Episcopal Reverend Don Armstrong nearly got a face full Sunday. The Episcopal reverend had just launched into his sermon when an 18-year old activist named Marcus Hyde ran in and threw a pie at Armstrong.
The Colorado Springs-based Armstrong has come under fire in recent months for allegedly misusing funds. He has also been criticized for trying to distance The Grace Episcopal Church from the national Episcopal movement, a movement which has been debating the role of gays in the church. No word on whether Hyde planned the action over Armstrong’s planned schism. He did, however, tell police that he was “passing judgment on Armstrong on behalf of church parishioners,” according to The Gazette.
Lucky for Armstrong, his cat-like reflexes kicked in and the pie hit the floor. Of all this unpleasantness, Armstrong remarked, “This poor guy needs to find a more effective way) to express himself without all the messy resulting complications.” One parishioner wasn’t feeling as jovial, “We have a 3-year-old, and I just think that was something she shouldn’t have seen.” Um, it’s not like Hyde murdered Armstrong and ate his heart or something. He threw a pie! That’s not some nightmarish act. That’s pure comedy.
Though Hyde may face charges of trespassing, harassment, criminal mischief and disrupting with trespassing, Reverend Armstrong told police he hopes Hyde will just get a stern warning. One of Armstrong’s flock, however, isn’t feeling so generous:
I have never seen such a rude display in church. This act was hateful. It was an invasion of sacred space. We all know Fr. Armstrong has many enemies — all the right enemies, as far as I’m concerned — but carrying out such an act during a worship service betrays grave disrespect for our constitutionally protected right to free exercise of religion. This was an act of hatred against both Fr. Armstrong and the entire congregation.
Someone cue the angry mob…
How about we take this to the next level?
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Ash
It’s just lovely how religious folks get up in arms over pie throwing and don’t seem to be even slightly concerned about something like, oh say, gay-bashing. Ah, priorities.
john
Too bad he didn’t have a gun. Better yet – a bomb!
Vince
Too bad the kid changed his mind. He should have hit him in the face with that pie. Reminds me of my last day of my sophomore year ( 20 years ago) when my best friend and I threw condoms full of water into the teachers classrooms we hated and ran like hell. We were disappointed one of them did not burst open. It was funny to hear how she picked it up in front of the class like she was holding something icky. Classic !!
abelinclon
blah blah blah – fuck religion and all the religious hypocrites and bigots.