My mother watched some of this with me and she made me turn it off about 15 minutes in, because it just was too disturbing and sad to her. That was about all she could take. I could not agree more, although she could handle "Jesus Camp". What has become of humanity?

Wanna get the crap scared out of you? And I don't mean that in any respectfully horror-ish way when referring to HELL HOUSE. I mean it in a way that'll cause you to doubt human sanity.Technique-wise, I have to give the creators of this idea a definite thumbs up. Utilizing graphic imagery to frighten people toward God, the Assembly of God Church has accomplished something quite unique every October 31st. Threatening sinners with eternal damnation if they have premarital sex, are gay, or attend a rave party, this church puts on a haunted house filled with gore and violence each Halloween. The actors and actresses are pulled from their congregation annually. Some are young women who dip their crotches in fake blood and scream in mock pain while perched on a makeshift hospital gurney (their dialogue during this horrific scene is centered around "the morning after pill" and how dangerous it is ...which is completely untrue of course, but we're talking self-induced abortion so this little fib is obviously okay.) Other scenes include a homosexual man dying of AIDS. A ghoulishly evil creature hovers around him and comments on his "evil lifestyle choice" as he groans his last breath and is ushered into everlasting pain and devilish servitude (never mind that the man may have been a pediatrician who cured a type of cancer that saved thousands of lives. Homo? You're going' to Hell!) At the end of peoples' tour through these strange Halloween acts, prayer groups are offered up for those who wish to be saved. Never mind that the pressure put on the guests by the aforementioned scenes and the "limited time" they have to act on this compulsion are stressed to the maximum ("You have six seconds to walk through that door and be saved by Jesus. One...") Probably the biggest downer here is that this is a growing phenomenon. Forget that God is merciful or full of love or wants you to be happy. That's not what this is about. This is all about fear and the tactics used to instill it by a group of individuals who claim to be "religious." Excuse me but isn't religion supposed to be about acceptance, caring, and the loving nature of Jesus/God? Maybe I'm missing something.The other issue is that these Assembly of God members obviously have no idea what Halloween is about nor its history (Note: All Hallows Day – also known as "All Saints' Day". The holiday was a day of religious festivities in various northern European Pagan traditions, until Popes Gregory III and Gregory IV moved the old Christian feast of All Saints' Day from May 13 to November 1. In the ninth century, the Church measured the day as starting at sunset, in accordance with the Florentine calendar. Although we now consider All Saints' – or Hallows' – day to be on the day after Halloween, they were, at that time, considered to be the same day.) The church also shows how suicide is a sin. But God (nor the bible) ever said this (Note: "In the early Christian era suicide was not only tolerated, but condoned by the church, as a result certain sects such as the Donatists and the Circumcellions jumped off cliffs in great numbers to hasten an afterlife that promised greater rewards than those found on jolly old Earth. Faced with the loss of so many of its members, and rapidly shrinking collection plates, in the sixth century the church decided that anyone else who committed suicide was going to hell." Bet you won't be hearing that "biblical history" during a sermon any time soon.) There's a brief shining moment when a group of young men and women confront the designers of Hell House and tell them how wrong all of this is (thus my two star rating). But it falls on deaf ears and is quickly swept under the rug in the documentary.

I spent 5 years of my life at the Church that the above film took place at and over that time span, thousands of young people made a choice to visualize that the path that they were heading on was leading them down one that later in life they did not want to find themselves on. All we ever did through the ministry of HellHouse was to make visual the reality of some choices that people make in their life have consequences. To compare us to Bin Laden and the Taliban is so out in the extreme.Yes we showed graphic images and we showed non graphic images, but the above users has no problem watching the films below Friday the 13th, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Wild Orchid, Wild Orchid II: Two Shades of Blue, Faces of Death, Road Trip, to name a few and I know that they were watched because they are all commented on. In a majority of these movies lets see pick a topic. Sex, Violence, Murder, Drugs, Death, and they are all commented in the sake of entertainment. We do they same, and show in the very end a positive outcome and we are considered extremist, and the others are nominated for movie awards. Somethings a little off don't you think. You can ask over the 50 thousand people that have gone through Hellhouse and the 20 thousand+ who's life have Been changed by it if we are extremist or a ministry. Find the whole story before you comment on anything you don't try to change but add to as a growing problem in the social environment that we live.

Given that we cannot know what was edited out of this film, it can be said that the gospel of Christ was not presented anywhere in this film. Drama IS NOT the "power of God unto salvation"... the gospel of Christ is. That gospel in this dispensation of the grace of God (Acts 20:24) is the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16). That gospel is made plain and simple in 1 Corinthians 15 verses 1 thru 4. BELIEVE that Christ died for our sins, and was buried, and raised again the third day... BELIEVE is not a DO. Placing your faith solely in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ; by grace through faith.This film is simple to discern for a member of the body of Christ; as an Ambassador for Christ. Simply put the words "I am an Ambassador for Christ" in front of every line and move these "actors" said or made! It just does not fit.What this film depicted was "religion", not faith. People trusting in themselves, not in Christ. It was showing unsaved people still trusting in what they do instead of what was done on Calvary's cross 2000 years ago. At that cross "...God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them...(2 Corinthians 5:19). No gay person, no rapist, no wife beater, no suicidal person can sin and go to hell. Hell is reserved for those who reject the free gift of eternal life offered to ALL in this time that God is dispensing purely grace with no works whatsoever attached to it.Again, we cannot know for sure what was edited from this film. But plenty can be discerned by what WAS shown. And what was shown consisted of this so-called "church" and its members.Want eternal life? No need to be scared into it. No need to go to some special room within a countdown timeframe (! da!) where folks will "pray" you into salvation! No working for it as in going down to the alter, or getting on your knees and begging forgiveness (God is not IMPUTING TRESSPASSES bright eyes!), or "accepting" Jesus into your heart, or "opening" the door of your heart 'cause Jesus is a knockin', and no saying some "sinners" prayer, and no... blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.Don't believe these made up "traditions of men" and "doctrines of devils" - come to the church, the body of Christ which is not shackled within some tidy building -- instead, BELIEVE that Christ died for your sins, was buried, and raised again and you too will receive the free gift of eternal life. And then, don't go making a fool of yourself in some ridiculous "Hell House" drama, but instead tell others of the wonderful news of the gospel of Christ, which truly IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION!