PREACHING

PREACHING

Beneficial

 

PREACHING

 

 • I am not certain if I understand why inner-city residents would complain to bylaw officers about the noise coming from the preacher’s am¬plifier. It seems to me that getting the homeless people off the streets would be the best way to qui¬eter, more enjoyable inner-city neighbourhoods. Approximately 100 people regularly attend the sermons.

 

Although 75 per cent seem to be there for the food, the other 25 are there for the sermon. That is 25 people who are closer to recovery than they would have been without the sermons, and closer to moving off the street. If the residents are concerned about a quiet neighbourhood, they should be encouraging the preacher. Michael Wagner, Calgary

 

Sleepless’round the park

 

RESIDENTS

 

 • Re: "Tempers flare as preacher defies bylaw officers," April 16. I reside directly across from Triangle Park, where Art Pawlowski serves up his ser¬mons several times a week. The noise from his loudspeakers is often loud enough to wake me out of a dead sleep. I’ve had guests leave my home due to the noise and I have been unable to enjoy watching a movie on a Sunday afternoon because his ranting and raving drowns out my tele¬vision (with the windows closed).

 

One recent night, at 10:30, I could hear him screaming hoarsely as I tried to go to sleep. I’m a huge advocate of free speech and I passionately sup¬port his right to express his opinions. I take issue with the sheer volume of his sermons. I’m not alone in this and many people from our community have ex-pressed these concerns to the city. It’s not unreasonable to ask that the volume be decreased to a tolerable level. We have just as much right to our sleep as he does to his be-liefs.