dozens of other children whose parents have decided that the lessons of their fight to save Terri Schiavo's life outweigh the risks of this intense and unpredictable protest.

Matt and Mariann Bronzell (ph) brought eight of their 11 children to be here with the 100 to 200 demonstrators who have come to join the fight from around the country. The protesters bring the religious fervor from a variety of faiths.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) save Terri and feed her.

FRANKEN: The ages of the Bronzell children here range from teenaged to infant.

MATT BRONZELL, FATHER: Because my children need to see this. They need to see this. They need to see what the government's going to do so when they get a little older, they can change it before it's too late.

FRANKEN (on camera): The great bulk of people here favor reconnecting the tube to Terri Schiavo. There are very few on the other side. But many who are watching this drama unfold on TV complain that the children are being used and put in harm's way, that their parents are taking chances with them to advance their agenda.

Bob Franken, CNN, Pinellas Park, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, our 360 special, "The Battle Over Terri Schiavo," continues. We're focusing for the next two hours on this subject. In a moment, we're going to talk to one of her good friends live, and we're going to look in-depth at the doctors who have diagnosed Terri Schiavo -- doctors with conflicting opinions. We're going to talk to two of those doctors who've examined her and reached opposite conclusion.

All that ahead. First, your picks -- the most popular stories on CNN.com right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: That a live picture outside Terri Schiavo's hospice, where demonstrators are maintaining their vigil, as they have for throughout this week, really.

And we are waiting at any moment a judge's decision, Judge Greer yet again being asked to make a ruling in this case. It could happen any moment now over the next two hours. It will happen, we know for (INAUDIBLE) for sure, because the judge has says so by noon tomorrow.

This is a special two-hour edition of 360 on the battle over Terri Schiavo.

We wanted to talk to people who knew Terri Schiavo, knew her before she was a controversy, before she was in that hospice bed.

Jackie Rhodes first got to know Terri Schiavo in 1988 while working alongside her at an insurance company. They soon became friends. And she joins me from Cleveland.

Jackie, thanks for being on the program tonight.

You had been a close friend of Terri's for a number of years. What kind of person was she? What kind of things did you two do together?

JACKIE RHODES, FRIEND OF TERRI SCHIAVO: Terri and I would go shopping, the usual things that 25-year-olds do. We would go out to dinner almost every time we went shopping. And we went to see her grandmother and her family, her parents and her brother.

COOPER: You've said that before the attack, Terri was unhappy in her marriage, and that they were on the verge of divorce, she and Michael. What made you think that?

RHODES: Well, Terri and I often talked about how Michael would call her at work and upset her to the point of tears because he was unhappy in his job. And he was going to quit. He was unemployed for a period of time, from May of 1988 until she collapsed in 1990. She also -- I, too, was not happy in my marriage, and we talked about moving in together. We looked at furniture, and...

COOPER: You've also...

RHODES: ... talked about...

COOPER: You've also indicated, I mean, that there was possible physical abuse.

RHODES: I did notice bruises on her upper arms and her legs, yes.

COOPER: But you have no proof of this. I mean, this could have been she bumped herself.

RHODES: Right. But I mean, there was bruises more than just once in a while.

COOPER: Did she ever indicate to you that she had been abused?

RHODES: No, she did not.

COOPER: Were her parents aware of these, what you say were marital problems, or possible abuse?

RHODES: Yes, they were aware of the marital problems. In fact, at the malpractice lawsuit, the attorney followed me down the hallway in the courthouse, and he stressed to me the importance of me not saying anything about their discussing divorce during the court -- the trial, so that it would not negatively impact the outcome of the trial.

COOPER: I want to listen to something that Michael's brother, Scott, said. We have the tape. Let's play this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT SCHIAVO, BROTHER OF MICHAEL SCHIAVO: It's just part of their little, you know, setup here. Mike, you know, 1991, with the -- when the Schindlers testified in the malpractice suit, both the parents had testified that Mike was -- Mike and Terri had a wonderful marriage. They were deeply in love. When asked the question, what type of son-in-law Mike was, they said, Mike couldn't -- you couldn't ask for a better son-in-law. He was wonderful. You know, he was there. He was just a great guy...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: What I don't understand is that, I mean, the Schindlers were very close to Michael Schiavo. He even lived in their home after Terri's attack. Why would they have testified, you know, that he was a great guy and the marriage was fine and allow him to live in the house if they thought they were getting divorced and he was being abusive?

RHODES: I -- well, at that point I believe Michael was appointed guardian. And, you know, I didn't discuss that with them. So I really can't comment on that. But I do know that they were aware of them discussing a divorce, and the attorney in the malpractice suit was also aware of that.

COOPER: You've also said you think that Michael's been neglectful in his caring for Terri Schiavo since she's been incapacitated. In what way?

RHODES: Well, he has not provided her with physical therapy or any type of rehabilitation. In the beginning, when she collapsed, she always had a radio in her room. The curtain would always be open if she had an outside room. She's not getting any of this now. And the radio was for stimuli, just to keep her mind, you know, stimulated. And she's not getting any of that now.

COOPER: You know, Jackie, just so you know, on this program we really try to look at all sides. We don't take sides. But I really do want to try to get as many facts out as possible. I want to just play you something that Jay Wolfson, who is the man appointed Terri's guardian by the court, he wrote a report for Governor Jeb Bush back in 2003. Here's just something he said just on this particular issue. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY WOLFSON, FORMER SCHIAVO GUARDIAN: There's no evidence in the record to indicate that he withheld care after a certain point, after three or four years, when the judgment in the malpractice case came through...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: He went on to say that, I mean, she's never had a bed sore in 15 years. And at one point, the nurses tried to get a -- basically a subpoena, a restraining order against Michael Schiavo because he was being so demanding about care for his wife. Do you not believe that, or...

RHODES: According to -- when I visited her in 2000, there was no radio, the curtains were drawn. And when my last visits to her prior to me moving back to Ohio, I did not notice -- there was no radio in the room, the curtains were drawn, so...

COOPER: When was the last time you saw her?

RHODES: January of 2000. COOPER: OK, so about five years, all right. Hey, Jack, Jackie, appreciate you being on to tell us about Terri, and I know it's a difficult subject for you. Appreciate you taking the time. Thank you very much.

RHODES: Thank you.

COOPER: Well, we continue to cover this story in-depth tonight, a special two-hour edition of 360.

But for a moment, let's look at the other news making headlines right now. There's a controversial sale of warplanes by the United States.

Erica Hill from Headline News has that and the other day's headlines. Hey, Erica.

ERICA HILL, CNN HEADLINE NEWS: Hey, Anderson.

Yes, controversial indeed. President Bush called India's prime minister today to explain his decision to supply about two dozen F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. Manmohan Singh expressed great disappointment at hearing the news, and said the sale of sophisticated warplanes to its longtime nuclear rival would endanger security in the region. A U.S. official says the decision was linked to Pakistan's cooperation in the war against terrorism.

One day after mass demonstration forced Kyrgyzstan's president to flee the country, coup leaders have named a new acting president. Opposition leaders have already taken over top government posts, and new presidential elections are planned for June. Ousted President Askar Akayev is calling the coup leaders irresponsible adventurers and vowing to return to office.

For the first time in 26 years, Pope John Paul did not take part in the Good Friday procession at Rome's Coliseum today. Instead, he appeared on video, sitting in his chapel at the Vatican. The pope's ill health has forced him to skip a series of Holy Week events. He was hospitalized twice last month for breathing problems, including surgery to insert a breathing tube into his throat.

Two fishermen in California, glad to be back on dry land. They sent out a distress call early this morning. The Coast Guard rescued them as their 42-foot boat sank off the coast near Los Angeles. No word yet on just why the boat went under.

And that's the latest from Headline News. Anderson, back to you.

COOPER: All right, Erica, thanks. We'll see you again in about 30 minutes from now.

Coming up next on this special edition, the man behind the mike. Family spokesman Randall Terry, who was once the head of Operation Rescue, now he's at the center of this very public and very political case. Looking in-depth at him, taking you behind the headlines. Also tonight, conflicting medical opinions. How can different doctors look at the same patient and come up with completely different conclusions? 360 M.D. Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes a closer look.

Also, we're going to talk to two of the doctors who've actually examined Terri Schiavo.

Covering all the angles. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Our special two-hour edition of 360 continues now, "The Battle Over Terri Schiavo." The story continues to be the most popular one on CNN.com.

If you've been following the story you may have noticed a familiar name and face at some of the news conference for Terri Schiavo's parents. His name is Randall Terry. And Rudi Bakhtiar went in-depth to bring you an angle you won't see anywhere else.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUDI BAKHTIAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Randall Terry is back at the mike.

RANDALL TERRY, SCHINDLER FAMILY SPOKESMAN: Here's the supporting documents for those in favor of life and justice.

BAKHTIAR: The man once famous for throwing his body in front of abortion clinics is now on stage outside of a new clinic, the hospice housing Terri Schiavo.

TERRY: But originally, they got me involved because they knew that I was kind of a lightning rod and that me even coming would help jump start things.

BAKHTIAR: He's the family spokesman for Terri Schiavo's parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, in their fight with judges over who decides her fate.

TERRY: We are like little lap dogs begging for our rights at the feet of judges.

BAKHTIAR: This time, he's starring as himself. Randall Terry and the anti-abortion organization he founded, Operation Rescue, divorced more than ten years ago.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He has a lot of people that he knows, a lot of groups that he mobilizes. So, when he start making phone calls people start showing up.

BAKHTIAR: But the Terri Schiavo case has given the fire- breathing activist a new life in the media scrum.

TERRY: Whether it has to do with child pornography on the Internet or the Pledge of Allegiance having "under God" in it, or the Ten Commandments in Alabama, or homosexual marriage in Massachusetts or Vermont, where do all of these things come from? Judges.

BAKHTIAR: It's been a long road for Randall Terry, who was once imprisoned for sending former President Bill Clinton an aborted fetus.

TERRY: This is what choice is all about.

BAKHTIAR: His clinic crusade slowed after he was forced to settle a lawsuit with Planned Parenthood. He moved to Florida and campaigned against infidelity and birth control, gays and unwed mothers.

But a year ago, his expended agenda came under fire from his own devout Christian family, the children who once featured in TV ads.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, there it is.

BAKHTIAR: His son Jamiel came out as gay in a magazine article.

JAMIEL TERRY, RANDALL TERRY'S SON: In my family, it was you start having sex outside of marriage you get AIDS, you're a whore, you're a slut -- those are exact words. Yesterday he said to me I'm going to be at your funeral, you're going to die at 42.

BAKHTIAR: His teenage daughter Tila, said her father no longer welcomes her in his home.

TILA TERRY, RANDALL TERRY'S DAUGHTER: I had sex outside marriage, I got pregnant and I miscarried after about three or four months. I hadn't been speaking with my dad. We haven't been as close as you know we were since I left his house.

BAKHTIAR: His eldest, Ebony, also had two children out of wedlock and became a Muslim.

EBONY WHETSTONE, RANDALL TERRY'S DAUGHTER: It's a whole make of our family is not traditional, by far. So it's not going to be, you know, picture-perfect.

BAKHTIAR: And Randall Terry himself was censored by his church after he had an affair with an assistant. The family split.

R. TERRY: She is in the agonizing position of dying of thirst. She's on fire while politicians fiddle.

BAKHTIAR: So now he has a new family and a second chance to become the voice of the Christian right.

R. TERRY: If she dies, there's going to be hell to pay with the pro-life, pro-family Republican people of various legislative levels statewide and federal-wide who have used pro-life, pro-family conservative rhetoric to get into power and then when they have that power, they refuse to use it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BAKHTIAR: Randall Terry now works with an organization he formed in 2003, it's called the Society for Truth and Justice. And its first campaign was against the U.S.' Supreme Court's 6-3 decision striking down anti-sodomy laws. He launched the "Impeach the Twisted Six" campaign in Florida, which really never gained any strength. And then came the Schiavo case.

COOPER: How did he get involved in the Schiavo case?

BAKHTIAR: Well, about a year ago he approached the family -- and he was approached by the family, actually to take this on and base basically bring Schiavo's case to the American people. And the father actually credits him with saving Terri Schiavo's life at least once.

COOPER: All right. Thanks very much. Rudy Bakhtiar.

This story just coming in to CNN, the FBI has arrested a North Carolina man who is offering money over the Internet for the murder of Michael Schiavo and the state judge in the case. Richard Alan Meywes of Fairview, North Carolina, allegedly offered $250,000 for the killing of Michael Schiavo and $50,000 for the death of Circuit Court Judge George Greer who ordered Schiavo's feeding tube removed and who continues to rule on the case.

We'll be following this story throughout the evening. This just came in to CNN. We bring you more information as we get it.

Doctors divided on Terri's diagnosis. Tonight, we separate medical facts from fiction. How subjective is science?

And we'll hear from representatives of Michael Schiavo, Terri, and her parents. And men of faith weigh in as well, Deepak Chopra, and an in-depth conversation with Rick Warren of "The Purpose Driven Life."

This special two-hour edition of 360 continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Our special two-hour edition of 360 continues, "The Battle Over Terri Schiavo.

We're about to talk with two doctors who have been called on officially to offer their expert opinions on Terri Schiavo's condition. They both observed her. Before we do that however, we want to offer you perspective on what it's like to deal with such an incredibly difficult task, rendering a life or death judgment on a regular basis.

360 M.D. Sanjay Gupta reviews what the experts have said in the case of Terri Schiavo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a medical case as high-profile as Terri Schiavo, you would think the medical experts would have all of the answers. But just by listening to them and reviewing statements they gave to the court, it's easy to see why a final answer is so complicated.

DR. WILLIAM HAMMESFAHR, NEUROLOGIST: I spent about 10 hours across about three months, and you know, the woman is very aware of her surroundings. She's very aware. She's alert. She's not in a coma. She's not in PVS.

GUPTA: PVS, persistent vegetative state. Dr. Hammesfahr was chosen by Terri Schiavo's parents to testify in court. His opinion, very different from Dr. Cranford, chosen by Michael Schiavo, Terri's husband.

DR. RONALD CRANFORD, NEUROLOGIST: The vegetative state is a scary diagnose, unless you know what you're looking for. It looks like the patient is interacting, but Terri's not interacting.

GUPTA: Both of them are neurologists and their conclusions are based on diagnostic tests that are supposed to be objective, yet they tell different tales.

HAMMESFAHR: Her CT scan has maybe 75 percent of the brain tissue is still left.

CRANFORD: I've seen her. There's no doubt in my mind whatsoever, she's in a persistent vegetative state. Her CAT scan shows extremely severe atrophy to the brain. And her EEG is flat. It's doesn't show any electrical activity at all.

GUPTA: And most importantly, their opinions about a possible recovery?

HAMMESFAHR: With proper therapy, she will have a tremendous improvement. I think personally she'll be able to walk eventually. And she'll be able to use at least one of her arms.

CRANFORD: There's no way. It's totally bogus.

GUPTA: Five doctors gave their medical opinions in an evidentiary hearing ordered by a Florida Appellate Court -- two doctors chosen by each side and one court-appointed neurologist who was chosen by the judge. He declined a CNN interview, but told the courts -- "The preponderance of the data and my clinical examination reveal no evidence of awareness of self, environment or ability to interact with others. Mrs. Schiavo exhibits no evidence of language comprehension or expression. I would state that her chances of meaningful neurological recovery to be virtually nonexistent.

His language leaves little room for doubt -- unless you ask yet another neurologist. And so, a medical choice -- normally decided between doctors and a patient's loved ones is fought out in the courts.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, joining us now in Bloomington, Minnesota, is Dr. Ronald Cranford testified, a physician who's testified as an expert witness for Michael Schiavo's legal team. You saw him in that piece.

Dr. Cranford, thanks very much for being with us here. Appreciate it.

CRANFORD: My pleasure.

COOPER: You believe Terri Schiavo is in a persistently vegetative state. Doctors for Terri's parents have concluded she's in a state of minimal consciousness.

I want to play you something that Bob Schindler said on this subject, and have you to respond to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

B. SCHINDLER: PVS from our understanding is, that it's misdiagnosed at least 30 percent to 40 percent of the time. Terri has been mislabeled for years and years as being in this condition.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Is it possible you've misdiagnosed her?

CRANFORD: No. There's no possibility whatsoever. And you know, Judge Greer had the longest evidentiary hearing in the history of American law in the right-to-die case -- six days, six separate physicians. He completely discounted the testimony of Dr. Hammesfahr and Dr. Maxwell. He didn't believe a word they said. He did believe the court-appointed expert, Dr. Peter Bambikidis from Cleveland, as well as the two lawyer -- as well as the two doctors for the Schiavo family, myself and Dr. Melvin Greer from Florida.

And previously, four neurologists had diagnosed her, who were caring for her from 1990 to 2002, they also diagnosed her in a persistent vegetative state. So, seven of the eight neurologists who examined Terri over the years have all said the same thing, she's in a permanent or persistent vegetative state. And the only neurologist has ever said otherwise was Dr. Hammesfahr, and he was discounted by the court.

COOPER: Well -- I mean, how can that be that you can have a neurologist like Dr. Hammesfahr who -- I mean, he testified saying that with proper treatment she'll be active. She'll be able to walk again and maybe use one arm. I mean, are you saying he's just completely wrong?

CRANFORD: I'm saying he's a pathologic liar. He's bogus. He has credentials that are utterly non-credible. And you just have to look up the record. I mean, you have to look at what judge -- look at the hearing. Look at the evidentiary hearing. Look what Judge Greer said about Dr. Hammesfahr. He didn't believe a word he said. So, there's no doubt everybody credible that's ever examined Terri had said she's in a vegetative state. I'm sorry about Hammesfahr, he's shameful to the medical profession. But nobody believed him. But he's continued to say what he has. COOPER: What is -- what is -- what is Terri Schiavo's brain like? I mean, one doctor said her brain shows 75 percent of brain tissue left. Then I read another doctor, Dr. Gambone, who is Terri's treating physician saying, her brain is predominantly replaced by spinal fluid.

CRANFORD: Yes, it's replaced by spinal fluid. You have copies of that. I sent copies to CNN, and it shows extremely severe atrophy. Show it to any neurologist in the country, he'll say that her atrophy is so severe, there's no remaining viable cerebral cortex, it's all scar tissue left. It's not 75 percent left. And any neurologist in the country will tell you that there's extremely severe atrophy. And the judge was very impressed by that. We showed to Judge Greer the images and he was impressed by the fact that there's hardly any cerebral cortex left, the thinking part of the brain.

COOPER: Well, Dr. Cranford, we appreciate you being with us. Thank you very much.

CRANFORD: My pleasure.

COOPER: As you know, we don't take -- we don't take sides on 360.

Coming up my interview with a doctor whose diagnosis shows that Terri is a minimally conscious state. We'll talk to him.

Also tonight, tight security, more arrests. More kids joining the peaceful protests. We just heard about this alleged murder plot on the Internet -- someone offering money to murder Michael Schiavo and judge ruling in the case. We'll get the latest on that, covering all of the angles, this special two hour edition of 360, "The Battle Over Terri Schiavo."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Welcome back to the special two-hour edition of 360. Brother Paul O'Donnell's comments made a little bit earlier just don't represent Catholics. People of many denominations have passionate opinions about Terri Schiavo's case. Life and death decisions are not supposed to be made on passion alone, but on medical facts of course.

Dr. William Maxfield is a radiologist. Terri Schiavo's parents had him review her brain scans and visit her. He joins me now from Tampa. Doctor, thanks for being with us.

You testified on behalf of Terri's parents based on three separate observations you made of Terri Schiavo. Why do you believe she is not in a persistent vegetative state?

DR. WILLIAM MAXFIELD, RADIOLOGIST: Because of the way that she acted when I saw her interact with her parents and also react to environment such as musical tunes and things like that.

COOPER: In order -- her court-appointed doctor, though, testified very differently. He said in fact, and I'm reading this from computer, that she had no language competence or expression, no evidence of regeneration of brain tissue, no awareness of self, environment, or ability to be interact with others and a virtually nonexistent chance of meaningful, neurologic recovery. What did you see that he didn't see?

MAXFIELD: I saw her follow the plastic balloon that was moved about and follow the lights and respond particularly to her mother.

COOPER: And what kind of response?

MAXFIELD: Turning her heads towards her and trying to make sounds and recognizing, in my opinion, that she was there.

COOPER: So what is -- I mean, are these other doctors incompetent? Why do they come to such starkly different conclusions? And the judge in this case, Judge Greer, seems to have sided with all of these other physicians?

MAXFIELD: I don't know if they had the opportunity of watching her interact with her parents the way that I did, because I watched the parents interact with her. But then also I came in and I came up to her myself and she did not react to me the same way that she did to her parents.

COOPER: But even her court-appointed guardian, who did watch her interact with her parents who spent, you know, 20 days with her over the course of time, sometimes four hours a day, interacted with both sides of the family. He says he didn't see any meaningful interaction.

MAXFIELD: That, I can't explain. That's his opinion. It's not mine.

COOPER: What kind of recovery are you suggesting Terri might experience?

MAXFIELD: That's very difficult to say. But we do see people that come out of what has been diagnosed as persistent vegetative state. And if you watched Larry King there were two there that were walking and talking.

COOPER: But those people had not been in a persistent vegetative state for 15 years.

MAXFIELD: Very true. But they were diagnosed as persistent vegetative coma. And there are individuals that come out of a coma and out of severe brain damage after quite a number of years. The young lady recently that started talking after 20 years, I believe she's in Kansas, is certainly an example.

COOPER: The other side, you know, of course, argues that those cases are not the same -- that she was not unconscious for as long as Terri Schiavo was. But we'll just leave it there. Clearly, differing of opinion from the other medical expert we just had on. Dr. William Maxfield, thank you for being with us. We're going to continue looking at the Terri Schiavo case in a moment. First, let's check in with some of the headlines with Erica Hill from Headline News. Hey, Erica.

HILL: Hi, Anderson. A new poll number shows growing dissatisfaction with President Bush. In the latest USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll, hi approval rating fell to a new low. The survey found 45 percent of those questioned thought the president was doing a good job. That is down from 52 percent in three previous polls taken in February and March. Pollsters cite controversy over the government's intervention in the Terri Schiavo case and growing concern about the economy as possible reasons for the approval rating drop.

Doctors treating Monaco's Prince Rainier issued a grim message about his chances for recovery today. They released a bulletin saying his state of health remains worrisome. The prince has been in an intensive care unit with heart, kidney and breathing problems. Sources close to his family say the prince's condition appears irreversible.

Prosecutors presented some fingerprint evidence in the Michael Jackson trial today showing jurors a sexually explicit magazine and asserted that fingerprints from both Jackson and his accuser were found on it. They also say they found the accuser's fingerprints on another magazine and an adult video calendar. The defense has argued the boy's fingerprints got on the magazine when he handled it during the grand jury hearing and not when he was with the pop star.

And that's going to do it for right now from Headline News. Anderson, back to you.

COOPER: All right, Erica. We'll check back in about 30 minutes from now.

Just ahead on the special two-hour edition of 360, there is no shortage of opinion about the Terri Schiavo case. You just heard from two different doctors who both examined her, both came to different conclusions. We're going to talk to the man who was her legal guardian, didn't take sides, he was appointed by the court. We're going to find out what he is thinking.

Also tonight, we're examining the spiritual angle on this story. Conversations with Deepak Chopra and also Rick Warren, the author of "The Purpose Driven Life."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well pundits and politicians and seems like just about everyone in the country has something to say about Terri Schiavo. But most of the talk is, well, it's just that, it's talk. That's why we thought you should hear from the one person who was charged with representing Terri Schiavo, not representing her husband, not representing her parents.

His name is Jay Wolfson. He's an attorney who served as Terri's court-appointed legal guardian in 2003. We spoke last night. And we think what he said is worth hearing again.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: You examined Terri in 2003. Did you see any signs of abuse or neglect?

WOLFSON: Well Anderson, I reviewed more than 30,000 pages of legal documents and medical documents. I spent -- I only had one month to do it. I spent the better part of 20 of those days with Terri in her room. Sometimes as much as four hours with her parents, with her husband, with the staff at the facility.

I got to know her parents. These are really decent, kind, loving people. They are wonderful people.

I go to know Michael. He is not warm and fuzzy, but he really loves his wife.

And I would spend time in her room. And I would hold her hand. And I would stroke her hand. And I would hold her head. And I would look in her eyes and I would stroke her hair. And I would ask her, I would beg her to give me some consistent indication that she was responding rather than reflexing.

And as you demonstrated, the definition of a consistent vegetative state includes these waking and sleeping cycles. And then her eyes are open when she's awake. She makes noises. These are sometimes sounding like crying, sometimes they sound like laughter, sometimes they are moaning. All of that is consistent with what the scientific literature says characterizes a persistent vegetative state along with the lack of a consistent pattern, or any consistent evidence of interaction with her environment.

The competent medical evidence based on the laws of Florida, rules of civil procedure, rules of evidence and the guardianship laws that were drafted over 15 years of bipartisan political and religious participation, served as the basis for how this was interpreted. And by all those standards, Anderson, she is diagnosed in a persistent vegetative state. That -- it meets all those criteria.

And there was no evidence either -- I had people come to me, friends of the family and people who become very verbally and vocally advocates for Terri, saying we've got evidence that she was physically abused by Michael. She was beaten, she was strangled. There is no evidence in the record to indicate that.

Hope is an extraordinary thing, Anderson, for all of us. It's the one thing that I think if you remember Dante's "Inferno" he had the sign outside the gates of Hell when Virgil was taking him that said "abandon hope all you who enter here."

The idea of abandoning hope here for your own child, the prospect of your child predeceasing you -- both the parents and Michael for many years refused to accept what they had been told early on.

COOPER: And they were very close on this. WOLFSON: Oh, they were very close. This family was really tight together on this. They spent 24/7 taking care of her for years.

COOPER: So what happened, what caused that split?

WOLFSON: After about four years there was an adjudication of a malpractice suit which resulted in a $300,000 loss of consortium award for Michael for losing his ability to have relations with his wife. And about a $760,000 trust fund was established for Terri's medical care. That was out of Michael's control, it was under the control of a court appointed trustee.

And it was at that point -- and maybe it was a water shed, Anderson, it's hard to say. Maybe it was at that point after four years that Michael was able to stand back. It was a water shed. And he said, you know, people have been telling me, the physicians have been telling me, all the tests have been telling me, that she is in this state. And there's no reasonable likelihood of recovery. Maybe it was then that he stood back and he said maybe there isn't. And I need to let go.

Hard to do, because he really took exquisite care of her for 15 years. She never had a bed sore. In fact...

COOPER: She never had a bed sore in 15 years?

WOLFSON: In 15 years. Fifteen years she never -- which is extraordinary. And he got in trouble at one of the nursing facilities because he was so aggressively demanding attention to her that the administration sought a restraining order against him for demanding attention by the staff that was distracting them from other patients.

You know, this is such a tough case, Anderson. These are people caring for their daughter. It's the idea of losing somebody. As you said, this happens -- there are other cases where things like this has happened. It's so tragic.

But the bottom line, as you may have heard me say, this is not about Governor Bush who I have tremendous respect for. And he's a great leader and a visionary. It's not about the Florida legislature. It's not about the Senate or the House of Representatives of the United States. It's not even about our judicial system. It's not about Michael. It's not about the Schindler. This is all about Terri. And my job, to the best that I could do it, was to take the best science that I knew was out there, the best medicine that I could get my arms around and apply the best law that we have.

And just as Rehnquist said in Cruzan, that we take the best law that we have, we apply it as honestly and as good as we can. And I think we extrapolate that to science and medicine.

This is a terrible tragedy. And I just pray and hope that the best will come for Terri because that's what this is all about. It's her.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COOPER: Well that was Jay Wolfson, former guardian of Terri Schiavo.

Our 360 special, "The Battle Over Terri Schiavo" continues. Passions running so high right now, an apparent murder plot foiled, one person's in custody. And they're worrying about security right now outside Terri Schiavo's hospice. That's a live shot there. We'll take you there coming up next.

Also, later on, a story that may surprise you. You've seen doctors testifying for the Schindlers and for Michael Schiavo. Did you ever wonder how they get these doctors? If you need a medical opinion that supports your point of view for cash, there's probably a doctor you can find. We'll take a look at that process.

We'll also look for the purpose in this incredible national controversy. I'll talk with best-selling author Rick Warren of "Purpose Driven Life," and also best-selling author Deepak Chopra.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, some of the images we've seen from the past week, opinions so sharply divided. Time and options are quickly running out for the parents of Terri Schiavo.

Welcome back to this special edition of 360, "The Battle Over Terri Schiavo."

You're looking at a live picture right now outside the hospice in Pinellas Park, Florida where supports continue to hold out hope that her life will not end. But one week after the feeding tube has been removed, her body is slowly shutting down.

He's what her father said just about an hour ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S FATHER: I hugged her and I kissed her. And I got the lemon face from her again, which was encouraging. But I told her that we're still fighting for her and she shouldn't give up, because we're not. But I think the people who are anxious to see her die are getting their wish. It's happening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Well, Bob and Mary Schindler have made last-minute appeals to a state judge and a federal court. Decisions are expected at any moment. Of course, we are going to bring those to you live.

One man, though, allegedly did not want to wait for a court to decide. This is a man named Michael Mitchell. He was arrested for allegedly trying to use a gun to save Terri Schiavo. Authorities say he attempted to steal the weapon from a gun store so he could -- quote -- "rescue her."

And just moments ago, we learned that the FBI has arrested a North Carolina man for allegedly offering $250,000 to murder Michael Schiavo. It's the latest arrest in an ever-escalating battle, with the police standing in the middle.

CNN's John Zarrella has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): There were more arrests today in front of the hospice where Terri Schiavo lies. Some of those attempting to bring water to her were children. That angered Raymond Simmons (ph).

RAYMOND SIMMONS: And they have another -- children lining up to go to jail.

ZARRELLA: Adults making a statement is one thing, Simmons says, but...

SIMMONS: These guys are using kids to go after the police officer and get arrested. And I'm just trying to tell you, that is -- those tactics are wrong.

ZARRELLA: Besides Simmons' outrage, there have been few confrontations. Those between police and protesters been peaceful. The arrests -- police say there have been 30 -- have been coordinated ahead of time to make sure there is no violence. There have been very few verbal exchanges between protesters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If Terri wants to die, she will die. If Terri doesn't want to die, she won't die.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It isn't about what Terri wants. It's about what God wants.

ZARRELLA: There are only a handful who support Michael Schiavo, while the vast majority want Terri kept alive.

For Rene Kelly (ph) and Liz Ann Vanetta (ph), coming here was cathartic.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I came here because I could not take the rage anymore. I could not scream at my television any louder.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would rather be here supporting versus standing in front of my TV screaming at my TV.

ZARRELLA: In a sense, this place has become hallowed ground, where people of like beliefs can share feelings and express emotions. For a week now, the people here have expressed themselves not with anger and violence, but with signs and prayer. On this Good Friday, it was no different.

PROTESTERS: Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us.

ZARRELLA: The police presence has been low-key, no major show of force. They have kept their distance, too, standing guard in front of the entrance to the hospice, but staying out of the way of protesters.

Standing in the crowd, you get no sense of emotions spilling over to rage, only a growing sense of sadness that their prayers may not be answered.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZARRELLA: With the weekend now upon us, we would expect that the crowds will likely grow and there will likely be more of a police presence here.

While it remains calm here, there is still a great deal of concern for the safety of Michael Schiavo. I spent some time with him last Friday night, the night they pulled the feeding tube. And he was surrounded by no less than three Pinellas Park Police, armed and also wearing bulletproof vests -- Anderson.

COOPER: John Zarrella, thanks for that.

While her parents say she is near death, the court battle to save her life still goes on. We are expecting a ruling from the Florida court currently considering yet another petition in the case any time between now and noon tomorrow.

As you know, on 360, we don't take sides. We look at all the angles. In a moment, we are going to talk with a lawyer for Michael Schiavo.

Right now, I'm joined from Washington by Robert Destro. He is an attorney for Terri Schiavo's parents, the Schindlers.

Mr. Destro, thanks very much for being with us. Appreciate it.

ROBERT DESTRO, ATTORNEY FOR PARENTS OF TERRI SCHIAVO: Thanks for having me, Anderson.

COOPER: Court after court has ruled against you and refused to intervene. Are there any more legal avenues that you can pursue?

DESTRO: Well, I mean, you file your motions through the appropriate court systems and -- and you do what you can do.

What we have been trying to do all along, we tried with Congress last week, is to get the courts to listen to the facts. And they just won't do it. It's been like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall.

COOPER: So if this appeal -- now that Judge Greer is going to rule on it anytime between now and noon tomorrow, if that fails, is there another legal appeal to make?

DESTRO: Well, I think we can certainly appeal and we will appeal Judge Greer's order. There's actually two orders that need to be appealed from.

We have asked Judge Greer to disqualify himself on the grounds that he has been named in a lawsuit. He has been -- he has been -- he has been -- we have asked him to disqualify himself at least five times now, because we think he has gotten himself too personally invested in the case. And, in fact, he acted as Terri's surrogate under the law. And our view is that that made -- made the trial unfair from the very beginning.

COOPER: You said you want really more medical tests. This has been adjudicated seven years now. The court has repeatedly sided with medical experts who say she is in a persistent vegetative state. What more medical evidence do you want?

DESTRO: Well, let's put it this way. A lot of those -- a lot of the medical tests that are available today just were not available seven years ago.

And if this were a capital punishment case and you were bringing in some DNA evidence at the last minute, you know, I don't hear very many people in capital punishment cases saying, oh, you know, there's been 18, 20, 30 judges look at the case, but here comes the defendant now with some DNA evidence that might prove...

COOPER: But the judge -- but the judge has looked at this new evidence and clearly does not think it's as real as DNA evidence is.

DESTRO: The judge has not looked at the evidence. He looked at the affidavits and said, we looked at this, what, six years ago and I am not going to relitigate this stuff.

And, like I say, this technology did not exist five years ago. And so, like I said, we had the same discussion about capital punishment and the use of DNA when a lot of people who were pro-death penalty said, oh, you know, we are not going to upset these settled verdicts.

And -- and, you know, one of the motions -- the other motion tonight that we actually had a hearing on at 5:30 with Judge Greer was evidence that -- that Terri is trying to tell people -- trying to communicate. Now, you know, you can pass that evidence off if you want to. But I would like to see, as a trial attorney, an honest-to- goodness hearing where that evidence comes out, not just these motions where the judge looks at it and says, oh, oh, we discussed that five years ago. We don't need to look at it again.

COOPER: Robert Destro, appreciate you being with us. Thank you, Robert.

DESTRO: Thank you.

COOPER: Going to get a different point of view now on the legal battle.

Joining me from Pinellas Park is Hamden Baskin, one of Michael Schiavo's attorneys.

Hamden, thanks for being with us.

(CROSSTALK) COOPER: Well, you just heard Robert Destro saying that Terri was trying to communicate. If that's in fact the case, why not try to delay this? Why not look at that evidence? Why shouldn't the judge see that evidence?

HAMDEN BASKIN, ATTORNEY FOR MICHAEL SCHIAVO: Well, thank you, Anderson.

If it were only true. The evidence that they attached to their motion for a new trial or for a -- to vacate the final judgment of 2000 was a two- or three-page affidavit by Barbara Weller. Barbara Weller is an associate of David Gibbs and she claims she went into the room and, with some tactile stimulation, somatic stimulation, she was able to get some type of verbal response. That is nothing new. That has happened time and time again.

You will find the record replete with Terri responding to adverse stimuli. So Barbara Weller...

COOPER: But they say that she was trying to say, I want to live.

BASKIN: Yes. That's what the affidavit says.

The affidavit used a typewriter to write "I wa" -- W-A -- and it ends. Now, that's after Barbara's affidavit carefully sets out that she provided tactile stimulation to -- to get that response. That has been reviewed and reviewed. Even Dr. Cheshire find that there was no talking. He found that the noises were random.

And so, at the end of the day, there is nothing new. What is so outrageous about the affidavit is that you have an attorney who believes that this is a life-and-death case and who is willing to have an associate go in, spend time with Terri, take the information 10 days ago or approximately 10 days ago, and present it for the first time today.

Now, we have had a motion heard earlier in the week by Judge Greer to overturn the judgment, as well as in federal court yesterday, as you're well aware. That affidavit was nowhere to be seen. Mr. Gibbs indicated to Judge Greer that it in fact was presented to federal court, but that was disingenuous, because it was not presented to the district judge. It was sent up to supplement the record to the 11th Circuit, which, again, is impermissible as a manner of practice and procedure.

COOPER: Legally, legally, this battle is just about over.

BASKIN: We -- we believe it is.

But this -- this has come back again and again. And what is so tragic is that Terri's privacy rights for her choice of dying has been interrupted. And Michael, who is a loving husband -- and Dr. Wolfson, I thought, just made a very eloquent statement to that effect. Every time he believes that he can finally let this sink in and spend the quality, private time with Terri, a motion is filed. And it just rips his heart out. COOPER: And there's a motion, you know, still being considered right now. And, again, it could be ruled on any moment now, all the way up until noon tomorrow. We...

BASKIN: That's exactly right.

COOPER: Yes, with Judge Greer. We'll be following that.

Hamden Baskin, appreciate you being with us. Thanks very much.

BASKIN: Thank you, Anderson.

COOPER: Thanks, Hamden.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Accusations of abuse and protests in the streets. The battle over Terri Schiavo reaches a boiling point on this Good Friday. Tonight, religion's role in the Schiavo showdown.

And men of faith weigh in as well, Deepak Chopra and an in-depth conversation with Rick Warren of "The Purpose Driven Life."

This special report, "The Battle Over Terri Schiavo," continues.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK WARREN, AUTHOR, "THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE": Why are they in such a hurry to unhook her, because there are her parents and I'm sure there are millions of people in America who would be happy to pay for Terri's feeding for the rest of her life? So, why are they in a hurry to kill her?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: That was Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life." We will hear more from him coming up.

But first, in all that has been said about Terri Schiavo, she apparently wasn't a particularly religious person. Still, her cause and her impending death -- and her parents, by the way, say that is not the case -- her cause and her impending death have become a magnet for devout Christians, mostly Catholics and evangelicals, and especially on this Good Friday night.

Here is Ed Henry with that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALES (singing): Set our hearts on fire.

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The scene at the governor's mansion on Good Friday, the day the Bible says Jesus Christ was crucified, protesters led by the Reverend Patrick Mahoney explicitly using that symbolism to compare Jeb Bush to Pontius Pilate and Terri Schiavo to Jesus Christ.

PATRICK MAHONEY, SCHINDLER FAMILY SPIRITUAL ADVISER: God, forgive us as a nation. Forgive us as a people. Can we truly say that we are the land of the free and the home of the brave when, on Good Friday, a woman is being starved to death?

HENRY: This drama is culminating during Holy Week, intensifying an already highly charged religious and moral debate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Heavenly Father, I come before you now and I ask you, in the mighty name of Jesus, that you would rescue Governor Bush from himself, that you would open his heart, Lord, to see what lies he is telling himself that give him cause and makes him hesitate, when he can save a woman's life.

HENRY: But the fervor is just as passionate on the other side, with supporters of Michael Schiavo saying the moral solution is to let his wife die with dignity.

GEORGE FELOS, ATTORNEY FOR MICHAEL SCHIAVO: We believe it's time for that -- for that to stop, for this activity to stop, as we approach this Easter weekend, and that Mrs. Schiavo be able to -- to die in peace.

HENRY: Still, the fact that time is running out for Terri Schiavo on Easter weekend is ratcheting up the pressure on Governor Bush, who, unlike his brother, is Catholic.

PAUL O'DONNELL, SCHINDLER FAMILY ADVISER: On this Good Friday day, as one Catholic father to another, he's begging the governor to save his daughter. Bob Schindler, Mary Schindler are pleading with Governor Bush.

HENRY: The governor had planned to participate in the Stations of the Cross during a Good Friday service. But he canceled after hearing that Mahoney and other protesters would be there, according to a priest at this cathedral. Mahoney was struck by the Fifth Station prayer that the governor would have read.

MAHONEY: My prayer for Governor Bush is simply what he would have read today. Help me to say yes and be willing to give assistance to all who are in need. Governor Bush, please say yes to Terri and give her assistance today, on Good Friday.

HENRY: Mahoney, who has been fasting for eight days in solidarity with Schiavo, compares her to Christ.

MAHONEY: Christ, innocent, enduring painful agony, suffering, being denied food and water, Terri Schiavo, innocent, powerless, going through this horrific death. And Christ gave his life, went through this pain and suffering, so that we might live, we might have salvation and live. We have already seen the benefits of Terri's pain and suffering, creating this national conversation, getting Congress to vote, moving the president, discussing living wills, end of life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HENRY: An aide says all of this is weighing heavily on the governor because of his concern for Terri Schiavo and her parents, not because of the protests and pressures on him -- Anderson.

COOPER: Ed Henry, thanks.

There's no unanimity of opinion among people of faith about what should happen to Terri Schiavo. We wanted to talk with people who see the situation differently.

Deepak Chopra is the best-selling author of a series of books on the human spirit, the latest "The Book of Secrets." He joins me tonight from San Diego.

Deepak, thanks for being with us.

DEEPAK CHOPRA, AUTHOR, "THE BOOK OF SECRETS": Thanks for having me, Anderson.

COOPER: The Vatican believes the feeding tube should be connected and they released a statement saying -- quote -- "Who can judge the dignity and sacredness of the life of a human being, made in the image and the likeness of God? Who can decide to pull the plug as if we were talking about a broken appliance?"

CHOPRA: The fact of the matter is that everybody, all the people on every side of this issue, are coming from love and compassion and trying to understand the meaning of life and death.

The people who say the tube should be left out are coming from love and compassion. They don't want to kill anyone, but they understand the meaning of suffering from their point of view. The people who say the tube should go in are also coming from love and compassion, because everybody is looking at the situation from their personal religious beliefs, from their personal indoctrination, from their cultural and religious point of view.

COOPER: And yet you believe...

CHOPRA: The fact...

COOPER: You believe the removal of the feeding tube was right.

CHOPRA: I do believe that it was right, because, you know, I believe that life is defined by awareness and consciousness and perception and cognition and feelings and emotions and social interactions and personal relationships and biology.

But, you know, there's only some aspects of that biology that are functional right now. You can take a human heart and give it the right nutrients, put it in a culture medium, and keep it going for a while. You can do that with other organs.

COOPER: But you are saying that's...

CHOPRA: That's not the definition of life.

COOPER: You are saying that's not life.

CHOPRA: That's not life.

COOPER: So, Terri Schiavo, in your mind, is not alive?

CHOPRA: In my mind, she is brain-dead. Her brain waves are flat. She has no perception, cognition, therefore, by any definition, cannot suffer.

She is -- there's certain parts of the autonomic nervous system that are functioning, but that happens. You know, when we remove organs and transplant them, those organs are presumably functional. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to transplant them.

COOPER: So, what -- what do you believe has happened to her spirit?

CHOPRA: Well, the spirit, from what we know today about consciousness, the spirit is a nonlocal field of intelligence that localizes in the physical body, just like, right now, you, Anderson Cooper, are localizing through the television set that people are watching you on.

That does not mean you are contained in the television set. So, just like you are not in the television set, her spirit is not in that physical body. It is only partially actualizing through certain functions in that body.

COOPER: You know, the president and a lot of people say, look, if there is any doubt, you err on the side of life.

CHOPRA: Well, you know, there's no doubt from certain points of view here. From certain doctors' point of view, there's no doubt. The EEG is flat, has been flat for a long time. And, by today's standards that's the current definition of death, is brain-dead.

You know, so, whose side do you think is -- the problem with this whole situation is, everybody is so sure of themselves. And, you know, I think, when you are so sure of yourself and there are so many diverse opinions, the essential truth is actually unknown.

COOPER: And, so, the message is what? I mean, what should people learn?

CHOPRA: The message is...

COOPER: I mean, I don't want to make -- make this as if it's some learning experience.

(CROSSTALK) CHOPRA: Anderson, and, Anderson, this is a message that, you know, lawyers are making money. Your TV ratings are going up. Politicians are using Terri Schiavo's physical body as a means of political exploitation.

It's a commentary on the age that we live in. You know, 100 years ago or 50 years ago, this wouldn't have been an issue, because we didn't have the technology to measure these things. And natural history of the disease would have taken its course. So, you know, as times change, we change our definitions of life through technology. It's a very sad commentary on our times, you know, that this has become a political, economic, and religious organizational debate that has becoming very exploitative.

COOPER: And, at the center, of course, is one young woman and her life hanging in the balance.

Deepak Chopra, appreciate you being with us. Thank you for your perspective.

CHOPRA: Thanks for having me, Anderson.

COOPER: We are going to continue our special edition of 360 in a moment.

First, let's check in with Erica Hill from Headline News to catch up on the other headlines making news -- hey, Erica.

HILL: Hey, Anderson.

This story got a lot of people saying, how did they do that? Some prisoners in Iraq were pretty far along in their escape plans. U.S. troops did manage to bust up the plot. But the Pentagon said detainees were on the verge of using a tunnel, and not a small one here. It was hundreds of feet long. They had dug it to escape from a detention camp.

Now, the prison's sewage system kept clogging up with sand and dirt. Nobody was really sure why, but it turns out the prisoners were dumping the sand down the toilets. U.S. troops, as we mentioned, did manage to foil the plan.

President Bush called India's leader today to explain his decision to supply about two dozen F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. The prime mini -- minister, rather -- expressed great disappointment at hearing the news and said the sale of sophisticated warplanes to its longtime nuclear rival would endanger security in the region. A U.S. official says the decision was linked to Pakistan's cooperation in the war against terrorism.

And, for the first time in 26 years, Pope John Paul II did not take part in the Good Friday procession at Rome Coliseum today. Instead, he appeared on video, sitting in his chapel at the Vatican. The pope's ill health has forced him to skip a series of Holy Week events. He has been hospitalized twice recently for breathing problems, including surgery last month to insert a breathing tube into his throat.

And that is the latest from Headline News -- Anderson, back to you.

COOPER: Erica, thanks. We'll see you in about 30 minute.

360 next, "The Purpose Driven Life." Best-selling author Rick Warren is our special guest.

Also, viewers sounding off, a lot of you e-mailing us, e-mails really pouring in on the Terri Schiavo on this special edition of 360. Send us your thoughts now. Log on now to CNN.com/360. Click on the instant feedback link. We are covering all the angles.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Earlier in the program tonight, we heard two doctors give very different opinions of Terri Schiavo's condition. In fact, half-a-dozen doctors testified about her in court what they say is regarded as expert testimony, of course. Medical experts make an awful lot of money. But the question is, are they guns for hire, being paid to tell people and juries exactly what they want to hear?

CNN's Adaora Udoji investigates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): How Terri Schiavo is doing depends on who you ask. This doctor, hired by her parents, who are fighting to keep her alive:

DR. WILLIAM HAMMESFAHR, NEUROLOGIST: The woman is very aware of her surroundings. She's very aware. She's alert. She's not in a coma, she's not in PVS.

UDOJI: Another, hired by her husband, fighting, he says, to fulfill Schiavo's wishes.

DR. RONALD CRANFORD, NEUROLOGIST: I've seen her. There's no doubt in my mind whatsoever, she's in a permanent vegetative state. Her CAT scan shows extremely severe atrophy to the brain. And her EEG is flat. It doesn't show any electrical activity at all.

UDOJI: Cynics might say the answers too often depend on who is paying. But medical ethicist George Annas says so-called doctors for hire are critical.

GEORGE ANNAS, BOSTON UNIVERSITY: There are people who really believe different things and at -- the cross-examination process and testifying under oath in a public forum really is a good crucible to figure out who is more than likely telling the -- telling the truth.

UDOJI: Annas says medicine is not an exact science. Consider the Louise Woodward case, the British nanny accused of shaking to death Matthew Eappen. Her medical experts argued the baby died after prior injuries flared up. Prosecutor Martha Coakley says, in theory, the arguments were valid, but her experts who treated the baby said not in this case.

MARTHA COAKLEY, MIDDLESEX COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: The cracked skull, the swollen brain, the retinal bleeding and the quick onset of what was fatal for Matthew Eappen could have only been an intentional inflicted and a very -- in some ways, for a baby, a very fierce attack.

UDOJI: Woodward was convicted.

Celebrity defendant Claus von Bulow brought in medical experts. They disputed accusations he put his socialite millionaire wife in a coma after injecting her with insulin. At first convicted, he was later acquitted.

Critics argue, all these hired guns, making from $150 to $900 an hour, have huge incentives to please their clients, rather than find the truth. Coakley says, the bottom line, there are doctors that abuse the system, but most have too much at stake.

COAKLEY: Their livelihood depends on giving good, accurate testimony. And if they consistently don't do that, they're not going to be hired much longer.

UDOJI (on camera): There are still concerns. At least half a dozen states are debating just how to deal with expert opinions. And the Schiavo case highlights how troubling they can be.

Adaora Udoji, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, coming up next on this special edition of 360, "The Purpose Driven Life." We are going in-depth with preacher, teacher and best-selling author Rick Warren, talking about the Terri Schiavo case and how you can find purpose in your own life.

We're covering all the angles straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WARREN: My question would be to the husband, why are you in such a hurry to let this woman die? I mean you have already moved on with your life. You have lived with this other woman for ten years, you've had two kids by her. And if he says well, I want to remarry. Well, I don't advise divorce, but it is certainly more preferable than letting a person die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Well, that was Rick Warren on subject of Terri Schiavo and her husband. Warren is the author of the best-selling nonfiction hard cover book in American history, "The Purpose-Driven Life." Sales of which zoomed even higher recently after Ashley Smith of Atlanta said this was the book that helped her talk alleged killer Brian Nichols into letting her go and turning himself in.

I spoke with Rick Warren earlier this week.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: This Easter weekend what is your message going to be to your congregation?

WARREN: Well, you know, Anderson, I think the message is a message of hope. I'm actually going to speak on "The Purpose-Driven Life." It is the 25th anniversary of our church. We started 25 years ago in my home. I will be doing 12 services for about 40,000 people this week. And we're going to be talking about hope.

I think this is a common denominator in a lot of stories we are seeing on the news. The thing about the killer up in Minnesota, the Terri Schiavo case, the Ashley Smith and Brian Nichols story. All revolve around this issue of hope. That people want a reason for hope.

And I think Easter says God can bring good out of bad, he can turn crucifixions into resurrections, and no situation is hopeless.

COOPER: God can bring good out of bad. There has been so much bad this week, as you said, the shooting in Minnesota. Does it make you doubt at all? Why does God allow these things to happen?

WARREN: Right. Well, the reason why there's evil in the world is because God has given us a free choice. And people can choose to do good or bad. I choose to do wrong things quite frequently and so does everybody else. Every time I make a mistake, every time I act selfishly, every time I sin it hurts other people. And in these cases, the killers, they took lives.

Now, God could easily get rid of all evil in the world simply by taking away our freedom to choose. He could turn us all into puppets where we don't have a choice. But he wanted to produce a group of people who chose to love him voluntarily. And so, our greatest blessing, which is the freedom to choose, the free will, is also our greatest curse because we often choose the wrong things and people get hurt as a result.

COOPER: But if it is an all-knowing and all-seeing God, why give you that freedom of choice?

WARREN: Because love is not real love unless you choose. In other words, God couldn't say we love him unless we have a choice not to love him. And so God gives us a choice. Either he can be God of our lives, or we can be God of our lives. And quite frequently, I make that choice and I basically thumb my nose to God and say God, I'm going to do what I want to do instead of what you want me to do. That's the downside to the freedom to choose. God is not the author of evil. In fact, when people say, well, it must have been God's will that these people were killed. Well, I have a theological term for that, hogwash. It's just not...

COOPER: Stop using these fancy theological terms.

WARREN: Yeah, fancy theological term, hogwash.

Most of what is done in the world is not God's will. That's why we are to pray thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Why? Because in heaven it's done perfectly, but it's not done perfectly here on Earth. And that's why we have crime, poverty, disease, ignorance, lack of education and all of these violent acts. It happens.

COOPER: And having to forgive one another.

WARREN: The most difficult thing in life is learning to forgive. And it's interesting to me as we talk about Easter week that Jesus on the cross said, Father forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing. And he said it while he was still in pain. He didn't say it ten years later. He didn't say it when time had passed. He did it while they were still having nails in his hands. And that is the most difficult thing to do.

In fact, I don't think it's possible to forgive completely without God's love in us, because human love wears out. You know, at some point people say I can't do it. I can't forgive that person. They hurt me too much. And I, as pastor said a lot of times you're right.

COOPER: So Brian Nichols can be forgiven? This guy Couey down in Florida who allegedly killed this little girl, he can be forgiven?

WARREN: I do believe that no person is beyond redemption. That is the story of grace.

The fact is that God gives us not what we deserve, but what we need. If we all got what we deserved, none of us would be here. I mean, none of us. And we often want to grade on a curve and say well, this guy was so much worse than me. And the truth is, yes. You know what, you are a better than a lot of people. In fact, you are probably better than me. I would say that to most people. But the issue is God doesn't grade on a curve and we all fall short. So we all need grace.

And this is what Ashley Smith gave to Brian. She had been extended grace herself. She had gone through problems, she'd gone through difficulties, she'd messed up her life in many ways. She's real honest about that. And when you feel graced, you are more gracious with others. When you feel forgiven, then you forgive others. In fact, I discovered that people who have a hard time forgiving others don't feel forgiven themselves. And so they don't want to pass it on, because they don't feel it themselves.

COOPER: The chapter that Ashley Smith read -- or the beginning of the chapter that she read to Brian Nichols was 33. And it begins, "we serve God by serving others." It goes on to say, "everyone wants to lead, no one wants to be a servant."

What do you think it was that got through to this man?

WARREN: Well you know, it's interesting that God can use almost anything to get somebody's attention. And the book is a 40-day spiritual journey. And Ashley just happened to be on day 33. The church she was a part of was going through a thing called "40 days of purpose," which now well over 25,000 churches have gone through. And now it's in corporations and NBA teams, and schools, and even prisons. And so she just happened to be on that day that was about being a servant.

But she not only read it to him, she actually did it. And she cooked him breakfast. She served him. That melted his heart. All of a sudden somebody showed him a little bit of kindness. And he then offered to serve her by fixing her curtains.

And I think the message -- there's a couple messages here, Anderson. One of them is that God can use anybody. I mean, Ashley is not a saint. She is not some preacher or a theologian. She's just a normal person, went out for a pack of cigarettes. And she came back and was not expecting this to happen, but this happened. And God showed up in her life. And she had the courage to -- and the presence of mind to show this guy a little love, a little kindness, and he melted in that situation.

And the point that I would say is that no person, no problem is too deep that God's love isn't deeper still. And there are probably people watching this show saying I'm beyond hope. I would say you're dead wrong that God has a purpose for your life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well coming up, more of my conversation with Rick Warren. He will tell you how you can find purpose in your own life.

And later, lots of opinions from you out there about Terri Schiavo. We're going to hear some viewer e-mail. You can get send -- you can still get your e-mails in. Send it to CNN.com/360.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Welcome back to this special edition of 360. More now from Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life." I talked with him earlier this week.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: The essential message of the book that everyone has a purpose.

WARREN: Yes.

COOPER: The problem, though, a lot of people, you know, is finding that purpose. I remember when I graduated college I asked my mom, you know, what she thought I should do with my life. And she just watched Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers and said, you know, follow your bliss. And you know, I frankly wanted a little more specific advice because, you know, how do you find your bliss?

WARREN: Right.

COOPER: How do you find your bliss? How do you find your purpose?

WARREN: You know what? I watched that series, too, and you know what? It doesn't work. Somebody needs to say the emperor has no clothes because the truth is it doesn't work.

COOPER: Because what, you're looking within?

WARREN: Yes. People say, well, look within. Well, you know what? I didn't create me. So I can't tell me what my purpose is. You know this trust the force, Luke, look within. The problem with that, it doesn't work. I looked within and just saw a bunch of confusion.

If looking within could show you your purpose, we'd all know it about now. It doesn't work. You have to look to your creator and you have to read the owner's manual. If I were to hold up an invention and say...

COOPER: The owner's manual?

WARREN: Yes, the owner's manual. That's the Bible. And the owner's manual for life is God's word. And it's very clear there.

You know, there was a guy named Dr. Robert Morehead, you know, Hugh Morehead, who was a professor at Northeastern University, and he wrote to 250 scientists and scholars and novelists and poets, people you all, all of us would know, and asked them one question, "What is the meaning of life?" And he put their answers in a book.

I read the book. It was quite depressing. Actually, it's out of print and for good reason, because nobody knew the answer. You see, even the best philosophers are just guessing.

COOPER: But look, if no one is looking within, and everyone's looking to the Bible for answers about what do with their life, I mean, you won't get any litigation attorneys. You won't get, you know, some of the sort of tougher aspects, you know, jobs that are out there, will you?

WARREN: Yes. Yes. Well, the bottom line is this -- is that we're not an accident. The bottom line is that if you do not believe in a creator, then the truth is, your life doesn't matter. You're just an accident.

If evolution is true, without any God involved in it at all, if there was no God then we're all just random chance protoplasms. Then the truth is your life doesn't matter. And if a drive-by shooter happens to come by and take your life, too bad. I mean, you were an accident being born and you're an accident dying.

But that's not what the Bible says. The Bible says that before you were born God planned you, that he had a specific reason for making you. And that you were created to be loved by God.

And that's the message in the book. It's resonating around the word. It's not just in America, you know. It's in about 50 languages. And there are about 2,000 churches in the Philippines that have done it, all over the world.

COOPER: And the first sentence is, "It's not about you."

WARREN: Yes. You know, that's because I wanted to say something totally counterculture. All of the self-help books basically say the exact opposite; it's all about you. And for the past 50 years we've been in a very me-centered culture. It's all about me, very narcissistic. All the advertisements say we do it for you. It's all about you, have it your way.

And I think it's pretty refreshing, and that's why people have been buying the book, I think. It's a little slap in the face that says no, it's not all about you.

If the greatest reason for your life is for your own self- fulfillment, well, why get out of bed in the morning? Why not just, you know, send a note and say, "I think I'll pass on this day"?

We need a purpose bigger than ourselves that's greater than ourselves that pulls us out of ourselves to be more than what we were meant to be. And that purpose is God's purpose. We were made by God, and we're made for God. Until we understand that, life isn't going to make sense.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Of course, God being evoked in the debate over Terri Schiavo happening right now. We are anticipating a court verdict from the 11th Circuit Court out of Atlanta. We will bring that verdict to you as soon as we get it. We are anticipating it at any moment.

We'll be right back. Our special coverage continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Our special coverage of Terri Schiavo continues. But first let's get the latest headlines from Erica Hill at Headline News.

Hey, Erica.

HILL: Hey, Anderson.

President Bush called India's leader today to explain his decision to supply about two dozen F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. That decision getting a lot of reaction, as you can imagine. The prime minister expressed great disappointment at hearing the news and said the sale of sophisticated warplanes to its longtime nuclear rival would endanger security in the region. A U.S. official said the decision was linked to Pakistan's cooperation in the war against terrorism.

U.S. forces in Iraq have apparently thwarted a mass escape from a prison camp. A 600-foot long escape tunnel was discovered at Camp Buka, which houses more than 5,000 detainees. The tunnel was about 10 feet underground. The prisoners were reportedly dumping the sand from their digging into the toilets. That was, in turn, jamming the sewage system. A head count, though, revealed no one got away.

A military document has surfaced which indicates officials have evidence Osama bin Laden did escape from U.S. forces at the Tora Bora region in Afghanistan in 2001. Previous statements by the Pentagon held it was unclear whether he eluded forces at that time. The document summarizes evidence against a terror suspect in custody at Guantanamo Bay. It states that he, quote, "assisted in the escape of bin Laden from Tora Bora," but there was no time frame given.

And Anderson, those are the latest headlines from Headline News. Have a great weekend.

COOPER: Erica, thanks. We've got some breaking news to report. We have just learned the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled on the Schiavo case before them.

Sara Dorsey is in Atlanta covering it. Sara, what's the latest?

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, a three-judge panel has denied that request by Bob and Mary Schindler to revisit this case, appeal it essentially, and rehook up -- excuse me, hook up the feeding tube of Terri Schiavo. That just came out moments ago.

Now, if this is anything like their last appeal Wednesday, now the Schindlers' attorney can go back and appeal to the entire court, all 12 judges, if that's anything like what happened last Wednesday.

Now, again, we are hearing three judges have denied this appeal by Bob and Mary Schindler, the parents of Terri Schiavo, which means from the 11th Circuit Court, that feeding tube will not be hooked up again -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Sara Dorsey from that.

On the phone, legal analyst Jayne Weintraub, criminal defense attorney out of Florida. Jayne, what do you make of this ruling?

JAYNE WEINTRAUB, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Hey, Anderson.

The governor has no place in this litigation. The family should stop the frivolous litigation and stick to the narrow issue what did Terri want. That's the only issue that was before Judge Greer that's been litigated, relitigated. It's over. You have to accept the ruling of the court.

COOPER: We talked to her -- the attorney for -- one of the attorneys for the Schindler family earlier in this hour. He said it's likely they would -- they would appeal again.

WEINTRAUB: They will appeal because it's all a political platform at this point, Anderson. This is not about Terri Schiavo anymore. This is about right to life. This is about a million other issues. It's not about what did Terri want, because that's the only thing that's uncontroverted that Judge Greer took evidence on. That has not been disturbed. That's the only thing that matters. We have a right in Florida to die with dignity, and they should give her her privacy.

COOPER: Well, certainly the Schindlers disagree with you on that. They say that's not what Terri would have wanted. They say Judge Greer was wrong in ruling that. But that is their opinion. Judge Greer did make that ruling.

Jayne Weintraub, appreciate you joining us for that.

360 next, our special coverage continues. We're going to take a look at the life of Terri Schiavo in "The Nth Degree" and your e- mails. Getting thousands of e-mails on this. We'll read some of them coming up next. You still have some time at CNN.com/360.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, the Terri Schiavo story continues to create a lot of e-mails. And on Good Friday there were many references to God in them. Here are just a few.

Matthew from Columbus, Ohio, writes, "I find it alarming that there are so many people in this country that are opposed to Terri Schiavo going home to God. It's clear we that do not have the medical technology that would bring her back to a state of being able to live life."

Catherine from Ames, Iowa, says, "God may be answering the prayers of all those people who want Terri Schiavo's feeding tube replaced. Sometimes his answer is, "No." He may want Terri to be in heaven with Him."

Debra from Trenton, Michigan writes, "Shame on us for playing God, for making this a political issue, for starving somebody's daughter to death."

And Sharon from Lima, Ohio, says, "I believe that Terri should be hooked back up and the government stay out of it. She should be able to have all the medical help that can be tried. I also think if her parents are willing to take care of her, so be it. Her death should be up to God."

Have something on your mind? Send us an e-mail. We'd love to hear from you. Just go to CNN.com/360, click on the instant feedback link.

Tonight, taking lost time to "The Nth Degree."

Consider this: Terri Schiavo has spent more than a quarter of her short life in a hospital bed. When last she was able to walk and talk and take in the world around her, there still was a Soviet Union, if just barely. The father of the current president was president. "Cheers" was the big thing on the small screen, and "Dances with Wolves" was the big thing on the big screen.

Since then, whatever you call her state, Terri Schiavo has been beyond reach. Though "Starsky and Hutch" was one of her favorite TV shows -- she and her friend wrote hundreds of letters to Paul Michael Glaser -- she never got to see the movie version.

She loved the movie "An Officer and a Gentleman" with Richard Gere, once seeing it four times in a day. But she missed out on "Shall We Dance?"

She introduced her brother Bobby to Bruce Springsteen but never got to hear 50 Cent. She's missed so much in the 15 years, the fall of Communism, the Clinton years, September 11th.

It has been a long, long nightmare for Terri and all those who love her, and we can only wish all of them this weekend peace.

I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks for watching this two-hour special edition of 360. Paula Zahn is back on Monday. I'll be back at 7 p.m. Eastern Time Monday night. Up next, "LARRY KING LIVE." Have a great weekend.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired March 25, 2005 - 19:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST: Good evening from New York. I'm Anderson Cooper.
Terri Schiavo close to death, say her parents, who still fight for her life.

A special edition of 360 starts now.

Time running out for Terri Schiavo, more than a week with no food, no water.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S FATHER: Terri is weakening. She's down to her last hours.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Tonight, the battle over Terri Schiavo.

You've seen the pictures of Terri Schiavo in her hospice bed. But what was her life like before? Tonight, we take you beyond the headlines, a look at the person, the woman at the center of the story, the life of Terri Schiavo.

Doctors divided on Terri's diagnosis. Tonight, we separate medical facts from fiction. How subjective is science?

Accusations of abuse and protests in the streets. The battle over Terri Schiavo reaches a boiling point on this Good Friday. Tonight, religion's role in the Schiavo showdown.

And we'll hear from representatives of Michael Schiavo, Terri, and her parents. And men of faith weigh in as well -- Deepak Chopra and an in-depth conversation with Rick Warren of "The Purpose-Driven Life."

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is a special two-hour edition of ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: Good evening again.

Terri Schiavo grows still -- no food, no water for eight days, her life ebbing away. Her body is dying. As far as we know, she is unaware of the whirlwind still circling around her. Her parents have filed yet another appeal to the Sixth Circuit Court in Florida, this time maintaining that their daughter has tried to say the words "I want to live." That's an outside shot of the courthouse there. The judge may rule anytime now. He says it will be no later than noon tomorrow.

Also for the second time since Wednesday, a federal appeals court in Atlanta is considering Terri's case. And right now, as you see in this live shot from Pinellas Park, protesters continue to mill about in front of Terri Schiavo's hospice. The scene there, quiet but tense.

Her parents are increasingly desperate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

B. SCHINDLER: Terri is weakening. You know, she's down to her last hours. So something has to be done, and it has to be done quick.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: We are anticipating a press conference with Bobby Schindler and other members of the Schindler family any moment now. We will bring parts of that to you live.

As you know, we don't take sides on 360, we look at all the angles. And over the next two hours, we're going to look in-depth at this case, talking with friends of Terri Schiavo, lawyers for her, for her husband, and her parents, and doctors who have examined her, doctors who have come to very different conclusions.

Before we do that, we want to introduce you, to however, to someone you may not have met, a young woman, full of life. We want you to meet Terri Schiavo, the woman, not the controversy.

Here's David Mattingly.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When you talk to anyone in Terri Schiavo's life, regardless of where they stand on her fate, it won't be long before the conversation turns to her smile, as prominent in everyday moments as it was on her wedding day.

MICHAEL SCHIAVO, TERRI'S HUSBAND: She was gorgeous. And all's I saw was her big smile, just laughing at everybody and, you know, with that shy little laugh, and -- but just outgoing.

MATTINGLY: Raised outside Philadelphia, the oldest of three children, relatives recall Terri growing up in Catholic school a shy girl, who, in her teen years, began coming out of her shell. She emerged apparently with an urge to care for every lost little animal that crossed her path.

MIKE TAMMARO, UNCLE: All through her life, she loved animals. And so it really surfaced as she got older, because she would bring any animal she could find home with her...

MATTINGLY: Mike Tammaro, Terri's uncle, has joined the family in Pinellas Park in their last attempts to convince the courts to keep her alive. He describes his niece as the picture of compassion, always thinking about others.

TAMMARO: The thing I remember most about Terri is the heart she showed anytime you were around her. She was the type person that, if you were to walk into a room that had just so much seating, she would make sure everyone had the seat before she sat down. And that's -- that's little, but yet it says a lot.

MATTINGLY: It also says a lot about Terri Schiavo to see her loved ones fighting so hard for what they believe is best for her.

In good times, she is remembered as happy-go-lucky, a little naive occasionally, but someone who always enjoyed the fun side of life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, it just seemed like she was always laughing, not even at one particular thing, she would just laugh, and then it would probably be contagious, and other people would laugh from hearing her laugh. It was contagious.

MATTINGLY: And now, in the worst of times, it is clear to those who knew her best that this intensely public fight for her future is the last thing a young woman who always thought about others first would have ever wanted to see.

TAMMARO: This would be outrageous to her, of course, with all the attention shown to her. She would find it probably as hard to believe as we do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: And we take you live to a press conference in Pinellas Park. Bobby Schindler, Terri's father.

SCHINDLER: I hugged her and I kissed her, and I got the lemon face from her again, which was encouraging. But I told her that we're still fighting for her, and she shouldn't give up, because we're not. But I think the people who are anxious to see her die are getting their wish. It's happening. That's what I have to say.

COOPER: That was Bobby Schindler, Terri Schiavo's father. Also with him you saw Brother O'Donnell, who is the family's religious adviser, and Randall Terry, formerly of Operation Rescue.

Randall Terry has been really leading, in many respects, the charge to try to keep -- to try to reinsert the feeding tube into Terri Schiavo. He's held a number of press conferences, has been very vocal, and at one point had been threatening conservative politicians or any politicians who do not try to make an effort to reinstate the feeding tube into Terri Schiavo, saying that there will be political repercussions for that. We're actually going to -- later on in this special two-hour edition of 360 in which we are focusing solely on the battle going on over Terri Schiavo, we're going to look in-depth at Randall Terry and see his role in all of this.

That a live picture right now outside the hospice at Pinellas Park, Florida, a scene we have come to, to, to get very used to. We have seen several hundred demonstrators at times who have been waiting outside, some in support of the Schindler family, some in support of Michael Schiavo, and what he is trying to do to Terri Schiavo.

Both sides represented, at times more on one side, more on the other.

A lot to talk about.

Bob, CNN's Bob Franken has been covering this since it began. He, we join him from Pinellas Park.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Once again, those charged with trespassing included three children, two girls and a boy this time, arrested with the adults.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anybody make you (INAUDIBLE)?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wanted to do this.

FRANKEN: When Kerry (ph) and Gaylen Keys allowed three of their kids to be taken into custody in Wednesday's televised exercise in civil disobedience, the reaction was hardly altogether positive. Critics charged they were misusing their children.

GAYLEN KEYS, MOTHER: With tens of thousands of children and young people being arrested for drugs and violence, I'm proud that my children were arrested for having loving compassion. So I don't apologize for that.

CAMERON KEYS, ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING: I was a little scared, but the policemen were very nice and everything. And they handcuffed us and took us to the juvenile hall. It was a little bit scary.

FRANKEN: Soon they were out to rejoin the dozens of other children whose parents have decided that the lessons of their fight to save Terri Schiavo's life outweigh the risks of this intense and unpredictable protest.

Matt and Mariann Bronzell (ph) brought eight of their 11 children to be here with the 100 to 200 demonstrators who have come to join the fight from around the country. The protesters bring the religious fervor from a variety of faiths.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) save Terri and feed her.

FRANKEN: The ages of the Bronzell children here range from teenaged to infant.

MATT BRONZELL, FATHER: Because my children need to see this. They need to see this. They need to see what the government's going to do so when they get a little older, they can change it before it's too late.

FRANKEN (on camera): The great bulk of people here favor reconnecting the tube to Terri Schiavo. There are very few on the other side. But many who are watching this drama unfold on TV complain that the children are being used and put in harm's way, that their parents are taking chances with them to advance their agenda.

Bob Franken, CNN, Pinellas Park, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, our 360 special, "The Battle Over Terri Schiavo," continues. We're focusing for the next two hours on this subject. In a moment, we're going to talk to one of her good friends live, and we're going to look in-depth at the doctors who have diagnosed Terri Schiavo -- doctors with conflicting opinions. We're going to talk to two of those doctors who've examined her and reached opposite conclusion.

All that ahead. First, your picks -- the most popular stories on CNN.com right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: That a live picture outside Terri Schiavo's hospice, where demonstrators are maintaining their vigil, as they have for throughout this week, really.

And we are waiting at any moment a judge's decision, Judge Greer yet again being asked to make a ruling in this case. It could happen any moment now over the next two hours. It will happen, we know for (INAUDIBLE) for sure, because the judge has says so by noon tomorrow.

This is a special two-hour edition of 360 on the battle over Terri Schiavo.

We wanted to talk to people who knew Terri Schiavo, knew her before she was a controversy, before she was in that hospice bed.

Jackie Rhodes first got to know Terri Schiavo in 1988 while working alongside her at an insurance company. They soon became friends. And she joins me from Cleveland.

Jackie, thanks for being on the program tonight.

You had been a close friend of Terri's for a number of years. What kind of person was she? What kind of things did you two do together?

JACKIE RHODES, FRIEND OF TERRI SCHIAVO: Terri and I would go shopping, the usual things that 25-year-olds do. We would go out to dinner almost every time we went shopping. And we went to see her grandmother and her family, her parents and her brother.

COOPER: You've said that before the attack, Terri was unhappy in her marriage, and that they were on the verge of divorce, she and Michael. What made you think that?

RHODES: Well, Terri and I often talked about how Michael would call her at work and upset her to the point of tears because he was unhappy in his job. And he was going to quit. He was unemployed for a period of time, from May of 1988 until she collapsed in 1990. She also -- I, too, was not happy in my marriage, and we talked about moving in together. We looked at furniture, and...

COOPER: You've also...

RHODES: ... talked about...

COOPER: You've also indicated, I mean, that there was possible physical abuse.

RHODES: I did notice bruises on her upper arms and her legs, yes.

COOPER: But you have no proof of this. I mean, this could have been she bumped herself.

RHODES: Right. But I mean, there was bruises more than just once in a while.

COOPER: Did she ever indicate to you that she had been abused?

RHODES: No, she did not.

COOPER: Were her parents aware of these, what you say were marital problems, or possible abuse?

RHODES: Yes, they were aware of the marital problems. In fact, at the malpractice lawsuit, the attorney followed me down the hallway in the courthouse, and he stressed to me the importance of me not saying anything about their discussing divorce during the court -- the trial, so that it would not negatively impact the outcome of the trial.

COOPER: I want to listen to something that Michael's brother, Scott, said. We have the tape. Let's play this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT SCHIAVO, BROTHER OF MICHAEL SCHIAVO: It's just part of their little, you know, setup here. Mike, you know, 1991, with the -- when the Schindlers testified in the malpractice suit, both the parents had testified that Mike was -- Mike and Terri had a wonderful marriage. They were deeply in love. When asked the question, what type of son-in-law Mike was, they said, Mike couldn't -- you couldn't ask for a better son-in-law. He was wonderful. You know, he was there. He was just a great guy...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: What I don't understand is that, I mean, the Schindlers were very close to Michael Schiavo. He even lived in their home after Terri's attack. Why would they have testified, you know, that he was a great guy and the marriage was fine and allow him to live in the house if they thought they were getting divorced and he was being abusive?

RHODES: I -- well, at that point I believe Michael was appointed guardian. And, you know, I didn't discuss that with them. So I really can't comment on that. But I do know that they were aware of them discussing a divorce, and the attorney in the malpractice suit was also aware of that.

COOPER: You've also said you think that Michael's been neglectful in his caring for Terri Schiavo since she's been incapacitated. In what way?

RHODES: Well, he has not provided her with physical therapy or any type of rehabilitation. In the beginning, when she collapsed, she always had a radio in her room. The curtain would always be open if she had an outside room. She's not getting any of this now. And the radio was for stimuli, just to keep her mind, you know, stimulated. And she's not getting any of that now.

COOPER: You know, Jackie, just so you know, on this program we really try to look at all sides. We don't take sides. But I really do want to try to get as many facts out as possible. I want to just play you something that Jay Wolfson, who is the man appointed Terri's guardian by the court, he wrote a report for Governor Jeb Bush back in 2003. Here's just something he said just on this particular issue. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY WOLFSON, FORMER SCHIAVO GUARDIAN: There's no evidence in the record to indicate that he withheld care after a certain point, after three or four years, when the judgment in the malpractice case came through...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: He went on to say that, I mean, she's never had a bed sore in 15 years. And at one point, the nurses tried to get a -- basically a subpoena, a restraining order against Michael Schiavo because he was being so demanding about care for his wife. Do you not believe that, or...

RHODES: According to -- when I visited her in 2000, there was no radio, the curtains were drawn. And when my last visits to her prior to me moving back to Ohio, I did not notice -- there was no radio in the room, the curtains were drawn, so...

COOPER: When was the last time you saw her?

RHODES: January of 2000. COOPER: OK, so about five years, all right. Hey, Jack, Jackie, appreciate you being on to tell us about Terri, and I know it's a difficult subject for you. Appreciate you taking the time. Thank you very much.

RHODES: Thank you.

COOPER: Well, we continue to cover this story in-depth tonight, a special two-hour edition of 360.

But for a moment, let's look at the other news making headlines right now. There's a controversial sale of warplanes by the United States.

Erica Hill from Headline News has that and the other day's headlines. Hey, Erica.

ERICA HILL, CNN HEADLINE NEWS: Hey, Anderson.

Yes, controversial indeed. President Bush called India's prime minister today to explain his decision to supply about two dozen F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. Manmohan Singh expressed great disappointment at hearing the news, and said the sale of sophisticated warplanes to its longtime nuclear rival would endanger security in the region. A U.S. official says the decision was linked to Pakistan's cooperation in the war against terrorism.

One day after mass demonstration forced Kyrgyzstan's president to flee the country, coup leaders have named a new acting president. Opposition leaders have already taken over top government posts, and new presidential elections are planned for June. Ousted President Askar Akayev is calling the coup leaders irresponsible adventurers and vowing to return to office.

For the first time in 26 years, Pope John Paul did not take part in the Good Friday procession at Rome's Coliseum today. Instead, he appeared on video, sitting in his chapel at the Vatican. The pope's ill health has forced him to skip a series of Holy Week events. He was hospitalized twice last month for breathing problems, including surgery to insert a breathing tube into his throat.

Two fishermen in California, glad to be back on dry land. They sent out a distress call early this morning. The Coast Guard rescued them as their 42-foot boat sank off the coast near Los Angeles. No word yet on just why the boat went under.

And that's the latest from Headline News. Anderson, back to you.

COOPER: All right, Erica, thanks. We'll see you again in about 30 minutes from now.

Coming up next on this special edition, the man behind the mike. Family spokesman Randall Terry, who was once the head of Operation Rescue, now he's at the center of this very public and very political case. Looking in-depth at him, taking you behind the headlines. Also tonight, conflicting medical opinions. How can different doctors look at the same patient and come up with completely different conclusions? 360 M.D. Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes a closer look.

Also, we're going to talk to two of the doctors who've actually examined Terri Schiavo.

Covering all the angles. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Our special two-hour edition of 360 continues now, "The Battle Over Terri Schiavo." The story continues to be the most popular one on CNN.com.

If you've been following the story you may have noticed a familiar name and face at some of the news conference for Terri Schiavo's parents. His name is Randall Terry. And Rudi Bakhtiar went in-depth to bring you an angle you won't see anywhere else.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUDI BAKHTIAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Randall Terry is back at the mike.

RANDALL TERRY, SCHINDLER FAMILY SPOKESMAN: Here's the supporting documents for those in favor of life and justice.

BAKHTIAR: The man once famous for throwing his body in front of abortion clinics is now on stage outside of a new clinic, the hospice housing Terri Schiavo.

TERRY: But originally, they got me involved because they knew that I was kind of a lightning rod and that me even coming would help jump start things.

BAKHTIAR: He's the family spokesman for Terri Schiavo's parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, in their fight with judges over who decides her fate.

TERRY: We are like little lap dogs begging for our rights at the feet of judges.

BAKHTIAR: This time, he's starring as himself. Randall Terry and the anti-abortion organization he founded, Operation Rescue, divorced more than ten years ago.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He has a lot of people that he knows, a lot of groups that he mobilizes. So, when he start making phone calls people start showing up.

BAKHTIAR: But the Terri Schiavo case has given the fire- breathing activist a new life in the media scrum.

TERRY: Whether it has to do with child pornography on the Internet or the Pledge of Allegiance having "under God" in it, or the Ten Commandments in Alabama, or homosexual marriage in Massachusetts or Vermont, where do all of these things come from? Judges.

BAKHTIAR: It's been a long road for Randall Terry, who was once imprisoned for sending former President Bill Clinton an aborted fetus.

TERRY: This is what choice is all about.

BAKHTIAR: His clinic crusade slowed after he was forced to settle a lawsuit with Planned Parenthood. He moved to Florida and campaigned against infidelity and birth control, gays and unwed mothers.

But a year ago, his expended agenda came under fire from his own devout Christian family, the children who once featured in TV ads.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, there it is.

BAKHTIAR: His son Jamiel came out as gay in a magazine article.

JAMIEL TERRY, RANDALL TERRY'S SON: In my family, it was you start having sex outside of marriage you get AIDS, you're a whore, you're a slut -- those are exact words. Yesterday he said to me I'm going to be at your funeral, you're going to die at 42.

BAKHTIAR: His teenage daughter Tila, said her father no longer welcomes her in his home.

TILA TERRY, RANDALL TERRY'S DAUGHTER: I had sex outside marriage, I got pregnant and I miscarried after about three or four months. I hadn't been speaking with my dad. We haven't been as close as you know we were since I left his house.

BAKHTIAR: His eldest, Ebony, also had two children out of wedlock and became a Muslim.

EBONY WHETSTONE, RANDALL TERRY'S DAUGHTER: It's a whole make of our family is not traditional, by far. So it's not going to be, you know, picture-perfect.

BAKHTIAR: And Randall Terry himself was censored by his church after he had an affair with an assistant. The family split.

R. TERRY: She is in the agonizing position of dying of thirst. She's on fire while politicians fiddle.

BAKHTIAR: So now he has a new family and a second chance to become the voice of the Christian right.

R. TERRY: If she dies, there's going to be hell to pay with the pro-life, pro-family Republican people of various legislative levels statewide and federal-wide who have used pro-life, pro-family conservative rhetoric to get into power and then when they have that power, they refuse to use it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BAKHTIAR: Randall Terry now works with an organization he formed in 2003, it's called the Society for Truth and Justice. And its first campaign was against the U.S.' Supreme Court's 6-3 decision striking down anti-sodomy laws. He launched the "Impeach the Twisted Six" campaign in Florida, which really never gained any strength. And then came the Schiavo case.

COOPER: How did he get involved in the Schiavo case?

BAKHTIAR: Well, about a year ago he approached the family -- and he was approached by the family, actually to take this on and base basically bring Schiavo's case to the American people. And the father actually credits him with saving Terri Schiavo's life at least once.

COOPER: All right. Thanks very much. Rudy Bakhtiar.

This story just coming in to CNN, the FBI has arrested a North Carolina man who is offering money over the Internet for the murder of Michael Schiavo and the state judge in the case. Richard Alan Meywes of Fairview, North Carolina, allegedly offered $250,000 for the killing of Michael Schiavo and $50,000 for the death of Circuit Court Judge George Greer who ordered Schiavo's feeding tube removed and who continues to rule on the case.

We'll be following this story throughout the evening. This just came in to CNN. We bring you more information as we get it.

Doctors divided on Terri's diagnosis. Tonight, we separate medical facts from fiction. How subjective is science?

And we'll hear from representatives of Michael Schiavo, Terri, and her parents. And men of faith weigh in as well, Deepak Chopra, and an in-depth conversation with Rick Warren of "The Purpose Driven Life."

This special two-hour edition of 360 continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Our special two-hour edition of 360 continues, "The Battle Over Terri Schiavo.

We're about to talk with two doctors who have been called on officially to offer their expert opinions on Terri Schiavo's condition. They both observed her. Before we do that however, we want to offer you perspective on what it's like to deal with such an incredibly difficult task, rendering a life or death judgment on a regular basis.

360 M.D. Sanjay Gupta reviews what the experts have said in the case of Terri Schiavo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a medical case as high-profile as Terri Schiavo, you would think the medical experts would have all of the answers. But just by listening to them and reviewing statements they gave to the court, it's easy to see why a final answer is so complicated.

DR. WILLIAM HAMMESFAHR, NEUROLOGIST: I spent about 10 hours across about three months, and you know, the woman is very aware of her surroundings. She's very aware. She's alert. She's not in a coma. She's not in PVS.

GUPTA: PVS, persistent vegetative state. Dr. Hammesfahr was chosen by Terri Schiavo's parents to testify in court. His opinion, very different from Dr. Cranford, chosen by Michael Schiavo, Terri's husband.

DR. RONALD CRANFORD, NEUROLOGIST: The vegetative state is a scary diagnose, unless you know what you're looking for. It looks like the patient is interacting, but Terri's not interacting.

GUPTA: Both of them are neurologists and their conclusions are based on diagnostic tests that are supposed to be objective, yet they tell different tales.

HAMMESFAHR: Her CT scan has maybe 75 percent of the brain tissue is still left.

CRANFORD: I've seen her. There's no doubt in my mind whatsoever, she's in a persistent vegetative state. Her CAT scan shows extremely severe atrophy to the brain. And her EEG is flat. It's doesn't show any electrical activity at all.

GUPTA: And most importantly, their opinions about a possible recovery?

HAMMESFAHR: With proper therapy, she will have a tremendous improvement. I think personally she'll be able to walk eventually. And she'll be able to use at least one of her arms.

CRANFORD: There's no way. It's totally bogus.

GUPTA: Five doctors gave their medical opinions in an evidentiary hearing ordered by a Florida Appellate Court -- two doctors chosen by each side and one court-appointed neurologist who was chosen by the judge. He declined a CNN interview, but told the courts -- "The preponderance of the data and my clinical examination reveal no evidence of awareness of self, environment or ability to interact with others. Mrs. Schiavo exhibits no evidence of language comprehension or expression. I would state that her chances of meaningful neurological recovery to be virtually nonexistent.

His language leaves little room for doubt -- unless you ask yet another neurologist. And so, a medical choice -- normally decided between doctors and a patient's loved ones is fought out in the courts.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, joining us now in Bloomington, Minnesota, is Dr. Ronald Cranford testified, a physician who's testified as an expert witness for Michael Schiavo's legal team. You saw him in that piece.

Dr. Cranford, thanks very much for being with us here. Appreciate it.

CRANFORD: My pleasure.

COOPER: You believe Terri Schiavo is in a persistently vegetative state. Doctors for Terri's parents have concluded she's in a state of minimal consciousness.

I want to play you something that Bob Schindler said on this subject, and have you to respond to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

B. SCHINDLER: PVS from our understanding is, that it's misdiagnosed at least 30 percent to 40 percent of the time. Terri has been mislabeled for years and years as being in this condition.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Is it possible you've misdiagnosed her?

CRANFORD: No. There's no possibility whatsoever. And you know, Judge Greer had the longest evidentiary hearing in the history of American law in the right-to-die case -- six days, six separate physicians. He completely discounted the testimony of Dr. Hammesfahr and Dr. Maxwell. He didn't believe a word they said. He did believe the court-appointed expert, Dr. Peter Bambikidis from Cleveland, as well as the two lawyer -- as well as the two doctors for the Schiavo family, myself and Dr. Melvin Greer from Florida.

And previously, four neurologists had diagnosed her, who were caring for her from 1990 to 2002, they also diagnosed her in a persistent vegetative state. So, seven of the eight neurologists who examined Terri over the years have all said the same thing, she's in a permanent or persistent vegetative state. And the only neurologist has ever said otherwise was Dr. Hammesfahr, and he was discounted by the court.

COOPER: Well -- I mean, how can that be that you can have a neurologist like Dr. Hammesfahr who -- I mean, he testified saying that with proper treatment she'll be active. She'll be able to walk again and maybe use one arm. I mean, are you saying he's just completely wrong?

CRANFORD: I'm saying he's a pathologic liar. He's bogus. He has credentials that are utterly non-credible. And you just have to look up the record. I mean, you have to look at what judge -- look at the hearing. Look at the evidentiary hearing. Look what Judge Greer said about Dr. Hammesfahr. He didn't believe a word he said. So, there's no doubt everybody credible that's ever examined Terri had said she's in a vegetative state. I'm sorry about Hammesfahr, he's shameful to the medical profession. But nobody believed him. But he's continued to say what he has. COOPER: What is -- what is -- what is Terri Schiavo's brain like? I mean, one doctor said her brain shows 75 percent of brain tissue left. Then I read another doctor, Dr. Gambone, who is Terri's treating physician saying, her brain is predominantly replaced by spinal fluid.

CRANFORD: Yes, it's replaced by spinal fluid. You have copies of that. I sent copies to CNN, and it shows extremely severe atrophy. Show it to any neurologist in the country, he'll say that her atrophy is so severe, there's no remaining viable cerebral cortex, it's all scar tissue left. It's not 75 percent left. And any neurologist in the country will tell you that there's extremely severe atrophy. And the judge was very impressed by that. We showed to Judge Greer the images and he was impressed by the fact that there's hardly any cerebral cortex left, the thinking part of the brain.

COOPER: Well, Dr. Cranford, we appreciate you being with us. Thank you very much.

CRANFORD: My pleasure.

COOPER: As you know, we don't take -- we don't take sides on 360.

Coming up my interview with a doctor whose diagnosis shows that Terri is a minimally conscious state. We'll talk to him.

Also tonight, tight security, more arrests. More kids joining the peaceful protests. We just heard about this alleged murder plot on the Internet -- someone offering money to murder Michael Schiavo and judge ruling in the case. We'll get the latest on that, covering all of the angles, this special two hour edition of 360, "The Battle Over Terri Schiavo."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Welcome back to the special two-hour edition of 360. Brother Paul O'Donnell's comments made a little bit earlier just don't represent Catholics. People of many denominations have passionate opinions about Terri Schiavo's case. Life and death decisions are not supposed to be made on passion alone, but on medical facts of course.

Dr. William Maxfield is a radiologist. Terri Schiavo's parents had him review her brain scans and visit her. He joins me now from Tampa. Doctor, thanks for being with us.

You testified on behalf of Terri's parents based on three separate observations you made of Terri Schiavo. Why do you believe she is not in a persistent vegetative state?

DR. WILLIAM MAXFIELD, RADIOLOGIST: Because of the way that she acted when I saw her interact with her parents and also react to environment such as musical tunes and things like that.

COOPER: In order -- her court-appointed doctor, though, testified very differently. He said in fact, and I'm reading this from computer, that she had no language competence or expression, no evidence of regeneration of brain tissue, no awareness of self, environment, or ability to be interact with others and a virtually nonexistent chance of meaningful, neurologic recovery. What did you see that he didn't see?

MAXFIELD: I saw her follow the plastic balloon that was moved about and follow the lights and respond particularly to her mother.

COOPER: And what kind of response?

MAXFIELD: Turning her heads towards her and trying to make sounds and recognizing, in my opinion, that she was there.

COOPER: So what is -- I mean, are these other doctors incompetent? Why do they come to such starkly different conclusions? And the judge in this case, Judge Greer, seems to have sided with all of these other physicians?

MAXFIELD: I don't know if they had the opportunity of watching her interact with her parents the way that I did, because I watched the parents interact with her. But then also I came in and I came up to her myself and she did not react to me the same way that she did to her parents.

COOPER: But even her court-appointed guardian, who did watch her interact with her parents who spent, you know, 20 days with her over the course of time, sometimes four hours a day, interacted with both sides of the family. He says he didn't see any meaningful interaction.

MAXFIELD: That, I can't explain. That's his opinion. It's not mine.

COOPER: What kind of recovery are you suggesting Terri might experience?

MAXFIELD: That's very difficult to say. But we do see people that come out of what has been diagnosed as persistent vegetative state. And if you watched Larry King there were two there that were walking and talking.

COOPER: But those people had not been in a persistent vegetative state for 15 years.

MAXFIELD: Very true. But they were diagnosed as persistent vegetative coma. And there are individuals that come out of a coma and out of severe brain damage after quite a number of years. The young lady recently that started talking after 20 years, I believe she's in Kansas, is certainly an example.

COOPER: The other side, you know, of course, argues that those cases are not the same -- that she was not unconscious for as long as Terri Schiavo was. But we'll just leave it there. Clearly, differing of opinion from the other medical expert we just had on. Dr. William Maxfield, thank you for being with us. We're going to continue looking at the Terri Schiavo case in a moment. First, let's check in with some of the headlines with Erica Hill from Headline News. Hey, Erica.

HILL: Hi, Anderson. A new poll number shows growing dissatisfaction with President Bush. In the latest USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll, hi approval rating fell to a new low. The survey found 45 percent of those questioned thought the president was doing a good job. That is down from 52 percent in three previous polls taken in February and March. Pollsters cite controversy over the government's intervention in the Terri Schiavo case and growing concern about the economy as possible reasons for the approval rating drop.

Doctors treating Monaco's Prince Rainier issued a grim message about his chances for recovery today. They released a bulletin saying his state of health remains worrisome. The prince has been in an intensive care unit with heart, kidney and breathing problems. Sources close to his family say the prince's condition appears irreversible.

Prosecutors presented some fingerprint evidence in the Michael Jackson trial today showing jurors a sexually explicit magazine and asserted that fingerprints from both Jackson and his accuser were found on it. They also say they found the accuser's fingerprints on another magazine and an adult video calendar. The defense has argued the boy's fingerprints got on the magazine when he handled it during the grand jury hearing and not when he was with the pop star.

And that's going to do it for right now from Headline News. Anderson, back to you.

COOPER: All right, Erica. We'll check back in about 30 minutes from now.

Just ahead on the special two-hour edition of 360, there is no shortage of opinion about the Terri Schiavo case. You just heard from two different doctors who both examined her, both came to different conclusions. We're going to talk to the man who was her legal guardian, didn't take sides, he was appointed by the court. We're going to find out what he is thinking.

Also tonight, we're examining the spiritual angle on this story. Conversations with Deepak Chopra and also Rick Warren, the author of "The Purpose Driven Life."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well pundits and politicians and seems like just about everyone in the country has something to say about Terri Schiavo. But most of the talk is, well, it's just that, it's talk. That's why we thought you should hear from the one person who was charged with representing Terri Schiavo, not representing her husband, not representing her parents.

His name is Jay Wolfson. He's an attorney who served as Terri's court-appointed legal guardian in 2003. We spoke last night. And we think what he said is worth hearing again.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: You examined Terri in 2003. Did you see any signs of abuse or neglect?

WOLFSON: Well Anderson, I reviewed more than 30,000 pages of legal documents and medical documents. I spent -- I only had one month to do it. I spent the better part of 20 of those days with Terri in her room. Sometimes as much as four hours with her parents, with her husband, with the staff at the facility.

I got to know her parents. These are really decent, kind, loving people. They are wonderful people.

I go to know Michael. He is not warm and fuzzy, but he really loves his wife.

And I would spend time in her room. And I would hold her hand. And I would stroke her hand. And I would hold her head. And I would look in her eyes and I would stroke her hair. And I would ask her, I would beg her to give me some consistent indication that she was responding rather than reflexing.

And as you demonstrated, the definition of a consistent vegetative state includes these waking and sleeping cycles. And then her eyes are open when she's awake. She makes noises. These are sometimes sounding like crying, sometimes they sound like laughter, sometimes they are moaning. All of that is consistent with what the scientific literature says characterizes a persistent vegetative state along with the lack of a consistent pattern, or any consistent evidence of interaction with her environment.

The competent medical evidence based on the laws of Florida, rules of civil procedure, rules of evidence and the guardianship laws that were drafted over 15 years of bipartisan political and religious participation, served as the basis for how this was interpreted. And by all those standards, Anderson, she is diagnosed in a persistent vegetative state. That -- it meets all those criteria.

And there was no evidence either -- I had people come to me, friends of the family and people who become very verbally and vocally advocates for Terri, saying we've got evidence that she was physically abused by Michael. She was beaten, she was strangled. There is no evidence in the record to indicate that.

Hope is an extraordinary thing, Anderson, for all of us. It's the one thing that I think if you remember Dante's "Inferno" he had the sign outside the gates of Hell when Virgil was taking him that said "abandon hope all you who enter here."

The idea of abandoning hope here for your own child, the prospect of your child predeceasing you -- both the parents and Michael for many years refused to accept what they had been told early on.

COOPER: And they were very close on this. WOLFSON: Oh, they were very close. This family was really tight together on this. They spent 24/7 taking care of her for years.

COOPER: So what happened, what caused that split?

WOLFSON: After about four years there was an adjudication of a malpractice suit which resulted in a $300,000 loss of consortium award for Michael for losing his ability to have relations with his wife. And about a $760,000 trust fund was established for Terri's medical care. That was out of Michael's control, it was under the control of a court appointed trustee.

And it was at that point -- and maybe it was a water shed, Anderson, it's hard to say. Maybe it was at that point after four years that Michael was able to stand back. It was a water shed. And he said, you know, people have been telling me, the physicians have been telling me, all the tests have been telling me, that she is in this state. And there's no reasonable likelihood of recovery. Maybe it was then that he stood back and he said maybe there isn't. And I need to let go.

Hard to do, because he really took exquisite care of her for 15 years. She never had a bed sore. In fact...

COOPER: She never had a bed sore in 15 years?

WOLFSON: In 15 years. Fifteen years she never -- which is extraordinary. And he got in trouble at one of the nursing facilities because he was so aggressively demanding attention to her that the administration sought a restraining order against him for demanding attention by the staff that was distracting them from other patients.

You know, this is such a tough case, Anderson. These are people caring for their daughter. It's the idea of losing somebody. As you said, this happens -- there are other cases where things like this has happened. It's so tragic.

But the bottom line, as you may have heard me say, this is not about Governor Bush who I have tremendous respect for. And he's a great leader and a visionary. It's not about the Florida legislature. It's not about the Senate or the House of Representatives of the United States. It's not even about our judicial system. It's not about Michael. It's not about the Schindler. This is all about Terri. And my job, to the best that I could do it, was to take the best science that I knew was out there, the best medicine that I could get my arms around and apply the best law that we have.

And just as Rehnquist said in Cruzan, that we take the best law that we have, we apply it as honestly and as good as we can. And I think we extrapolate that to science and medicine.

This is a terrible tragedy. And I just pray and hope that the best will come for Terri because that's what this is all about. It's her.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COOPER: Well that was Jay Wolfson, former guardian of Terri Schiavo.

Our 360 special, "The Battle Over Terri Schiavo" continues. Passions running so high right now, an apparent murder plot foiled, one person's in custody. And they're worrying about security right now outside Terri Schiavo's hospice. That's a live shot there. We'll take you there coming up next.

Also, later on, a story that may surprise you. You've seen doctors testifying for the Schindlers and for Michael Schiavo. Did you ever wonder how they get these doctors? If you need a medical opinion that supports your point of view for cash, there's probably a doctor you can find. We'll take a look at that process.

We'll also look for the purpose in this incredible national controversy. I'll talk with best-selling author Rick Warren of "Purpose Driven Life," and also best-selling author Deepak Chopra.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, some of the images we've seen from the past week, opinions so sharply divided. Time and options are quickly running out for the parents of Terri Schiavo.

Welcome back to this special edition of 360, "The Battle Over Terri Schiavo."

You're looking at a live picture right now outside the hospice in Pinellas Park, Florida where supports continue to hold out hope that her life will not end. But one week after the feeding tube has been removed, her body is slowly shutting down.

He's what her father said just about an hour ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S FATHER: I hugged her and I kissed her. And I got the lemon face from her again, which was encouraging. But I told her that we're still fighting for her and she shouldn't give up, because we're not. But I think the people who are anxious to see her die are getting their wish. It's happening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Well, Bob and Mary Schindler have made last-minute appeals to a state judge and a federal court. Decisions are expected at any moment. Of course, we are going to bring those to you live.

One man, though, allegedly did not want to wait for a court to decide. This is a man named Michael Mitchell. He was arrested for allegedly trying to use a gun to save Terri Schiavo. Authorities say he attempted to steal the weapon from a gun store so he could -- quote -- "rescue her."

And just moments ago, we learned that the FBI has arrested a North Carolina man for allegedly offering $250,000 to murder Michael Schiavo. It's the latest arrest in an ever-escalating battle, with the police standing in the middle.

CNN's John Zarrella has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): There were more arrests today in front of the hospice where Terri Schiavo lies. Some of those attempting to bring water to her were children. That angered Raymond Simmons (ph).

RAYMOND SIMMONS: And they have another -- children lining up to go to jail.

ZARRELLA: Adults making a statement is one thing, Simmons says, but...

SIMMONS: These guys are using kids to go after the police officer and get arrested. And I'm just trying to tell you, that is -- those tactics are wrong.

ZARRELLA: Besides Simmons' outrage, there have been few confrontations. Those between police and protesters been peaceful. The arrests -- police say there have been 30 -- have been coordinated ahead of time to make sure there is no violence. There have been very few verbal exchanges between protesters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If Terri wants to die, she will die. If Terri doesn't want to die, she won't die.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It isn't about what Terri wants. It's about what God wants.

ZARRELLA: There are only a handful who support Michael Schiavo, while the vast majority want Terri kept alive.

For Rene Kelly (ph) and Liz Ann Vanetta (ph), coming here was cathartic.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I came here because I could not take the rage anymore. I could not scream at my television any louder.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would rather be here supporting versus standing in front of my TV screaming at my TV.

ZARRELLA: In a sense, this place has become hallowed ground, where people of like beliefs can share feelings and express emotions. For a week now, the people here have expressed themselves not with anger and violence, but with signs and prayer. On this Good Friday, it was no different.

PROTESTERS: Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us.

ZARRELLA: The police presence has been low-key, no major show of force. They have kept their distance, too, standing guard in front of the entrance to the hospice, but staying out of the way of protesters.

Standing in the crowd, you get no sense of emotions spilling over to rage, only a growing sense of sadness that their prayers may not be answered.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZARRELLA: With the weekend now upon us, we would expect that the crowds will likely grow and there will likely be more of a police presence here.

While it remains calm here, there is still a great deal of concern for the safety of Michael Schiavo. I spent some time with him last Friday night, the night they pulled the feeding tube. And he was surrounded by no less than three Pinellas Park Police, armed and also wearing bulletproof vests -- Anderson.

COOPER: John Zarrella, thanks for that.

While her parents say she is near death, the court battle to save her life still goes on. We are expecting a ruling from the Florida court currently considering yet another petition in the case any time between now and noon tomorrow.

As you know, on 360, we don't take sides. We look at all the angles. In a moment, we are going to talk with a lawyer for Michael Schiavo.

Right now, I'm joined from Washington by Robert Destro. He is an attorney for Terri Schiavo's parents, the Schindlers.

Mr. Destro, thanks very much for being with us. Appreciate it.

ROBERT DESTRO, ATTORNEY FOR PARENTS OF TERRI SCHIAVO: Thanks for having me, Anderson.

COOPER: Court after court has ruled against you and refused to intervene. Are there any more legal avenues that you can pursue?

DESTRO: Well, I mean, you file your motions through the appropriate court systems and -- and you do what you can do.

What we have been trying to do all along, we tried with Congress last week, is to get the courts to listen to the facts. And they just won't do it. It's been like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall.

COOPER: So if this appeal -- now that Judge Greer is going to rule on it anytime between now and noon tomorrow, if that fails, is there another legal appeal to make?

DESTRO: Well, I think we can certainly appeal and we will appeal Judge Greer's order. There's actually two orders that need to be appealed from.

We have asked Judge Greer to disqualify himself on the grounds that he has been named in a lawsuit. He has been -- he has been -- he has been -- we have asked him to disqualify himself at least five times now, because we think he has gotten himself too personally invested in the case. And, in fact, he acted as Terri's surrogate under the law. And our view is that that made -- made the trial unfair from the very beginning.

COOPER: You said you want really more medical tests. This has been adjudicated seven years now. The court has repeatedly sided with medical experts who say she is in a persistent vegetative state. What more medical evidence do you want?

DESTRO: Well, let's put it this way. A lot of those -- a lot of the medical tests that are available today just were not available seven years ago.

And if this were a capital punishment case and you were bringing in some DNA evidence at the last minute, you know, I don't hear very many people in capital punishment cases saying, oh, you know, there's been 18, 20, 30 judges look at the case, but here comes the defendant now with some DNA evidence that might prove...

COOPER: But the judge -- but the judge has looked at this new evidence and clearly does not think it's as real as DNA evidence is.

DESTRO: The judge has not looked at the evidence. He looked at the affidavits and said, we looked at this, what, six years ago and I am not going to relitigate this stuff.

And, like I say, this technology did not exist five years ago. And so, like I said, we had the same discussion about capital punishment and the use of DNA when a lot of people who were pro-death penalty said, oh, you know, we are not going to upset these settled verdicts.

And -- and, you know, one of the motions -- the other motion tonight that we actually had a hearing on at 5:30 with Judge Greer was evidence that -- that Terri is trying to tell people -- trying to communicate. Now, you know, you can pass that evidence off if you want to. But I would like to see, as a trial attorney, an honest-to- goodness hearing where that evidence comes out, not just these motions where the judge looks at it and says, oh, oh, we discussed that five years ago. We don't need to look at it again.

COOPER: Robert Destro, appreciate you being with us. Thank you, Robert.

DESTRO: Thank you.

COOPER: Going to get a different point of view now on the legal battle.

Joining me from Pinellas Park is Hamden Baskin, one of Michael Schiavo's attorneys.

Hamden, thanks for being with us.

(CROSSTALK) COOPER: Well, you just heard Robert Destro saying that Terri was trying to communicate. If that's in fact the case, why not try to delay this? Why not look at that evidence? Why shouldn't the judge see that evidence?

HAMDEN BASKIN, ATTORNEY FOR MICHAEL SCHIAVO: Well, thank you, Anderson.

If it were only true. The evidence that they attached to their motion for a new trial or for a -- to vacate the final judgment of 2000 was a two- or three-page affidavit by Barbara Weller. Barbara Weller is an associate of David Gibbs and she claims she went into the room and, with some tactile stimulation, somatic stimulation, she was able to get some type of verbal response. That is nothing new. That has happened time and time again.

You will find the record replete with Terri responding to adverse stimuli. So Barbara Weller...

COOPER: But they say that she was trying to say, I want to live.

BASKIN: Yes. That's what the affidavit says.

The affidavit used a typewriter to write "I wa" -- W-A -- and it ends. Now, that's after Barbara's affidavit carefully sets out that she provided tactile stimulation to -- to get that response. That has been reviewed and reviewed. Even Dr. Cheshire find that there was no talking. He found that the noises were random.

And so, at the end of the day, there is nothing new. What is so outrageous about the affidavit is that you have an attorney who believes that this is a life-and-death case and who is willing to have an associate go in, spend time with Terri, take the information 10 days ago or approximately 10 days ago, and present it for the first time today.

Now, we have had a motion heard earlier in the week by Judge Greer to overturn the judgment, as well as in federal court yesterday, as you're well aware. That affidavit was nowhere to be seen. Mr. Gibbs indicated to Judge Greer that it in fact was presented to federal court, but that was disingenuous, because it was not presented to the district judge. It was sent up to supplement the record to the 11th Circuit, which, again, is impermissible as a manner of practice and procedure.

COOPER: Legally, legally, this battle is just about over.

BASKIN: We -- we believe it is.

But this -- this has come back again and again. And what is so tragic is that Terri's privacy rights for her choice of dying has been interrupted. And Michael, who is a loving husband -- and Dr. Wolfson, I thought, just made a very eloquent statement to that effect. Every time he believes that he can finally let this sink in and spend the quality, private time with Terri, a motion is filed. And it just rips his heart out. COOPER: And there's a motion, you know, still being considered right now. And, again, it could be ruled on any moment now, all the way up until noon tomorrow. We...

BASKIN: That's exactly right.

COOPER: Yes, with Judge Greer. We'll be following that.

Hamden Baskin, appreciate you being with us. Thanks very much.

BASKIN: Thank you, Anderson.

COOPER: Thanks, Hamden.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Accusations of abuse and protests in the streets. The battle over Terri Schiavo reaches a boiling point on this Good Friday. Tonight, religion's role in the Schiavo showdown.

And men of faith weigh in as well, Deepak Chopra and an in-depth conversation with Rick Warren of "The Purpose Driven Life."

This special report, "The Battle Over Terri Schiavo," continues.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK WARREN, AUTHOR, "THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE": Why are they in such a hurry to unhook her, because there are her parents and I'm sure there are millions of people in America who would be happy to pay for Terri's feeding for the rest of her life? So, why are they in a hurry to kill her?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: That was Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life." We will hear more from him coming up.

But first, in all that has been said about Terri Schiavo, she apparently wasn't a particularly religious person. Still, her cause and her impending death -- and her parents, by the way, say that is not the case -- her cause and her impending death have become a magnet for devout Christians, mostly Catholics and evangelicals, and especially on this Good Friday night.

Here is Ed Henry with that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALES (singing): Set our hearts on fire.

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The scene at the governor's mansion on Good Friday, the day the Bible says Jesus Christ was crucified, protesters led by the Reverend Patrick Mahoney explicitly using that symbolism to compare Jeb Bush to Pontius Pilate and Terri Schiavo to Jesus Christ.

PATRICK MAHONEY, SCHINDLER FAMILY SPIRITUAL ADVISER: God, forgive us as a nation. Forgive us as a people. Can we truly say that we are the land of the free and the home of the brave when, on Good Friday, a woman is being starved to death?

HENRY: This drama is culminating during Holy Week, intensifying an already highly charged religious and moral debate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Heavenly Father, I come before you now and I ask you, in the mighty name of Jesus, that you would rescue Governor Bush from himself, that you would open his heart, Lord, to see what lies he is telling himself that give him cause and makes him hesitate, when he can save a woman's life.

HENRY: But the fervor is just as passionate on the other side, with supporters of Michael Schiavo saying the moral solution is to let his wife die with dignity.

GEORGE FELOS, ATTORNEY FOR MICHAEL SCHIAVO: We believe it's time for that -- for that to stop, for this activity to stop, as we approach this Easter weekend, and that Mrs. Schiavo be able to -- to die in peace.

HENRY: Still, the fact that time is running out for Terri Schiavo on Easter weekend is ratcheting up the pressure on Governor Bush, who, unlike his brother, is Catholic.

PAUL O'DONNELL, SCHINDLER FAMILY ADVISER: On this Good Friday day, as one Catholic father to another, he's begging the governor to save his daughter. Bob Schindler, Mary Schindler are pleading with Governor Bush.

HENRY: The governor had planned to participate in the Stations of the Cross during a Good Friday service. But he canceled after hearing that Mahoney and other protesters would be there, according to a priest at this cathedral. Mahoney was struck by the Fifth Station prayer that the governor would have read.

MAHONEY: My prayer for Governor Bush is simply what he would have read today. Help me to say yes and be willing to give assistance to all who are in need. Governor Bush, please say yes to Terri and give her assistance today, on Good Friday.

HENRY: Mahoney, who has been fasting for eight days in solidarity with Schiavo, compares her to Christ.

MAHONEY: Christ, innocent, enduring painful agony, suffering, being denied food and water, Terri Schiavo, innocent, powerless, going through this horrific death. And Christ gave his life, went through this pain and suffering, so that we might live, we might have salvation and live. We have already seen the benefits of Terri's pain and suffering, creating this national conversation, getting Congress to vote, moving the president, discussing living wills, end of life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HENRY: An aide says all of this is weighing heavily on the governor because of his concern for Terri Schiavo and her parents, not because of the protests and pressures on him -- Anderson.

COOPER: Ed Henry, thanks.

There's no unanimity of opinion among people of faith about what should happen to Terri Schiavo. We wanted to talk with people who see the situation differently.

Deepak Chopra is the best-selling author of a series of books on the human spirit, the latest "The Book of Secrets." He joins me tonight from San Diego.

Deepak, thanks for being with us.

DEEPAK CHOPRA, AUTHOR, "THE BOOK OF SECRETS": Thanks for having me, Anderson.

COOPER: The Vatican believes the feeding tube should be connected and they released a statement saying -- quote -- "Who can judge the dignity and sacredness of the life of a human being, made in the image and the likeness of God? Who can decide to pull the plug as if we were talking about a broken appliance?"

CHOPRA: The fact of the matter is that everybody, all the people on every side of this issue, are coming from love and compassion and trying to understand the meaning of life and death.

The people who say the tube should be left out are coming from love and compassion. They don't want to kill anyone, but they understand the meaning of suffering from their point of view. The people who say the tube should go in are also coming from love and compassion, because everybody is looking at the situation from their personal religious beliefs, from their personal indoctrination, from their cultural and religious point of view.

COOPER: And yet you believe...

CHOPRA: The fact...

COOPER: You believe the removal of the feeding tube was right.

CHOPRA: I do believe that it was right, because, you know, I believe that life is defined by awareness and consciousness and perception and cognition and feelings and emotions and social interactions and personal relationships and biology.

But, you know, there's only some aspects of that biology that are functional right now. You can take a human heart and give it the right nutrients, put it in a culture medium, and keep it going for a while. You can do that with other organs.

COOPER: But you are saying that's...

CHOPRA: That's not the definition of life.

COOPER: You are saying that's not life.

CHOPRA: That's not life.

COOPER: So, Terri Schiavo, in your mind, is not alive?

CHOPRA: In my mind, she is brain-dead. Her brain waves are flat. She has no perception, cognition, therefore, by any definition, cannot suffer.

She is -- there's certain parts of the autonomic nervous system that are functioning, but that happens. You know, when we remove organs and transplant them, those organs are presumably functional. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to transplant them.

COOPER: So, what -- what do you believe has happened to her spirit?

CHOPRA: Well, the spirit, from what we know today about consciousness, the spirit is a nonlocal field of intelligence that localizes in the physical body, just like, right now, you, Anderson Cooper, are localizing through the television set that people are watching you on.

That does not mean you are contained in the television set. So, just like you are not in the television set, her spirit is not in that physical body. It is only partially actualizing through certain functions in that body.

COOPER: You know, the president and a lot of people say, look, if there is any doubt, you err on the side of life.

CHOPRA: Well, you know, there's no doubt from certain points of view here. From certain doctors' point of view, there's no doubt. The EEG is flat, has been flat for a long time. And, by today's standards that's the current definition of death, is brain-dead.

You know, so, whose side do you think is -- the problem with this whole situation is, everybody is so sure of themselves. And, you know, I think, when you are so sure of yourself and there are so many diverse opinions, the essential truth is actually unknown.

COOPER: And, so, the message is what? I mean, what should people learn?

CHOPRA: The message is...

COOPER: I mean, I don't want to make -- make this as if it's some learning experience.

(CROSSTALK) CHOPRA: Anderson, and, Anderson, this is a message that, you know, lawyers are making money. Your TV ratings are going up. Politicians are using Terri Schiavo's physical body as a means of political exploitation.

It's a commentary on the age that we live in. You know, 100 years ago or 50 years ago, this wouldn't have been an issue, because we didn't have the technology to measure these things. And natural history of the disease would have taken its course. So, you know, as times change, we change our definitions of life through technology. It's a very sad commentary on our times, you know, that this has become a political, economic, and religious organizational debate that has becoming very exploitative.

COOPER: And, at the center, of course, is one young woman and her life hanging in the balance.

Deepak Chopra, appreciate you being with us. Thank you for your perspective.

CHOPRA: Thanks for having me, Anderson.

COOPER: We are going to continue our special edition of 360 in a moment.

First, let's check in with Erica Hill from Headline News to catch up on the other headlines making news -- hey, Erica.

HILL: Hey, Anderson.

This story got a lot of people saying, how did they do that? Some prisoners in Iraq were pretty far along in their escape plans. U.S. troops did manage to bust up the plot. But the Pentagon said detainees were on the verge of using a tunnel, and not a small one here. It was hundreds of feet long. They had dug it to escape from a detention camp.

Now, the prison's sewage system kept clogging up with sand and dirt. Nobody was really sure why, but it turns out the prisoners were dumping the sand down the toilets. U.S. troops, as we mentioned, did manage to foil the plan.

President Bush called India's leader today to explain his decision to supply about two dozen F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. The prime mini -- minister, rather -- expressed great disappointment at hearing the news and said the sale of sophisticated warplanes to its longtime nuclear rival would endanger security in the region. A U.S. official says the decision was linked to Pakistan's cooperation in the war against terrorism.

And, for the first time in 26 years, Pope John Paul II did not take part in the Good Friday procession at Rome Coliseum today. Instead, he appeared on video, sitting in his chapel at the Vatican. The pope's ill health has forced him to skip a series of Holy Week events. He has been hospitalized twice recently for breathing problems, including surgery last month to insert a breathing tube into his throat.

And that is the latest from Headline News -- Anderson, back to you.

COOPER: Erica, thanks. We'll see you in about 30 minute.

360 next, "The Purpose Driven Life." Best-selling author Rick Warren is our special guest.

Also, viewers sounding off, a lot of you e-mailing us, e-mails really pouring in on the Terri Schiavo on this special edition of 360. Send us your thoughts now. Log on now to CNN.com/360. Click on the instant feedback link. We are covering all the angles.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Earlier in the program tonight, we heard two doctors give very different opinions of Terri Schiavo's condition. In fact, half-a-dozen doctors testified about her in court what they say is regarded as expert testimony, of course. Medical experts make an awful lot of money. But the question is, are they guns for hire, being paid to tell people and juries exactly what they want to hear?

CNN's Adaora Udoji investigates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): How Terri Schiavo is doing depends on who you ask. This doctor, hired by her parents, who are fighting to keep her alive:

DR. WILLIAM HAMMESFAHR, NEUROLOGIST: The woman is very aware of her surroundings. She's very aware. She's alert. She's not in a coma, she's not in PVS.

UDOJI: Another, hired by her husband, fighting, he says, to fulfill Schiavo's wishes.

DR. RONALD CRANFORD, NEUROLOGIST: I've seen her. There's no doubt in my mind whatsoever, she's in a permanent vegetative state. Her CAT scan shows extremely severe atrophy to the brain. And her EEG is flat. It doesn't show any electrical activity at all.

UDOJI: Cynics might say the answers too often depend on who is paying. But medical ethicist George Annas says so-called doctors for hire are critical.

GEORGE ANNAS, BOSTON UNIVERSITY: There are people who really believe different things and at -- the cross-examination process and testifying under oath in a public forum really is a good crucible to figure out who is more than likely telling the -- telling the truth.

UDOJI: Annas says medicine is not an exact science. Consider the Louise Woodward case, the British nanny accused of shaking to death Matthew Eappen. Her medical experts argued the baby died after prior injuries flared up. Prosecutor Martha Coakley says, in theory, the arguments were valid, but her experts who treated the baby said not in this case.

MARTHA COAKLEY, MIDDLESEX COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: The cracked skull, the swollen brain, the retinal bleeding and the quick onset of what was fatal for Matthew Eappen could have only been an intentional inflicted and a very -- in some ways, for a baby, a very fierce attack.

UDOJI: Woodward was convicted.

Celebrity defendant Claus von Bulow brought in medical experts. They disputed accusations he put his socialite millionaire wife in a coma after injecting her with insulin. At first convicted, he was later acquitted.

Critics argue, all these hired guns, making from $150 to $900 an hour, have huge incentives to please their clients, rather than find the truth. Coakley says, the bottom line, there are doctors that abuse the system, but most have too much at stake.

COAKLEY: Their livelihood depends on giving good, accurate testimony. And if they consistently don't do that, they're not going to be hired much longer.

UDOJI (on camera): There are still concerns. At least half a dozen states are debating just how to deal with expert opinions. And the Schiavo case highlights how troubling they can be.

Adaora Udoji, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, coming up next on this special edition of 360, "The Purpose Driven Life." We are going in-depth with preacher, teacher and best-selling author Rick Warren, talking about the Terri Schiavo case and how you can find purpose in your own life.

We're covering all the angles straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WARREN: My question would be to the husband, why are you in such a hurry to let this woman die? I mean you have already moved on with your life. You have lived with this other woman for ten years, you've had two kids by her. And if he says well, I want to remarry. Well, I don't advise divorce, but it is certainly more preferable than letting a person die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Well, that was Rick Warren on subject of Terri Schiavo and her husband. Warren is the author of the best-selling nonfiction hard cover book in American history, "The Purpose-Driven Life." Sales of which zoomed even higher recently after Ashley Smith of Atlanta said this was the book that helped her talk alleged killer Brian Nichols into letting her go and turning himself in.

I spoke with Rick Warren earlier this week.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: This Easter weekend what is your message going to be to your congregation?

WARREN: Well, you know, Anderson, I think the message is a message of hope. I'm actually going to speak on "The Purpose-Driven Life." It is the 25th anniversary of our church. We started 25 years ago in my home. I will be doing 12 services for about 40,000 people this week. And we're going to be talking about hope.

I think this is a common denominator in a lot of stories we are seeing on the news. The thing about the killer up in Minnesota, the Terri Schiavo case, the Ashley Smith and Brian Nichols story. All revolve around this issue of hope. That people want a reason for hope.

And I think Easter says God can bring good out of bad, he can turn crucifixions into resurrections, and no situation is hopeless.

COOPER: God can bring good out of bad. There has been so much bad this week, as you said, the shooting in Minnesota. Does it make you doubt at all? Why does God allow these things to happen?

WARREN: Right. Well, the reason why there's evil in the world is because God has given us a free choice. And people can choose to do good or bad. I choose to do wrong things quite frequently and so does everybody else. Every time I make a mistake, every time I act selfishly, every time I sin it hurts other people. And in these cases, the killers, they took lives.

Now, God could easily get rid of all evil in the world simply by taking away our freedom to choose. He could turn us all into puppets where we don't have a choice. But he wanted to produce a group of people who chose to love him voluntarily. And so, our greatest blessing, which is the freedom to choose, the free will, is also our greatest curse because we often choose the wrong things and people get hurt as a result.

COOPER: But if it is an all-knowing and all-seeing God, why give you that freedom of choice?

WARREN: Because love is not real love unless you choose. In other words, God couldn't say we love him unless we have a choice not to love him. And so God gives us a choice. Either he can be God of our lives, or we can be God of our lives. And quite frequently, I make that choice and I basically thumb my nose to God and say God, I'm going to do what I want to do instead of what you want me to do. That's the downside to the freedom to choose. God is not the author of evil. In fact, when people say, well, it must have been God's will that these people were killed. Well, I have a theological term for that, hogwash. It's just not...

COOPER: Stop using these fancy theological terms.

WARREN: Yeah, fancy theological term, hogwash.

Most of what is done in the world is not God's will. That's why we are to pray thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Why? Because in heaven it's done perfectly, but it's not done perfectly here on Earth. And that's why we have crime, poverty, disease, ignorance, lack of education and all of these violent acts. It happens.

COOPER: And having to forgive one another.

WARREN: The most difficult thing in life is learning to forgive. And it's interesting to me as we talk about Easter week that Jesus on the cross said, Father forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing. And he said it while he was still in pain. He didn't say it ten years later. He didn't say it when time had passed. He did it while they were still having nails in his hands. And that is the most difficult thing to do.

In fact, I don't think it's possible to forgive completely without God's love in us, because human love wears out. You know, at some point people say I can't do it. I can't forgive that person. They hurt me too much. And I, as pastor said a lot of times you're right.

COOPER: So Brian Nichols can be forgiven? This guy Couey down in Florida who allegedly killed this little girl, he can be forgiven?

WARREN: I do believe that no person is beyond redemption. That is the story of grace.

The fact is that God gives us not what we deserve, but what we need. If we all got what we deserved, none of us would be here. I mean, none of us. And we often want to grade on a curve and say well, this guy was so much worse than me. And the truth is, yes. You know what, you are a better than a lot of people. In fact, you are probably better than me. I would say that to most people. But the issue is God doesn't grade on a curve and we all fall short. So we all need grace.

And this is what Ashley Smith gave to Brian. She had been extended grace herself. She had gone through problems, she'd gone through difficulties, she'd messed up her life in many ways. She's real honest about that. And when you feel graced, you are more gracious with others. When you feel forgiven, then you forgive others. In fact, I discovered that people who have a hard time forgiving others don't feel forgiven themselves. And so they don't want to pass it on, because they don't feel it themselves.

COOPER: The chapter that Ashley Smith read -- or the beginning of the chapter that she read to Brian Nichols was 33. And it begins, "we serve God by serving others." It goes on to say, "everyone wants to lead, no one wants to be a servant."

What do you think it was that got through to this man?

WARREN: Well you know, it's interesting that God can use almost anything to get somebody's attention. And the book is a 40-day spiritual journey. And Ashley just happened to be on day 33. The church she was a part of was going through a thing called "40 days of purpose," which now well over 25,000 churches have gone through. And now it's in corporations and NBA teams, and schools, and even prisons. And so she just happened to be on that day that was about being a servant.

But she not only read it to him, she actually did it. And she cooked him breakfast. She served him. That melted his heart. All of a sudden somebody showed him a little bit of kindness. And he then offered to serve her by fixing her curtains.

And I think the message -- there's a couple messages here, Anderson. One of them is that God can use anybody. I mean, Ashley is not a saint. She is not some preacher or a theologian. She's just a normal person, went out for a pack of cigarettes. And she came back and was not expecting this to happen, but this happened. And God showed up in her life. And she had the courage to -- and the presence of mind to show this guy a little love, a little kindness, and he melted in that situation.

And the point that I would say is that no person, no problem is too deep that God's love isn't deeper still. And there are probably people watching this show saying I'm beyond hope. I would say you're dead wrong that God has a purpose for your life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well coming up, more of my conversation with Rick Warren. He will tell you how you can find purpose in your own life.

And later, lots of opinions from you out there about Terri Schiavo. We're going to hear some viewer e-mail. You can get send -- you can still get your e-mails in. Send it to CNN.com/360.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Welcome back to this special edition of 360. More now from Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life." I talked with him earlier this week.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: The essential message of the book that everyone has a purpose.

WARREN: Yes.

COOPER: The problem, though, a lot of people, you know, is finding that purpose. I remember when I graduated college I asked my mom, you know, what she thought I should do with my life. And she just watched Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers and said, you know, follow your bliss. And you know, I frankly wanted a little more specific advice because, you know, how do you find your bliss?

WARREN: Right.

COOPER: How do you find your bliss? How do you find your purpose?

WARREN: You know what? I watched that series, too, and you know what? It doesn't work. Somebody needs to say the emperor has no clothes because the truth is it doesn't work.

COOPER: Because what, you're looking within?

WARREN: Yes. People say, well, look within. Well, you know what? I didn't create me. So I can't tell me what my purpose is. You know this trust the force, Luke, look within. The problem with that, it doesn't work. I looked within and just saw a bunch of confusion.

If looking within could show you your purpose, we'd all know it about now. It doesn't work. You have to look to your creator and you have to read the owner's manual. If I were to hold up an invention and say...

COOPER: The owner's manual?

WARREN: Yes, the owner's manual. That's the Bible. And the owner's manual for life is God's word. And it's very clear there.

You know, there was a guy named Dr. Robert Morehead, you know, Hugh Morehead, who was a professor at Northeastern University, and he wrote to 250 scientists and scholars and novelists and poets, people you all, all of us would know, and asked them one question, "What is the meaning of life?" And he put their answers in a book.

I read the book. It was quite depressing. Actually, it's out of print and for good reason, because nobody knew the answer. You see, even the best philosophers are just guessing.

COOPER: But look, if no one is looking within, and everyone's looking to the Bible for answers about what do with their life, I mean, you won't get any litigation attorneys. You won't get, you know, some of the sort of tougher aspects, you know, jobs that are out there, will you?

WARREN: Yes. Yes. Well, the bottom line is this -- is that we're not an accident. The bottom line is that if you do not believe in a creator, then the truth is, your life doesn't matter. You're just an accident.

If evolution is true, without any God involved in it at all, if there was no God then we're all just random chance protoplasms. Then the truth is your life doesn't matter. And if a drive-by shooter happens to come by and take your life, too bad. I mean, you were an accident being born and you're an accident dying.

But that's not what the Bible says. The Bible says that before you were born God planned you, that he had a specific reason for making you. And that you were created to be loved by God.

And that's the message in the book. It's resonating around the word. It's not just in America, you know. It's in about 50 languages. And there are about 2,000 churches in the Philippines that have done it, all over the world.

COOPER: And the first sentence is, "It's not about you."

WARREN: Yes. You know, that's because I wanted to say something totally counterculture. All of the self-help books basically say the exact opposite; it's all about you. And for the past 50 years we've been in a very me-centered culture. It's all about me, very narcissistic. All the advertisements say we do it for you. It's all about you, have it your way.

And I think it's pretty refreshing, and that's why people have been buying the book, I think. It's a little slap in the face that says no, it's not all about you.

If the greatest reason for your life is for your own self- fulfillment, well, why get out of bed in the morning? Why not just, you know, send a note and say, "I think I'll pass on this day"?

We need a purpose bigger than ourselves that's greater than ourselves that pulls us out of ourselves to be more than what we were meant to be. And that purpose is God's purpose. We were made by God, and we're made for God. Until we understand that, life isn't going to make sense.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Of course, God being evoked in the debate over Terri Schiavo happening right now. We are anticipating a court verdict from the 11th Circuit Court out of Atlanta. We will bring that verdict to you as soon as we get it. We are anticipating it at any moment.

We'll be right back. Our special coverage continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Our special coverage of Terri Schiavo continues. But first let's get the latest headlines from Erica Hill at Headline News.

Hey, Erica.

HILL: Hey, Anderson.

President Bush called India's leader today to explain his decision to supply about two dozen F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. That decision getting a lot of reaction, as you can imagine. The prime minister expressed great disappointment at hearing the news and said the sale of sophisticated warplanes to its longtime nuclear rival would endanger security in the region. A U.S. official said the decision was linked to Pakistan's cooperation in the war against terrorism.

U.S. forces in Iraq have apparently thwarted a mass escape from a prison camp. A 600-foot long escape tunnel was discovered at Camp Buka, which houses more than 5,000 detainees. The tunnel was about 10 feet underground. The prisoners were reportedly dumping the sand from their digging into the toilets. That was, in turn, jamming the sewage system. A head count, though, revealed no one got away.

A military document has surfaced which indicates officials have evidence Osama bin Laden did escape from U.S. forces at the Tora Bora region in Afghanistan in 2001. Previous statements by the Pentagon held it was unclear whether he eluded forces at that time. The document summarizes evidence against a terror suspect in custody at Guantanamo Bay. It states that he, quote, "assisted in the escape of bin Laden from Tora Bora," but there was no time frame given.

And Anderson, those are the latest headlines from Headline News. Have a great weekend.

COOPER: Erica, thanks. We've got some breaking news to report. We have just learned the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled on the Schiavo case before them.

Sara Dorsey is in Atlanta covering it. Sara, what's the latest?

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, a three-judge panel has denied that request by Bob and Mary Schindler to revisit this case, appeal it essentially, and rehook up -- excuse me, hook up the feeding tube of Terri Schiavo. That just came out moments ago.

Now, if this is anything like their last appeal Wednesday, now the Schindlers' attorney can go back and appeal to the entire court, all 12 judges, if that's anything like what happened last Wednesday.

Now, again, we are hearing three judges have denied this appeal by Bob and Mary Schindler, the parents of Terri Schiavo, which means from the 11th Circuit Court, that feeding tube will not be hooked up again -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Sara Dorsey from that.

On the phone, legal analyst Jayne Weintraub, criminal defense attorney out of Florida. Jayne, what do you make of this ruling?

JAYNE WEINTRAUB, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Hey, Anderson.

The governor has no place in this litigation. The family should stop the frivolous litigation and stick to the narrow issue what did Terri want. That's the only issue that was before Judge Greer that's been litigated, relitigated. It's over. You have to accept the ruling of the court.

COOPER: We talked to her -- the attorney for -- one of the attorneys for the Schindler family earlier in this hour. He said it's likely they would -- they would appeal again.

WEINTRAUB: They will appeal because it's all a political platform at this point, Anderson. This is not about Terri Schiavo anymore. This is about right to life. This is about a million other issues. It's not about what did Terri want, because that's the only thing that's uncontroverted that Judge Greer took evidence on. That has not been disturbed. That's the only thing that matters. We have a right in Florida to die with dignity, and they should give her her privacy.

COOPER: Well, certainly the Schindlers disagree with you on that. They say that's not what Terri would have wanted. They say Judge Greer was wrong in ruling that. But that is their opinion. Judge Greer did make that ruling.

Jayne Weintraub, appreciate you joining us for that.

360 next, our special coverage continues. We're going to take a look at the life of Terri Schiavo in "The Nth Degree" and your e- mails. Getting thousands of e-mails on this. We'll read some of them coming up next. You still have some time at CNN.com/360.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, the Terri Schiavo story continues to create a lot of e-mails. And on Good Friday there were many references to God in them. Here are just a few.

Matthew from Columbus, Ohio, writes, "I find it alarming that there are so many people in this country that are opposed to Terri Schiavo going home to God. It's clear we that do not have the medical technology that would bring her back to a state of being able to live life."

Catherine from Ames, Iowa, says, "God may be answering the prayers of all those people who want Terri Schiavo's feeding tube replaced. Sometimes his answer is, "No." He may want Terri to be in heaven with Him."

Debra from Trenton, Michigan writes, "Shame on us for playing God, for making this a political issue, for starving somebody's daughter to death."

And Sharon from Lima, Ohio, says, "I believe that Terri should be hooked back up and the government stay out of it. She should be able to have all the medical help that can be tried. I also think if her parents are willing to take care of her, so be it. Her death should be up to God."

Have something on your mind? Send us an e-mail. We'd love to hear from you. Just go to CNN.com/360, click on the instant feedback link.

Tonight, taking lost time to "The Nth Degree."

Consider this: Terri Schiavo has spent more than a quarter of her short life in a hospital bed. When last she was able to walk and talk and take in the world around her, there still was a Soviet Union, if just barely. The father of the current president was president. "Cheers" was the big thing on the small screen, and "Dances with Wolves" was the big thing on the big screen.

Since then, whatever you call her state, Terri Schiavo has been beyond reach. Though "Starsky and Hutch" was one of her favorite TV shows -- she and her friend wrote hundreds of letters to Paul Michael Glaser -- she never got to see the movie version.

She loved the movie "An Officer and a Gentleman" with Richard Gere, once seeing it four times in a day. But she missed out on "Shall We Dance?"

She introduced her brother Bobby to Bruce Springsteen but never got to hear 50 Cent. She's missed so much in the 15 years, the fall of Communism, the Clinton years, September 11th.

It has been a long, long nightmare for Terri and all those who love her, and we can only wish all of them this weekend peace.

I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks for watching this two-hour special edition of 360. Paula Zahn is back on Monday. I'll be back at 7 p.m. Eastern Time Monday night. Up next, "LARRY KING LIVE." Have a great weekend.

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