Community | November 02, 2009 | 12 comments

Jesus Goes to the Dark Carnival: Hell House Gets a Makeover?

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hpseaton
http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/religiousright/1976/jesus_goes_to_the_...

A demon guides you through the shadows. The bodies of teenagers are strewn about like broken dolls in the mangled remains of a car, bottles of Jim Beam tellingly scattered about the wreckage. A young woman sits steeped in her own blood, surrounded by what looks like modern medical equipment in a women’s clinic but dying from a “botched abortion” anyway. Finally, an angry voice from a glowing figure shrouded in white orders you off into hell, a basement room where scenes, the likes of which Clive Barker dared not dream, swirl out of the dry ice. Male S&M Demons whip teenage girls who cry out in pain and despair.

These are maybe not the kinds of things you’d expect to see on a crisp fall evening at your local evangelical church. Still, in the 1990s, tens of thousands witnessed these scenes at church sponsored attractions known as “Hell Houses.” Born out of anxiety over the allegedly satanic meanings of Halloween and the desire to convert souls, evangelical churches created these “Christian Haunted Houses” to convince children and adolescents of the reality of the last judgment and damnation. Instead of unquiet spirits, vampires, and chainsaw-wielding madmen, the vengeful ghosts of the culture wars haunted these Houses.

Abundant Life Christian Center in Colorado created one of the first, most successful, and most controversial Hell Houses. Attempting to be as edgy as possible, Abundant Life actually used animal intestines to represent an aborted fetus in the stock “women’s clinic” scene. Gruesome effects such as these proved successful enough to allow Abundant Life to package and franchise their effort, creating a 280-page guide explaining how other evangelical churches could create their own Christian horror show. Hell houses spread throughout the Southern and Western United States garnering lots of attention and claiming plenty of converts. In 2001, filmmaker George Ratliff took notice of the phenomenon in his wonderfully rendered documentary Hell House.

In the last decade, a new version of the Hell House, a softer and gentler version, has appeared known as “Judgement House” (yes, always judgement with two ‘e’s). Judgement House, which specifically presents itself as a remodeled Hell House, points out that Hell Houses tend to deal with “socially controversial issues such as homosexuality, date rape, and suicide.” In contrast, Judgement House claims to avoid such topics preferring, according to its FAQ section, to “show participants the consequences of choosing the gift of eternal salvation… as well as experiencing a small part of the separation from God in hell that is the consequence of rejecting that same gift.”

Although the Judgement House scripts do make a conscious effort to avoid the language of the culture wars, the symbols are still present and powerful. One of their scripts entitled “Home of the Brave, Land of the Free” tells a story of conversion against the backdrop of the Iraq War. An online preview of the script suggests that the narrative marries jingoism with true piety, portraying the heroes of the script, Corey and Kevin, as “living their dream of defending the country they love,” having gone to Iraq to “love and serve Jesus Christ, the Hero of all mankind.”
  1. groups:
    Community,   Culture,   current cult,   Religion,   2 more
  2. tags:
    Christianity,  Halloween,  Hell House,  judgement house
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12 comments // Jesus Goes to the Dark Carnival: Hell House Gets a Makeover?

  • freecrack
    • 0
      freecrack  

    • you know what other deceptive entertaining entity was born through the carny tradition? professional wrestling.
      way to show how sacred you religion is,
      maybe next year they can bob for free passes into heaven
      or maybe offer the born again rollercoaster ride
      hell buy splish splash and rename it john the baptists anointment park.
      no chlorene just priests cleansing the water by blessing it

    • 2 years ago
  • RFIDemocracy
  • EdJoyProductions
  • desertcat
  • hpseaton
    • 0
      hpseaton  

    • Next year I think I'm going in a different direction...'Holy House'. Oily haired pastors and priests will jump out of corners screaming 'John 3:16!' Mormon missionaries will pelt you with bibles from the darkness and 'Touched by An Angel' and the '700 Club' will be running on a constant loop! Shaking already, aren't you!

    • 2 years ago
  • EdJoyProductions
    • 0
      EdJoyProductions  
    • hpseaton:

      If I am forced to watch "Touched by an Angel" and the "700 Club"...... ::shivers:: I can't think of anything more terrifying. I think you are going too far! Have you no limits to your depravity? :D

    • 2 years ago
  • hpseaton
    • 0
      hpseaton  
    • Image
    • hpseaton:

      I shall up the depravity level! Now I'm adding several people dressed as Jim and Tammy Faye to ramble about in the darkness, ready to spring out with their collection plates!

    • 2 years ago
  • RFIDemocracy
    • 0
      RFIDemocracy  
    • hpseaton:

      *Jesus Thinks You're a Jerk*

      There's an ugly little weasel 'bout three-foot nine
      Face puffed up from cryin' 'n lyin'
      'Cause her sweet little hubby's
      Suckin' prong part time
      (In the name of The Lord)

      Get a clue, little shrew
      Oh yeah, oh yeah
      Jesus thinks you're a jerk
      Would he really choose Tammy to do His Work? Unh-unh

      Hallelujah!
      (Yes, friends . . . )

      Robertson says that he's The One
      Oh he sure is, if Armageddon
      Is your idea of family fun,
      An' he's got some planned for you!
      (Now, tell me that ain't true)

      Give me that old time religion!

      Now, what if Jimbo's slightly gay,
      Will Pat let Jimbo get away?
      Everything we've heard him say
      Indicates that Jim must pay,
      (And it just might hurt a bit) Just a bit!
      But keep that money rollin' in,
      'Cause Pat and naughty Jimbo
      Can't get enough of it (let's dance!)

      Perhaps it's their idea
      Of an Affirmative Action Plan
      To give White Trash a 'special break';
      Well, they took those Jeezo-bucks and ran
      To the bank! To the bank! To the bank! To the bank!
      And every night we can hear them thank
      Their Buddy, up above
      For sending down his love
      (While you all smell the glove)

      Henry Cisneros, ladies and gentlemen!

      Jim and Pat should take a pole
      (Right up each saintly glory-hole),
      With tar and feathers too -
      Just like they'd love to do to you

      ('Cause they think you are bad -
      Yes, they do!
      And they are very mad)

      'Cause some folks don't want prayer in school!

      (We'd need an ark to survive the drool
      Of Micro-publicans, raised on hate,
      And 'Jimbo-Jumbo' when they graduate)

      Convinced they are 'The Chosen Ones' -
      And all their parents carry guns,
      (Hey, look! Godzilla!)
      And hold them cards in the N.R.A.
      (Ah, hellfire, Melvin, hey hee!)
      (With their fingers on the trigger
      ("It's hot.")
      When they kneel and pray)
      ("I mean that . . . ")

      With a Ku-Klux muu-muu
      In the back of the truck,
      If you ain't Born Again
      They wanna mess you up, screamin':
      "No abortion, no-siree!"
      "Life's too precious, can't you see!"
      (What's that hangin' from a neighbor's tree?
      Why, it looks like 'colored folks' to me -
      Would THEY do THAT . . .
      They've been doin' it for years!
      Seriously?)

      And now, ladies and gentlemen, the dynamic Eric Buxton

      Imagine if you will,
      A multi-millionaire TV Evangelist,
      Saved from Korean Combat duty by his father, a U.S. Senator

      Studied law -
      But is not qualified to practice it

      Father of a "love child"
      Who, in adulthood, hosts the remnants
      Of papa's religious propaganda program

      Claims not to be a "Faith Healer,"
      But has, in the past,
      Dealt sternly with everything from hemorrhoids to hurricanes

      Involved with funding for an 'undeclared war' in Central America
      Claiming Ronald Reagan and Oliver North as close friends

      Involved in suspicous 'tax-avoidance schemes',
      (Under investigation for 16 months by the I.R.S.)

      Claims to be a MAN OF GOD;
      Currently seeking the United States Presidency,
      Hoping we will all follow him into -
      The Twilight Zone

      But, hey! What if Pat gets in the White House,
      (No fuckin' way, Ike,
      You know what I mean)
      The rights of 'certain people' disappear
      Mysteriously?

      Now, wouldn't that sort of qualify
      As an American Tragedy?
      (Especially if they cover it up, sayin'
      "Jesus told it to me!")
      (I mean vapor tight, we're like this, okay?
      I mean that)
      I hope we never see that day,
      (I mean that. Right here. It's hot. It's hot.)
      In The Land of The Free -
      Or someday will we?
      (92?)
      Will we?
      (96?)

      And if you don't know by now,
      The truth of what I'm tellin' you,
      Then, surely I have failed somehow -
      Surely I have failed somehow
      Surely I have failed somehow

      And Jesus will think I'm a jerk, just like you -
      If you let those TV Preachers
      Make a monkey out of you!

      I said:
      "Jesus will think you're a jerk"
      And it would be true!

      There's an old rugged cross
      In the land of the Stainless Maiden -
      It's just burnin' on the lawn
      But this person looks like Tom Braden!

      Jim and Tammy!
      Oh, baby!
      You gotta go!
      You really got to go!
      Jim and Tammy got to go

      -FZ

    • 2 years ago
  • EdJoyProductions
    • 0
      EdJoyProductions  
    • hpseaton:

      In Tammy Faye's defense, I think she stopped hating homosexuals after her split with Jimbo. I think it was after she finally got a talented gay guy to do her make-up and realized how useful they could be and how tragic her own handiwork was. :D

    • 2 years ago
  • tangibleparadox
  • EdJoyProductions
  • Progresshiv
    • 0
      Progresshiv  

    • Click your heels together three times and repeat, "There's no place like Rome, there's no place like Rome, there's no place like Rome......"

    • 2 years ago
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