HAMILTON TWP. — A Warren County church shares its vision of hell with the public for the next two weekends, starting tonight.

        And no visitor will confuse it with a traditional haunted house. It's not the least bit funny, and it's more disturbing than scary.

        Even before it opened, it created controversy because the tenants in “Hell House” include a gay man who died of AIDS. Stonewall Cincinnati, a gay rights group, objected, and a Christian radio station pulled commercials for the event off the air.

        Stonewall Cincinnati, however, said Thursday it has no plans to hold protests at Kings Point Church of God.

        “We're trying not to draw too much attention to a very negative event,” said Lauren Carey, a Stonewall official. The group feels Hell House inaccurately links AIDS and homosexuality when in fact the disease is more prevalent among heterosexuals.

        The young people at Kings Point Church of God, near Maine- ville, did not appear put off by the criticism Thursday night as they staged a dress rehearsal. More than 100 people, many 12- to 20-year-olds in the church's youth group, perform in the event and/or helped build the sets.

        In the first scene, a demon speaks at the gay man's funeral.

        “Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion,” the demon says harshly. “It almost sounds like AIDS, doesn't it?”

        The next scene is even more intense. A young woman is on an operating table, a red-stained sheet draped over her knees. “I want my baby back,” she moans over and over.

        “Chrissy, shut up,” the “doc tor” tells her. “You paid the money, now I'll do all the work. ... Chrissy, it's only a medical procedure.”

        Other hellish scenes in the 10- to 20-minute tour include a teen who has committed suicide, a drug overdose at a party and a car crash caused by drunken driving.

        The tour ends in a scene of heaven.

        “It's just really meant to be a wake-up call to teens to see the serious side to sin and death,” said Valerie McClure, the church's music director.

        The Hell House program has been staged at other churches, but this is thought to be its debut in the Tristate. Pastor Randy Ballard expects about 1,500 people to see the show during its run.

        Performances run from 7 p.m. to midnight Friday and 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday this weekend and next. Tickets are $5, and availability is limited.

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