Church's 'hell house' features shocking attempt to save souls

 Church's 'hell house' features shocking attempt to save souls

This article was sent to us by Dorothy Boyette. Dorothy is a faithful warrior in Lubbock, TX. The different views of evangelism in this article go from one extreme to another, but what I found most interesting was the Letter to the Editor that follows the article. In it this "son of a minister" makes a comparison between Dr. Jerry Falwell and the abominable Fred Phelps. Are we saying that anyone who would say that God is a judge is grouped in with the likes of Fred Phelps?

Thursday, October 31, 2002

Church's 'hell house' features shocking attempt to save souls

BY KERRY DRENNAN
AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

A girl being raped at a party. A botched abortion. Gutted teenagers.

Those three themes are acted out by members of The Potters' House Christian Church in an effort to shock people into salvation.

A red-faced demon in black leads visitors through a series of rooms depicting different deadly sins.

The first is of a raucous party filled with drinking teens. As friends depart, the remaining boy attacks, rapes and kills the last girl.

In the next room, real images of aborted fetuses play overhead as a woman screams throughout a bloody mock abortion.

The demon grabs a jar filled with doll parts and red liquid cackling, "Maybe it could've been a doctor, or a lawyer or a murderer like its mother!"

In another room featuring a motorcycle wreck, two teenagers covered with cow entrails twitch and moan to make their fake drunken-driving accident look more realistic.

It's part of the church's "hell house," a takeoff on the traditional haunted house that pastor Raul Vela says is a realistic portrayal of the world we live in.

"My basic goal is just to let Lubbock know that this is reality, this is life," Vela said. "I know that it doesn't happen to everyone, not everyone can relate to the scenes coming through - especially the abortion. But there's something in there that we can all relate to.

"My whole purpose is to get people to see that there's something that applies to your life, and that some day we'll be standing before God for judgment," Vela said.

One of the final scenes in the 20-minute drama is of all the characters - the man killed in a drunken-driving accident, the rape victim and the woman who has an abortion - standing before God after death, apologizing, begging for mercy.

All are sent to hell.

Vela explained that the accident victims are doomed for drinking and driving, the woman who has an abortion is condemned for murder and the rape victim is damned not for being raped, but for being a part of the party scene and putting herself in a situation where she could be raped.

A sign posted at the en trance of the hell house warns of graphic scenes, and children under 12 are not allowed in without parents. Everyone who comes through must sign in.

Yvette Cortez and friend Alyssa Martinez, both 14, returned Wednesday night for their second trip through.

"They're trying to prove to you what your life can be in the future," Yvette said. "They're showing right from wrong."

Mary Martinez, Alyssa's mother, said her daughter returned home last night frightened and emotional. The elder Martinez wanted to see for herself what the house had to offer.

She and the girls were three of five people who pledged their faith during the heated sermon that followed the haunted house drama.

"It's just real touching, and it makes you think," she said.

Tray Payne, 28, who also viewed the haunted house, agreed that it succeeded in delivering a clear message, but said that message was lacking a key point.

"It showed some realities of life, but I think they unfortunately forgot to say there is forgiveness - Christ will forgive you," Payne said.

Vela defends the violent nature of the drama, arguing it's no worse than what's shown on network television.

Nick Watts, youth minister at Southcrest Baptist Church, says he has not seen the hell house, but is familiar with the concept. If properly acted and explained, the message can be very powerful, he says.

"I'm not one for manipulating people's emotions, but if it could be done reasonably and forthrightly, then yeah, I would do it," he said, adding he would stop short of using real abortion footage.

However, he said, the message of salvation can be overshadowed by gore.

"If you can be clear about what you're doing, folks are able to leave with a clear understanding about what's happened, the graphic nature of the event does not convolute or overshadow the purpose, then it can be a success," Watts said.

"Otherwise, people leave mad, upset, traumatized - fill in the blank," he said.

Lake Ridge United Methodist youth minister Cory Campbell says he can't comment on the hell house be cause he hasn't seen it, but questions the sincerity of a declaration of faith following a terrifying experience.

"You have to look at, do they make a real decision because all of a sudden they understand their need for Christ, that Christ loves them, or are they accepting him out of fear, fear of their sins and going to hell," Camp bell said. "If it's out of that, it's not going to last very long."

Campbell says he would not orchestrate such an event at his church. He says based on his experience, a light-hearted message is more readily accepted by young people.

"The best approach is just having a party," he said. "Turn it around so it's fun and have a message with that."

These two letters appeared in the local paper regarding the "Hell House" that featured abortion.

Article On 'Hell House'

Re: The article "Church's 'hell house' features shocking attempt to save souls." How extremely pathetic and ignorant can an individual get? I read the article today about the "Hell House" and was furious for two reasons. The first is that The A-J would dedicate time to such an un-newsworthy event. That the article even has column space is trash being printed in The A-J. As the son of a Southern Baptist minister, I have grown up in church my whole life. If you want to bring someone to God, you do it through love and forgiveness. Yes, God is just and powerful, but he is loving and merciful, too. A witness brings someone to God by showing his love, not by scaring them into salvation through images of evil and tragic events. The Potter's House church has crossed a line, and it is truly sad that the youth minister of Southcrest went to the level of agreeing that he would put on a "show" like the Hell House. I am completely shocked at the ignorance of these "men of God." Why do Christians have a bad name? Why are people scornful of the church? Read the article. I am a Christian and believe in loving people and showing God's mercy. When "witnesses" try to scare people into faith and preach hell and damnation, they turn not only sinners away from the church, but they turn other Christians away, too. In my opinion, these people and their "Hell House" belong right up there with Jerry Falwell and Fred Phelps.
TODD BATSON/Lubbock

'Hell House' Message

Re: The letter "Church's 'hell house' features shocking attempt to save souls" I am amazed that a local church in Lubbock would receive criticism for warning sinners of the judgment to come. For those who suggest "a party with a light-hearted message," heed the words of Charles Spurgeon, "There must be true and deep conviction of sin ... for where this is not felt the new birth has not taken place."
DOROTHY BOYETT/Lubbock