Some Christians use ‘Hell Houses’ to reach out on Halloween
October 29th, 2007USA Today reports on the trend of churches using “Hell Houses” around Halloween time:
Hell Houses are intended to literally scare the hell out of people. Participants walk through several “scenes” depicting the consequences of things like abortion, homosexuality and drunkenness.
I know of at least one church in my area that does this. I think it’s emotional manipulation and entirely worthless as a means of communicating the Gospel.
Peter, I think that these CAN be emotionally manipulative. But I wouldn’t necessarily condemn all of them without first hearing the hearts of those that labor in these “fields”.
When I preach on the subject of hell, I’m not trying to soft-peddle it either.
I agree, Peter. We don’t see Jesus using scare tactics to get people to follow him.
When I was in youth ministry in High School we did this once or twice. Looking back, I don’t feel real good about it. My only solice is that the vast majority of students we did this for were Christians, so the shrapnel to unbelievers was minimal. I definately think that these things are a bad idea.
This really wouldn’t work on me. First, threats don’t make good arguments. Second, if you don’t believe a threat exists in the first place, then it simply becomes an empty threat. This stuff only works on emotionally vulnerable people, children, and people who already believe anyway. In other words, people who can be threatened. There are better ways to communicate with someone.
On a side note, are evangelical children allowed to go trick or treating on Halloween?
On a side note, are evangelical children allowed to go trick or treating on Halloween?
Yes.
j razz
Doesn’t the paganism of Halloween conflict with evangelical beliefs? How do they reconcile the two? Or do they even need to? It sounds kind of like why I still celebrate Christmas.
I can’t speak for all, but I would just explain to my children the origin of Halloween and the origin of All Saints Day and hopefully shed some light on the phrase, Trick or Treat and how that came about (young mischevious boys and the appeasement of their mischief with candy). Or, we could just celebrate Reformation day!
Now, I don’t have children and I don’t know that I would let them participate but I don’t know that I won’t. I haven’t really thought about it but I know other people who do allow their children to participate. I find Halloween to be an old wive’s tale and nothing more- kind of like when Paul speaks of meat being sacrificed to idols.
I haven’t thought through this issue all the way either, but I have an issue with churches putting together alternative events on Halloween. I kind of feel like it is a reaction (like Godtube) moreso than a legitimate need. Kind of like, “oh man, secular society has this so we have to come up with something just like it!” I could be wrong on this, but that is my initial feeling on that.
j razz
Our family stopped doing Halloween and trick or treating
about 10 years ago. We just felt convicted do stop. We stopped doing Santa and the Easter Bunny the same year. We felt in all three cases it was best to celebrate Christ. We have celebrated Reformation Day at several of our churchs.
I think the rampant commercialism of Halloween is a much bigger problem than the pagan origins of it. I look at it as a chance to be friendly to my neighbors, practice a little hospitality, and promote community where I live. I think those things are completely in line with biblical values.
We celebrate Reformation Day, too. Our R.D. celebration will be taking place at church on Wednesday night. But, we have handed out candy in the past as a way to meet our neighbors since we have moved a lot.
I look at it as a chance to be friendly to my neighbors, practice a little hospitality, and promote community where I live. I think those things are completely in line with biblical values.
I hear ya. Those are in line with my values as well. That’s why I still celebrate Christmas even though it’s arguably over commercialized as well. Halloween is just a great time for kids and I like the spirit of giving at Christmas time. Though I am neither a pagan or a Christian I celebrate them both. The spirit of these holidays transcends their origins. I’ve never heard of reformation day. What is that?
Just be ready for Festivus. That’s all I’m saying.
Reformation Day
I even had a professor write a song about it and every year on Oct. 31st he would bring out his guitar and sing the song. I wish I remembered how it went.
j razz
On the issue of Trick or Treating, as with the Easter Bunny, Santa etc., i dont think there is a “should” or should not answer for Christians. I think it is a “let each man be fully convinced in his own mind” issue.
Not a parent yet, but might be in a few years. I would let my children do the Holloween thing. Santa and the Easter Bunny I’m not sure about yet.
We don’t see Jesus using scare tactics to get people to follow him.
Nick is right about that, but at the same time, Jesus had no problem repeatedly expressing a clear doctrine of Hell that precludes any possibility of universalism: there’s the broad path to destruction and the narrow way to life, the sheep and the goats will be separated, as will the wheat and the weeds.
He certainly didn’t try to scare people into becoming His disciples, but he was absolutely clear both about the cost of discipleship and the stakes that are involved.
I agree with you Nick on each Christian making their own decision.
Reformation Day is a commemoration of the day that Martin Luther posted his theses regarding the selling of indulgences, among other things, to the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany in order to spark debate regarding whether the Catholic Church could dispense grace for money or whether God alone dispensed grace as a matter of faith. The Catholic church hierarchy took great offense that the questions were even raised and what followed was the excommunication of Luther and a “protest” against the Catholic church, hence, the Protestant Reformation of the Christian faith.
BTW, the idea behind Halloween being associated with spirits of the dead and attempting to fend them off follows from a mixing of Catholicism with animism and paganism. I agree with jrazz and Nick. It’s an individual decision, and depends a lot on how much faith and reality you assign to the event. Also, how does it affect your living.
USA Today’s wording is very telling of their perspective…list the controversial topics as the things which result in people going to Hell. I’m wondering if the “Hell Houses” have depictions only of what is in the USA text or if they include liars, gossips, backbiters, totally self-loving, racist, lazy, (fill in the blank) people being separated from the one who would graciously redeem them away from being God-haters if only they would believe that He will and can.
I’d like to weigh in on the “Hell House” issue. Our church was part of a combined “Judgment House” (same thing) in 2001. We had over 100 “professions of faith.” We immediately started followup, and I quickly discovered that those professions were mostly empty. We had manipulated people into making decisions, but God hadn’t done a work in many of their lives. Some six years later I see very little solid Christian living from those I saw make their “decisions.” That moment in 2001 set me on a journey to try to understand God’s work of salvation. It has been a glorious journey, from embracing the Doctrines of Grace, to moving my church to try to trust the power of God in salvation, and to introduce me to a whole brotherhood of men (and churches) who reject man-centered methods for getting decisions. I still feel remorse over being a part of giving people false assurance back in 2001, but feel more committed than ever to a passion for souls. There are plenty of biblical ways to get the message of salvation to people other than these “Hell Houses.” I appreciate others commitment to preaching on Hell, but these gimmicky ways of getting the message accross should not be equated with preaching, or witnessing.