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How does one minister
to such a diverse
population? In Faith
and Doubt at Ground
Zero, producer Helen
Whitney interviewed
priests, rabbis and
Islamic scholars,
victims' families
and World Trade Center
survivors, writers
and thinkers, atheists
and agnostics, about
the questions that
haven’t gone away.
Faith
and Doubt at
Ground Zero
The “spiritual aftershocks”
of September 11th were
profound for all, and
as varied as the population
who bore witness:
“G-d had nothing
to do with this.”
“I found myself closer to G-d, because my son is with him.”
“I’m losing my respect for G-d.”
“There’s a Trinity. I believe in the Son still, but not the Father.”
“My daughter and her husband both went to Allah…No matter what we do, we need
to accept his will. That’s Allah’s wish.”
How does one minister to such a diverse population? In Faith and Doubt
at Ground Zero, producer Helen Whitney interviewed priests, rabbis and
Islamic scholars, victims' families and World Trade Center survivors, writers
and thinkers, atheists and agnostics, about the questions that haven’t gone
away.
September 11th appeared
to challenge the faith
of some religious leaders
as strongly as it challenged
the faith of survivors
and victims’ families.
And it renewed debate
about the nature of
evil. Catholic priest
Lorenzo Albacente:
“I knew it before I
knew about who did
it or why…I recognized
religion…I recognized
the same passion that
motivates religious
people to do great
things is the same
one that brought all
that destruction…I
recognized this trust,
this demand for the
absolute.”
The film highlighted
some of the dilemmas
faced by religious
leaders. Orthodox Rabbi
Brad Hirshfield: “Since
9/11, people keep asking
me ‘Where was G-d?’
And they think because
I’m a rabbi, I have
the answers. And I
actually think that
my job as a rabbi is
to help them live with
those questions.”
While Faith and
Doubt at Ground Zero does
not try to answer
questions about faith
or soothe doubts
about the existence
of a G-d, it does
illuminate the issues
that individuals
of all backgrounds
and beliefs are grappling
with post-9/11. That
is the film’s gift
to those committed
to pastoral care
and education.
If you are interested
in purchasing the film,
you can do so at www.hartleyfoundation.org.
Just click on “Masterworks”
on the homepage for
more information. The
VHS version of the
film is priced at $24.98
and the DVD version
at $29.98.
Macky Alston is the
director of Auburn Media,
a division of the Center
for Multifaith Education
at Auburn Theological
Seminary committed to
supporting, cultivating
and promoting powerful,
engaging, balanced and
responsible media on
religion, spirituality
and ethics. He is a graduate
of Union Theological
Seminary and an award-winning
documentary filmmaker.
Completed: 2002
Running Time: 120 Minutes
Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero aired nationally on PBS.
Producer: Helen Whitney Written by: Helen Whitney and Ron Rosenbaum Editor:
Ted Winterburn Narrator: Kathryn Walker Principal Photography: Tom Hurwitz,
Eddie Marritz
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