Riverwood Presbyterian Church

Satan Must Love Candy

by Tim Lien

Once again, fundamental fringe Christianity makes us all want to wear a costume—preferably a brown paper bag. For those of you who don’t believe that God’s gracious act towards sinners is shocking enough….ladies and gentlemen, I give you Hell House. Quick definition: Hell Houses are church-sponsored “haunted houses” that try to scare the spiritual pajamas off your quaking sinful body by showing participants scenes of shocking sinful practices… and the eternal penalties incurred) The picture below depicts a school shooting.

For definitions: The New York Times article, here.

Pastor Keenan Robert’s Website: here. (producers of the Hell House kit)

And Christianity Today’s article on Robert’s ministry, here.

What is so bad about showing skit after skit that shows abortion, homosexuality, suicide, use of alcoholic beverages, pre-marital sex, occultism, and Satanic ritual abuse?

For starters: The organizer of these events keeps citing Romans 6:23 (“for the wages of sin is death”). True enough. But camping in Romans chapter 6 without hiking to Romans 8 is like saying that it doesn’t matter where you snow-ski—as long as there is a slope and as long as there is snow. Skiing in Mentone, Alabama can be substituted for skiing in Aspen—because, hey, it’s still skiing and they both have an official, like, ski place and everything. Getting people to believe in God through “shock and awe” is just as valid as preaching about all that touchy-feely goodness of heaven. Right? Perhaps not….Context is everything. The Gospel stretches across generations showing God’s certain redemptive movements for His people. Quoting one verse is always suspect.

What about the sneaking praise of moralism? Sure, they identify some troubling offenses against God’s holiness, but what if all of these shocking external sins are averted? Then what? Are we safe, then? Sweet morality apart from Christ is just as spiritually bloody as the abortion doctor’s forceps.

Has anybody seen Hell House, the documentary? I’d be curious about your reaction.