Tell us how you really feel

As Long as You’re Taking an Interest...

This he said/he said article about C3 Church is fine as far as it goes. The trouble is that it doesn’t go very far.

We’re given a father who concedes, “I’ve never been to their services,” and can’t speak with confidence about what the church teaches but who seems to have legitimate concerns about whether attending is in his kid’s best interest. We’re also given a youth pastor who rebuts the father’s complaints. And that’s it!

I wonder how much effort went into pulling this together. The writer appears to have spoken with both parties on the phone, possibly one time each, and perused the church’s website.

I have never edited a newspaper, but if I were in that role and someone brought this to me, I’d send him back out to do more digging.

For example, the youth pastor asks us to “look at the lives that are being changed.” OK, fine. Why not follow through with that? Would it have been too much to identify a few such lives and get their input? On the other hand, are there any other adults who feel queasy about letting their kids attend? I just think it’s odd that there was no attempt to corroborate what either of the two parties is saying.

Disclosure: I attended C3 for a while some years ago, when they were renting space in Carmel Valley. The worship music was very loud and not for me, but they made no apologies about using it to connect with young people. Aside from that, I did like listening to their pastor, Jurgen Matthesius. He consistently preached a worthwhile message, and I never once imagined the place could be a “cult.”

In summary, “John” may well have legitimate concerns about the youth group his kids attend (still present tense?). Not sure why he’s complaining to the Reader, though, without getting a clearer idea of what’s going on, or else just pulling his kids out. And as long as you’re taking an interest in his complaint, why not make an effort to determine whether it’s well-grounded?

• Steve Gallup
• Carmel Valley

Orange Hitler Diatribe

The highly polished, stuffed-shirt, Socialist, libtard, asshat Chad Deal has raised the bar of intolerance yet again with his Orange Hitler diatribe (“Tequila Tubbing,” January 19).

Tell you what, Skippy. If you can’t hang, then pack your case for Russia. Better yet, save yourself some mileage. Canada is a little closer.

• TJ
• Lemon Grove

A Question of Funding

The article, “Trolley-Stop Talk,” was interesting but the first sentence of the article caught me by surprise. It indicates that the planned trolley station at Balboa Avenue is not yet funded.

I have followed information, news releases and Transnet promulgations extensively for the last few years. I have never read anywhere that the entirety of the MidCoast trolley was fully funded. What is your basis for the claim that the Balboa trolley station is not yet funded?

• Mike Feori
• Bay Park

The author responds:

Miriam Kirschner said so at the meeting. She’s the project manager at SANDAG. That the trolley will stop there is a sure thing. What the station will look like and what amenities will be added, that’s what’s not funded. “Identify strategies to fund infrastructure improvements” — balboastationplan.org

• Marty Graham

Ride the Bus to Take a Hike

I’d like to make a suggestion for Roam-O-Rama. Let’s see some articles of hikes we can get to by bus, so we don’t have to get in a car.

• Katherine
• via voicemail