Why I Won't Be Going to Judgment House

It is that time of year when the spooky takes over.  We, as Americans, must like to be scared based on the number of haunted houses around.  Or notice the number of movies or TV shows out now that seek to freak us out or get us to scream.  Churches have responded to this phenomenon by offering alternatives such as Trunk or Treat, Harvest Festivals, and the ever popular Judgment House.

This post is not a critique of you if you decide to attend Judgment House.  I would, however, like to share some thoughts.  Let me begin by stating that I attended a Judgment House while we lived in Colorado.  They are scripted well, have talented actors and actresses, and elaborate sets.  However, over the years, I have become more critical of them.

Here are my thoughts:

• Fear should not be a motivation for salvation.  Has the fear of hell forced a decision? Proponents of Judgment House will say look at all of these people who made decisions for Christ who would never set foot inside the church otherwise.  My questions would be: how many of these decisions received discipleship following their decision & how many are following Jesus 5 years after attending a Judgment house?
• Is the whole gospel presented at Judgment House?  In other words, is it presented in such a way that we understand who Jesus is and how great He is and want to follow Him and know the benefits now and in heaven or instead are we choosing to avoid hell. On a side note unrelated to Judgment House, but relating to the topic of salvation, many authors such as David Platt, Matt Chandler, & Kyle Idleman wonder if we are getting people to simply say a prayer without understanding what it means to follow Christ.
• Does Judgment House emotionally manipulate people?  God created us with emotions and those emotions are used by God.  But have we gone too far with events like Judgment House or big events where we pull on heart strings just to get kids to say Yes and then leave them to figure out the Christian walk on their own. We need both evangelism and discipleship.  See previous posts on my blog regarding this topic.
• What image of God is portrayed?  The Judgment House I attended in Colorado picked specific scenes and focused on God's judgment of those people for their poor choices.  What does this tell people about God?  Is He sitting on the throne waiting for us to mess up and then sends disaster on our lives?  That is not the God I believe in or worship.  I believe in a God of love who allows consequences for our sin, but is not ready and willing to punish us.

What are your thoughts?  I know many will disagree with me and that is fine.  But I have to wonder if Judgment House is the best way to share the gospel.