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Oct 29, 2008 7:31 pm US/Central
Church Members Protest Church-Run 'Hell House'
by Arezow Doost
CEDAR HILL (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
For the past 17 years, some members from the Trinity Church in Cedar Hill have put together the 'Hell House.' They call it an alternative to traditional haunted houses, but some believe that it goes too far.
Members of a separate North Texas church are so upset about a controversial haunted house, they gathered Wednesday to protest outside the house.
"We are just appalled," said Tommy Houghteling with First United Methodist Church in Richardson.
More than a dozen church members protested the 'Hell House.'
"What we do is a real life scenario taken from real life from a date rape scene to a drunk driving scene," said Carlos Oritz Director of the Hell House.
This year the church presented seven skits on a two-acre plot of land they converted for their haunted house. This year's theme is the Devil's Playground.
"One skit is a girl on Facebook," says Houghteling. "She meets a friend and gets rapped and the demon says she deserved it."
Houghteling tells CBS 11 News that the message Trinity Church is sending to the young members is that if you struggle with certain issues then God has no place for you.
However, Trinity Church says that's not the case.
"We don't do it to scare people. The scary part about the Hell House is the reality that we portray. That is the scary part," says Ortiz.
Ortiz points out that the hell house is rated PG-13; no one under 13 is admitted.
The house is located at 1231 E. Pleasant Run Road in Cedar Hill. Admission to get in to the house is $10. Doors open at 7 p.m. every night through November 1. The house doesn't close until the last person leaves, and one trip lasts about 45 minutes.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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