Russell Moore gives seven reasons why "Judgment Houses" (or "Hell Houses")—haunted-house-type attractions created by churches, depicting sin and judgment for the purpose of evangelism—"often miss the mark." I thought these three points were particularly strong:
They abstract judgment from the love of God. I know most “Judgment Houses” present the gospel at the end. But in the Bible the good news doesn’t come at the end. The prodigal son leaves the father’s house, but the father is eager to receive him back (Luke 16:11-31). The awful news of God’s judgment is always intertwined in Scripture with the message of the gospel of a loving, merciful God. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17).
They abstract judgment from the glory of God. The prophet Isaiah doesn’t see that he’s “undone” first by the horror of judgment. He sees it in light of the glory of God’s presence (Isa 6:1-6). The Apostle John tells us the glory Isaiah saw was Jesus of Nazareth (12:41). When we preach Jesus, the glory of God breaks through (2 Cor 4:6). Some people recoil at that light; some people run to it (John 3:19-21).
It’s hard to cry at a Judgment House. But Jesus does when thinking about judgment (Matt 23:37). And so does the Apostle Paul, pleading with sinners to be saved (2 Cor 5:20). These evangelistic tools though are meant to take on the feel of a “haunted house,” a place of thrill-seeking and festivity. It’s hard to convey the gravity of the moment in such a way.
Read the rest here. And I think I have one more to add: Haunted houses are terrifying because you're falling into the hands of twisted and sadistic evil. But there is a qualitative difference between this kind of terror and the terror that comes from facing a perfect judge, unable to hide the truth about yourself and with nothing to stand between you and Him, knowing you have committed a serious and heinous crime and are facing an equally serious sentence (the second point quoted above touches on this idea of being confronted by God's glory and authority).
I think that by using the haunted house genre to convey their message about judgment, they're confusing the two kinds of terror in people's minds and inadvertently promoting the idea that God's judgment is likewise twisted and sadistic rather than being a righteous, just expression of His authority as our Creator and Judge.
I Agree. My church is doing Judgement House this year and hopefully it our last. It makes heaven look great and hell look bad. But where is the glory of God in all of it. We are scaring people into choosing Christ so that they can get the reward of heaven and not the punishment of hell. we are not making much of Christ, He is almost excluded (this is scary). It is man centered instead of gospel centered.
Posted by: Ashleigh | October 26, 2011 at 09:07 PM
The ONLY way it could be justified is if the attraction was properly contextualized with a supplemental teaching over and against its entertainment value. That said, one would have to admit that the attraction was merely entertaining and not particularly instructive. It's only value would be to bring in people to potentially expose them to a truth that they would absorb merely tangentially in lieu of actually finding a more direct way of presenting the gospel to them. It's like ruining your lawn by flooding it in an attempt to wash your car with the full force of a fire hydrant.
Posted by: Jim Pemberton | October 27, 2011 at 11:48 AM
Our church is doing JH for the second time. Last year, a young mother and father gave their hearts to Christ. They returned the next night with the grandmother, who also accepted the Lord. The entire family began to attend church. This year, their two elementary/youth boys accepted Christ. The entire family, and the grandmother were all baptized a few months ago. All have been active in the church since. Our JH clearly gives the gospel and presents both God's love AND His judgment. It causes people to "experience" a tiny bit of their potential future reality. Our church follows up with a presentation from our pastor, and a home visit. It has been an effective ministry. There's a verse about saving some "with fear." Perhaps for some, the truth about heaven and hell needs to be proclaimed.
Posted by: Robin | October 27, 2011 at 08:29 PM
Along with the comments here (and at the original blog), I have mixed feelings. I have known people who have at least recommitted themselves at such events, but I think these are relatively rare, and I question whether their commitments wouldn't have come about through decent teaching without the sensationalism.
More crucially, I think these events are offensive, and I don't mean "offense of the cross" offensive, but just plain "my God is gonna get you" offensive. Admittedly, if you actually attend one, you probably won't get this vibe, but it is certainly common in the media and blogosphere. Doctrines of God's holiness, judgment and hell are deep and complex beliefs that resonate deeply with people when deeply understood (understood by a CS Lewis or Jonathan Edwards, not a Rob Bell). The sensationalism, manipulation and entertainment provided by a JH don't come close to doing it justice, and give skeptics one more reason to write off Christians as judgmental, emotion-driven, superstitious, manipulated sheeple.
Posted by: Nigel Goodnow | October 28, 2011 at 10:49 AM
Last year, our church had over 80 decisions because of Judgment House. This year, some of those same people have returned, bringing friends and family members with them. As one of the guides who leads the groups through the drama, my voice often shakes and my eyes well up as I deliver the narration. Understanding the weight of the information the guests are receiving can be very emotional, and I don't take it lightly at all. The event is covered in prayer, before, during and after. We present JH in humility, only asking God to use the talents He has given for His glory. Last week, I "guided" two unchurched Gothic-style lesbians through the tour, and both of them later acknowledged that it was "interesting." They may not have made decisions, but at least seeds were planted. They were not offended. I believe our sincerity and concern for them will be the impression they are left with, not an offensive God.
Posted by: Robin | October 28, 2011 at 07:09 PM