It seems that those crazy Christians from Potters House had something special in store for the kiddies this year…
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From the West Australian:
Trick or treat a church trick.
By DAWN GIBSON.
5 November 2003
(c) 2003, West Australian Newspapers Limited
Visitors to a Halloween haunted house were subjected to disturbing scenes of teen suicide and Bali bombing victims rather than the ghosts and ghouls they had expected.
About 800 people, including children aged under 10, are believed to have flocked to the haunted house in Beechboro last week after it was advertised.
But on entering the house, visitors realised the Halloween "trick" was on them. It is the headquarters of the Potters House Christian Centre and the experience was an elaborate attempt to get converts.
Visitors paid $2 each to be taken inside in groups of about 10 and shown graphic scenes acted out by church members, including a teenage boy lying in a bath with slashed wrists. This was followed by a man dressed up as the devil, who told the audience they were going to hell because they were sinners, and another who played the role of Jesus Christ.
A City Beach woman said the experience was scary but not in the way she had expected. Her partner was told that his mother, who recently died from cancer, was in hell because she was not a Potters Christian.
She said the walls were covered with black plastic, making it difficult to find the exit, and the group she was in were told they were not allowed to leave the room until at least one had joined the Church. A woman did and the rest were allowed to leave.
She had rung an information line in the advertisement but there was no mention of a religious group.
Another woman who contacted The West Australian was concerned that young children were allowed in, despite a warning on the advertisement that it was not suitable for children under 12.
She said the advertisements were misleading and she would complain to the Advertising Standards Bureau.
They did not mention that the event was run by a church group and gave the impression that it would be a Halloween-themed experience. A catchline said it would be an "audiovisual, multisensory, spine-chilling, fear-tingling, heart-thumping event."
Potters House Christian Centre assistant pastor Darryl Munckton said information line callers were told that it was a Christian group. Signs outside warned that scenes would be graphic and it was not recommended for people with heart complaints.
Mr Munckton said it was rubbish that people were detained against their will. His Church believed people had to have a relationship with God to go to heaven but this did not necessarily mean they had to be a Potters member.
An Advertising Standards Bureau spokeswoman said it dealt with offensive advertisements, not misleading ones. Any complaints would be sent to the Department of Consumer Protection. A department spokeswoman said she had not received any.
