Hell Houses
Hell houses are haunted attractions typically run by American, fundamentalist Christian churches or parachurch groups. These depict sin, the torments of the damned in Hell, and usually conclude with a depiction of heaven. They are most typically operated in the days preceding Halloween, although they are not part of the holiday.
A hell house, like a conventional haunted-house attraction, is a space set aside in which actors attempt to frighten patrons with gruesome exhibits and scenes. The format is that the various scenes are presented as a series of short vignettes with a narrated guide. Unlike haunted houses, hell houses focus on occasions and effects of sin or the fate of unrepentant sinners in the afterlife. They are scheduled during the month of October to capitalize on the similarities between hell houses and haunted attractions.
The exhibits at a hell house often have a controversial tone and focus on sins that are also issues of concern to evangelicals in the United States. Hell houses frequently feature exhibits that depict sin and its consequences. Common examples include abortion, suicide, use of alcoholic beverages and other recreational drugs, adultery and pre-marital sex, occultism, homosexuality, and Satanic ritual abuse. Hell houses typically emphasize the belief that anyone who does not accept Christ as their personal savior is damned to Hell.
[via Wiki]
Typical Hell House Scenes
- A phoney reenactment of the murder of Cassie Bernall, a teenager victim at the Columbine High School in 1999-APR. She was allegedly asked whether she believed in God, answered yes, and was murdered on the spot. The incident never happened. But the story has taken on a life of its own. She is frequently referred to in conservative Christian magazines, books, and radio programs as a Christian martyr.
- A person being sacrificed during a Satanic ritual. The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) web site warned of Wiccan rituals and stated "... evidence persists that some Satanists and voodoo groups offer sacrifices -- usual animals, but, possibly, human babies" at this time. Satanic Ritual Abuse was a widespread hoax that was commonly believed during the 1980s and early 1990s.
- Women undergoing very bloody late-term abortions, complete with screaming, lots of blood, and particularly insensitive, uncaring health providers. Some of these scenes have been partly abandoned in recent years in favor of a portrayal of guilt and depression arising from Post Abortion Syndrome.
- Gays and lesbians being tortured in hell for all eternity because of their same-sex behavior while they were alive on earth.
- The dangers of "dabbling" in the occult and becoming demon possessed.
- Personal tragedies arising from pre-marital sex.
- Disastrous tragedies and loss of life resulting from drunk driving.
- A man having an argument with his wife and is later seduced by his secretary.
- Witches pressuring a depressed teen to murder his fellow students.
- A 9/11 ground zero scene.
Read more about Halloween hell houses at ReligiousTolerance.org
Scenes from Hell Houses
Suicide
Abortion
Homosexuality
Columbine - School Shootings
What do you think about Hell Houses?
Hell Houses save souls
tyler says:
SORRY! in my last statement i said "fooling Christ" but i actually meant FOLLOWING!!!
tyler says:
Its not that they are tyring to pressure u into becoming a chhristian..if u feel that way u need to check yourself cause your being convicted.And Christianinty isnt a religion of hypocrisy its that anyone can claim to b a christian but alot of the people who who claim to be christians arent really walking with the LORD. Biblically Christians are only supposed to judge other christians to help them with their walk with christ and if you see a christian you should remind them of this but not with hate..Its like this , you dont know christ and your living the way u want to , then u find out God's love for you , you get excited and want to tell others about this new found love , the person rejects christianity for whatever reason , your frustrated because you know how beneficial it is but the person dosent seem to understand that. What do you do? the christians who are really fooling Christ would act in love and understanding but some of us get so frustrated we just start telling them that they are going to hell which makes us look even worse...The people who claim to be christians dont change what God has said . if you become a Christian you can decide to live the correct way that God has planned for you and when your telling someone about God dont yell at them saying all the things they've done and what should happen to them but remind them the maker of the universe has focused on them,loves them,and wants to be apart of their life. I think hell house is good for telling people what hell is like.But then again commiting suicide dosent exactly mean your going to hell..but i wont get in to all of that , peace!
Co says:
I think this is just what people need to see. I think Hell is to sugar coated these days. When you get to zhell for your unholy ways you will not get to say, well this is unhuman so i will not go along with it. Thats whats wrong with this world today... people down play just how Horrific Hell is going to truely be. There will not be one second of peace there. Seek God now while you still have a chance. Hell House is showing you just how sick this world has really become... you can chose to pretend it isn't there, but t's not going to stop to nastieness the world has become. God is nearly at our door steps people! Open your eyes!
john says:
its a great idea
says:
I worked for the TV Show Most Haunted Live is the UK's premiere national ghost hunt with Yvette Fielding, on .livingtv.co.uk and I had a few scares with haunted houses I was only in the studio but was still scary to see what was going on live. I have great respect for this subject!
Very nice lens! Great job 5*****.
Ftuley :o)
Hell Houses are inappropriate
CONCERNED says:
What we often misconstrued is the limitation of our responsibility. Ultimately it is Gods responsibility to prepare the heart, inspire hope, cultivate love, share revelation, change lives. I believe that we are responsible to pray and share with people the depths of Gods love. The work that Christ did on the cross and the power of the Holy Spirit are much more effective than our attempts of playing god in theatrical shows of what sin looks like......most people don't need a reminder, they live it every day. LOVE PEOPLE, LOVE.
CONCERNED says:
How arrogant can we be that we take these horrific and tragic events of so many lives and which effected so many family's and parade them around as some egregious attempt of "saving lost souls". I wonder if the people that support this are the same individuals that go and picket the funerals of fallen soldiers, or picket the courthouse steps with anti-gay slander, or the people which picket the abortion clinics with hate in God's name. WE ALL SIN AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD. We are all in need of GRACE AND MERCY.
slick says:
The heart of Christianity is to talk about Christ, who loves sinners (which includes christians) and did not condemn or judge them hatefully. The message of the gospel is best shared when people can love each other and serve their community, not parade themselves around as if they are better than everyone else. These hell houses totally misrepresent Christianity and Jesus Christ. What is sad is that the church is so arrogant that they continue to misrepresent......It's time for us to wake up church and show the world Christ's love.
davespeed says:
Ugh! How offensive.
EchoTarpeian says:
anything that instills Fear is Evil in my opinion... I actually believe that Fear is the Enemy and the Bible tells us to "Fear Not, For I AM with You" therefore, in Echo Logic, I conclude that anything born of Fear is not Godly.
Kate says:
The majority of Christians I know are good people, but places like this fuel the spreading belief that Christians are homophobic, intolerant, uneducated nutjobs.
They should be banned.
Ladydove62 says:
I am a practicing Christian but I find these displays to be vulgar and absolutely horrific. They are completely inappropriate and I would never allow my children to attend one of these.
satan says:
may the fiery fury of hell burn you all for your intolerance
satan says:
i'll try not to get raped next time.
Kate says:
I thought Jesus said, "Judge not, lest ye be judged." Yet, many Christians are some of the most judgemental people in existence. A religion of hypocrisy.
jess says:
I went to a hell house when I was a child, unaware of its motive. It has seriously destroyed my relationship with religion. I am still trying to track them down 11 years later. They must be stopped.
Michael Coats says:
Fire and brimstone techniques suppress theological intelligence. They try to give the impression that a Christian's life is more stable than a non- Christian's life. Speaking as someone who is now a devout Unitarian who was raised in a fundamental Pentecostal Church, a fundamental teen life is not as stable as the Hell House plays would have one believe.
LeanneChesser says:
People are entitled to their beliefs and to free speech and expression. However, I personally disagree with the concept. They're fear-based and judgment-oriented and quite an inappropriate way to share one's beliefs.
NPR on Hell House
'Hell House' Film Depicts a Church That Wants to Scare the Hell out of You
Listen to Steve Inskeep's interview with Hell House director George Ratliff
Watch a scene from the film: the crew rallies on opening day.
Watch the rave scene.
This American Life: 213 - Devil on My Shoulder Go to 10:00, where the Hell House act begins.
Hell House Resources
Hell House Documentary Trailer
Hell House on Netflix - Watch it online or rent it.
Hell House Movie Reviews - Rotten Tomatoes
Hell House Documentary (2001)
Hell House
Amazon Price: $50.00 (as of 06/01/2012)
Hell Houses are a distinctly American phenomenon which began in 1990 just outside of Dallas, at the Trinity Assembly of God Church. The original Hell House was conceived as a modern-day fire-and-brimstone sermon. Today, this religious ceremony of sorts is replete with actors, extensive lighting equipment and full audio-visual tech crews. Inside the Hell House, tour guides dressed as demons take visitors from room to room to view depictions of school massacres, date rape, AIDS-related deaths, fatal drunk driving crashes, and botched abortions. Hell Houses have now spread to hundreds of churches worldwide. With full access to the behind-the-scenes action, HELL HOUSE follows the process from the first script meeting until the last of the 10,000 visitors passes through the Hell House doors. The movie gives a verite window into the whole process of creating this over-the-top sermon, while showing an intimate portrait of the people who fervently believe its message. The film also features a score by Bubba and Matthew Kadane, formerly of the band Bedhead.
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