Hell Houses

[Jim Raynor]

Have any of you guys heard about the Hell Houses? I just caught the last few minutes of a stupid Christian documentary about one of them, called Trinity's Hell House. On the surface it seems just like any other haunted theme park. At the beginning of the tour, the visitors hear a loud booming voice, supposed to be that of God, telling them that because they rejected his son they will be condemned to hell. The visitors would then be walked through by a host dressed in some freaky costume, who's supposed to be a demon or something. Along the way, he'll stop and jeer at actors playing as prisoners being tortured in hell. Among the prisoners is a guy crying about being molested by his uncle as a kid, and another guy with a hole in his head, supposedly from commiting suicide.

After the tour ends, the visitors are taken into this plain, empty room where they'll see another host, this one dressed normally though. He tells them that they've come to the most important part of the tour, and that they've got an important decision to make. He then goes onto a lengthy religious sermon about people dying in their sins and being tortured for eternity for not accepting Jesus. He then opens a door leading to a shining white room, and sternly tells them to go in if they want to make sure they'll be saved when they die. Some of the group walks in, and after a few seconds the host will shut the door and tell the remaining group that they had their chance.

Here's where it got really freaky. Most of the people who walked in (I'm guessing they were real religious zealots) immediately burst into tears as they're greeted by a group of proselytizers. They sit down and start bawling as the proselytizers literally get in their face and spout religious propaganda. After that, the documentary cut to some short close-up interviews with a bunch of the people who went through the place. Most of them were rapture-awaiting idioits, and a lot of the things they said were just downright offensive. One person said that because of drugs, sex, and homosexuality, the "world's worst than it's ever been." One girl said that there's a lot of bad stuff going around like AIDS and war, but it's also a good thing since it'll mean Jesus will be coming back soon. Wait a minute, did that bitch just say that AIDS and war are GOOD things? As the documentary wrapped up, some text appeared stating that out of some 75,000 visitors to Tristany's, 15,000 converted. Because of the success of Tristany's, many other churches across the world (apparently this thing was a church-run program) have opened their own Hell Houses. It seems that a bunch of churches have taken to the use of scare tactics in their mission to convert non-believers.

[neoolong]

Gah, I've heard of them but didn't know they were that succesful.

Disturbing.

[Falkenhorst]

I read about something like that a few years ago, and haven't heard anything about it since. It sounds like a pretty fucked up idea though.

[Wicked Pilot]

I've seen similiar incarnations. It's quite pathetic. Nothing like scare tactics to keep the masses in the churches.

[DPDarkPrimus]

Appeal to fear and appeal to emotion. Nice.

I can't wait to see the joint-lawsuits for causing mental distress.

[Sokar]

This is nothing new , the Church has always ruled through fear and intimidation of the weak willed and fearful.

[Superman]

I want to go through one of those house. After that, I will talk to a lawyer about post traumatic and sue the crap out of them!

Anyone want to come with me?

[Boba Fett]

A very good idea Superman!!!

On the other hand I've never heard of these stupid houses...

I bet one must buy a ticket to enter....so to know the "truth" you have to pay for it...

...just like everytime when you "dealing" with the church...

Pay and you'll be saved...

Buy this paper, pay donation and your soul will be saved...dudes think about it, somehow it rings false...they say everyone is equal before God...

...Even if I don't buy that stupid Watchtower?

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

Fuck the Fundys! I swear... You think a living organism cannot get any dumber, then you hear about sick meanspirited shit like this. Truly terrible.








At least we can relish the look on their faces when they find out THEY'RE the ones who'll populate Hell the most!

[Lagmonster]

I'm somewhat familiar with this kind of thing. They often spring up around Halloween and call themselves 'haunted houses' or 'houses of evil'. Since spooklore is a fascination and folklore a hobby of mine, I try to vist honest haunted hayride/house amusement attractions every so often. I've been to some that end up being conversion ceremonies under the guise of being honest haunted house attractions.

One in question didn't even try all that hard. They had put leaflets all around town, advertising a 'scary Halloween experience'. When we got there, it was little more than a blank room in a chuch where a half-dozen church goers acted out little skits that could have been Chick tract plots in a fingersnap.

[Lord Pounder]

Seems like brainwashing too me, Traumatise an idiot and then scream at him and he's believe you if you told him star trek was good sci-fi.

[Stormbringer]

Among the prisoners is a guy crying about being molested by his uncle as a kid,

Catholic "Hell House"?

This is no more than a cheap scare tactic. It's designed not for adults but kids. Scare 'em shitless as kids by telling them to let the Bible do all their thinking and you'll be saved. If not our loving and merciful God will send you to the fiery, tormented depth of everlasting hell.

[Vympel]

Who the fuck would take their kids to such a place?

[Stormbringer]

Who the fuck would take their kids to such a place?

Brain washed idiots that use the Bible in place of their brain and want to see their skids turn out the same way.

[Vympel]

Crazy. I would never willingly put my kid through such twisted experience.

[Boba Fett]

Crazy. I would never willingly put my kid through such twisted experience.

I totally agree with you!

Those bullheaded idiots think that their child will benefit from this on the long term?

I'll rather buy an "infernal" game console to my kid than to send him/her to face these twisted maniacs...

[Lagmonster]

You all have obviously never seen a Fundamentalist Sunday School for toddlers. *laugh*

There was a girl I knew when I was a teenager - 6'0, blonde, gorgeous as sin and as tempting - who came from a family of bible-literalists. It was the most depressing thing I ever knew. Anyway, in my vain persuit to date her (okay, screw her), I did many things, including take her young brother to Sunday School at her church.

I recall only a handful of things, one of them being a poster on the wall for a game called, and I am not making this up, "Pin the Sin on the Sinner", featuring a drawing of a crowded street scene with Where's Waldo-style images of thieves, whores, men holding hands, and punk metalheads hidden in a crowd of supposedly otherwise holy and wholesome people in suits and ties.

[Jawawithagun]

So is it any good for a Demon: the Fallen Live Action Roleplaying Game?

[Alyeska]

Among the prisoners is a guy crying about being molested by his uncle as a kid.

Now that just pisses me off. Fucking ignorant savages who think that being mollested is the fault of the VICTIM.

[HemlockGrey]

Ah, yes. One of my deacons gave a rather fiery psuedo-sermon/ranting after a church service, speaking out against these 'Hell Houses'. They majorly piss him off; I mean, really, really piss him off, far more than simple 'Goddamn, that's disgusting'.

[Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi]

I don't know why they have to spend that much time with the people. Why odn't they just hold up the Bible and say "If you don't mindlessly follow every word of this book, you'll go to hell"! That's basically every Southern Baptist sermon in history summed up into one sentence.

[Darth Yoshi]

It's not as convincing. The people need to at least give the impression that they care, and that means spending time with the sheep--er, people.