A woman in Pasadena, Texas, is really pissed off after she bought tickets to what she thought was a run-of-the-mill haunted house (with zombies, vampires, and the like) only to discover when she went that it featured scenes of something much more twisted and wrong.
When Linda Ybarra and her 14-year-old son arrived at "Hell House," they realized not only that it was put on by a religious group (specifically, Potters House Christian Fellowship Church), but also that it featured very realistic, very graphic scenes about abortion, "selfish" teen suicide, and going to hell if they didn't accept Jesus as their savior.
I seriously don't know if I could handle seeing what Ybarra and her son were forced to look at (as told to KTRK):
There was a young lady lying on a gurney, and two nurses. And one of the nurses was reaching into the lady and pulling out a bunch of gunk, and throwing it on the floor.
The worst part is yet to come, though. Ybarra asked to leave as soon as she realized the haunted house wasn't what she thought it was -- but they wouldn't let her (citing safety concerns)!
You don't need a psychology degree to understand why Ybarra is so upset: She felt the organizers lured her and other naive horror fans to the very atypical "haunted house" under false pretenses. And the fact that she had her 14-year-old son with her made it even worse.
Unfortunately, this isn't the only religious group that has pulled such a cruel trick. In fact, these sorts of Christian "hell houses" are performed all across the country (and have been for years) and, according to Pastor Lamont Melrose whose church put on the Pasadena house, attempt to save souls and "lure people to Jesus by the end of the show." The disturbing tactic is so widespread, there's even been a documentary about it.
So what's the lesson here for Ybarra and other unsuspecting people like her? Do some research about the haunted house organizers and steer clear of those that are sponsored by religious groups -- unless, of course, you are into that kind of thing.
Image via Beth Rankin/Flickr
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Comments 21
To everyone saying she got what she paid for: she probably wanted horror, not an agenda, which is exactly what this house had. That'd sicken and offend me a lot more than any gore (and I am not a gore fan).
I've seen the documentary about this particular location. It's been a while, but as I recall, it's designed in a way to lead you through one scene after another, and there are no back doors or alternate exits. People are taken through in groups, and in the end, are presented with a campy version of hell and told that this is where they'll go if they don't convert. They take you into the final room where you have the "option" to stay and be indoctrinated, or leave. I put option in quotations because I don't know how much sales pressure they apply.
Scares and gore are sort of an expectation when you step into a haunted house, but a religious crusade is not. And this crusade in particular is like handing out Bibles instead of candy, but on steroids. I don't remember if there are signs that indicate this to be an atypical haunted house, and that lack of disclosure would have annoyed me.
That is disgusting. People can have their opinions but it needs to be left as that--just an opinion. To go that far to try to force your opinions on other people is just wrong.
@blh- Most haunted houses won't let you turn around and go back the way you came. You'd create a traffic jam and ruin the experience for everyone behind you. It wouldn't be fair or considerate, especially in interactive haunted houses, where there's a storyline and someone turning back would ruin the whole show for the group behind them because the presence of an extra person in the middle of a scene or scare wouldn't be able to be explained.
I'm pro life and an aiethist. I would be pissed if I some religious wackos set up a supposed haunted house to scare me into their beliefs.
Im pro - life and think that there should definitely be some sort of warning about the graphic depictions of abortion. In all honesty though, haunted houses are supposed to be sick and gross so it's kinda weird that shed get pissed about that. I'd actually be way more pissed off if I went to one and then didnt get the crap scared out of me or at least find some of the elements to be gross.
I would have pitched a fit so bad, they would have wanted to escort me out immediately.
I love blood and gore, but seeing an unborn child ripped apart and thrown on the floor is not what i want to see in a hounted house. I'd be pissed too.