180 (2011 American film)

Last updated

180
Ray comfort 180.jpg
Official cover
Directed by Ray Comfort
Written byRay Comfort
Based onHitler, God, and the Bible
by Ray Comfort
Produced byRay Comfort
Mark Spence
CinematographyChad Williams
Emeal Zwayne
Ray Comfort
Dale Jackson
Stuart Scott
Brad Snow
Edited byMark Spence
Eddie Roman
Production
company
Release date
  • September 26, 2011 (2011-09-26)
Running time
33 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

180 (also known as 180: Changing the Heart of a Nation or 180 Movie) is a 2011 American anti-abortion documentary short film produced by New Zealand evangelist Ray Comfort, founder of Living Waters Publications. [1] [2] The film is self-distributed by Living Waters on DVD and has been posted publicly on the group's official website and channel. The film is notable for comparing abortions to the Holocaust.

Contents

Synopsis

The film begins by showing images of the Holocaust, and stating that Adolf Hitler sanctioned the killing of 11 million people. This is followed by Comfort interviewing people about Hitler; their responses indicate a lack of historical knowledge, although he also finds a neo-Nazi who says he loves Hitler. [3] Comfort proposes a hypothetical situation to his interviewees, asking if they would kill Hitler if they had the opportunity at that time in history. He asks more hypotheticals dealing with what his interviewees might do in other circumstances related to the Holocaust.

He then switches his topic to make similar comparisons to abortion within the United States and the right to life.

The documentary concludes with Comfort stating that over 50 million abortions have occurred to date; he calls this the "American Holocaust".

Background

The documentary was originally intended to be a free DVD supplement to Comfort's book Hitler, God, and the Bible. [4] Comfort compared his film to the YouTube video Charlie Bit My Finger , which had accumulated millions of views, and offered his hope that 180 would achieve the same viewership and thus serve to shift opinion on abortion. [2]

Reception

Within days, 180 had over half a million views on YouTube, [5] while weeks later, it hit the 1.2 million mark. [6]

On October 12, 2011, The Huffington Post wrote an article critical of 180. The article quoted Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, who said in a 1991 interview with On The Issues Magazine, "It is blasphemy to reduce a tragedy of such monumental proportions to this human tragedy, and abortion is a human tragedy." [7] According to The Huffington Post, "the film, which shows a series of graphic images, is gaining attention not only because of its controversial comparison, but because it highlights 14 people who do not know who Adolf Hitler was". [7]

The Christian Examiner called the film "dramatic" and stated that it was "gaining national attention". It reported on Ray Comfort's use of "morally charged" questions and his attempts to change the minds of "mostly college-aged" interviewees, and how eight of those interviewed who previously espoused a pro-choice view changed their minds as a result of the interview. [4]

British newspaper The Catholic Herald criticised the film for bludgeoning and hectoring its subjects and audience and using "verbal violence" when love was the better way to change people's minds; however it also found that many of its readers agreed with the film's message and tactics. [8]

The Anti-Defamation League criticized the film for equating the World War II murder of Jews during the Holocaust to abortion in the United States and called it "cynical and perverse". [9] It criticized the film's use of images of bodies in concentration camps and Jews being shot and in mass graves intercut with segments of people offering opinions about the Holocaust and abortion. It also challenged Comfort's method of critically questioning those interviewees who spoke negatively about Hitler and yet were more liberal in the views about abortion and women's right to choose. Abraham H. Foxman, the national director of the ADL and himself a Holocaust survivor, criticized the film, stating "This film is a perverse attempt to make a case against abortion in America through the cynical abuse of the memory of those killed in the Holocaust," adding "It is, quite frankly, one of the most offensive and outrageous abuses of the memory of the Holocaust we have seen in years." He decried the film's assertion that there is somehow "a moral equivalency between the Holocaust and abortion" and its bringing Jews and Jewish history into a discussion that then urges viewers to "repent and accept Jesus as their savior." [1]

The Florida Independent reported that Ray Comfort is "turning his attention to high schools" in order to "fill in gaps in education about the Holocaust". It reports the film as "largely anti-abortion propaganda" which has "become extremely popular in anti-abortion circles". [2]

The makers also had trouble with some billboard owners who refused to carry advertising for the film, with Comfort complaining one company owner was particularly opposed. [10] Comfort also said "three of the largest billboard companies in Southern California" refused to advertise it. [11]

In 2015, a woman from the United Kingdom was dismissed from a Christian school and then contacted by Child Protective Services for showing the film to her own children. [12]

Release

The documentary was produced by Ray Comfort with the help of his ministry, Living Waters Publications. It was released on Sunday, September 18, 2011. As of November 4, 2011, the film had received over 1 million views on its official website. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Cannibal Holocaust</i> 1980 Italian horror film directed by Ruggero Deodato

Cannibal Holocaust is a 1980 Italian cannibal film directed by Ruggero Deodato and written by Gianfranco Clerici. It stars Robert Kerman as Harold Monroe, an anthropologist who leads a rescue team into the Amazon rainforest to locate a crew of filmmakers that have gone missing while filming a documentary on local cannibal tribes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Family Association</span> American nonprofit organization promoting fundamentalist Christian values

The American Family Association (AFA) is a conservative and Christian fundamentalist 501(c)(3) organization based in the United States. It opposes LGBT rights and expression, pornography, and abortion. It also takes a position on a variety of other public policy goals. It was founded in 1977 by Donald Wildmon as the National Federation for Decency and is headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Comfort</span> New Zealand-born Christian evangelist

Ray Comfort is a New Zealand-born Christian minister, evangelist and young Earth creationist who lives in the United States. Comfort started Living Waters Publications, as well as the ministry The Way of the Master, in Bellflower, California, and has written several books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Hagee</span> American televangelist (born 1940)

John Charles Hagee is an American pastor and televangelist. He founded John Hagee Ministries, which telecasts to the United States and Canada. He is also the founder and chairman of the Christian Zionist organization Christians United for Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States anti-abortion movement</span> Movement in the United States opposing abortion

The United Statesanti-abortion movement is a movement in the United States that opposes induced abortion and advocates for the protection of fetal life. Advocates support legal prohibition or restriction on ethical, moral, or religious grounds, arguing that human life begins at conception and that the human zygote, embryo or fetus is a person and therefore has a right to life. The anti-abortion movement includes a variety of organizations, with no single centralized decision-making body. There are diverse arguments and rationales for the anti-abortion stance. Some allow for some permissible abortions, including therapeutic abortions, in exceptional circumstances such as incest, rape, severe fetal defects, or when the woman's health is at risk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Nathanson</span> American physician, activist, and writer (1926–2011)

Bernard N. Nathanson was an American physician and co-founder in 1969 of the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws (NARAL), later renamed National Abortion Rights Action League. He was also the former director of New York City's Center for Reproductive and Sexual Health but later became an anti-abortion activist. He was the narrator for the controversial 1984 anti-abortion film The Silent Scream.

God on My Side is a documentary directed and produced by Australian agnostic Andrew Denton which follows his trip to the 2006 National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Texas. The 63rd National Religious Broadcasters Convention delegates comprised some 6,000 Christian communicators.

<i>Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed</i> 2008 American documentary-style propaganda film

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed is a 2008 American documentary-style propaganda film directed by Nathan Frankowski and starring Ben Stein. The film contends that there is a conspiracy in academia to oppress and exclude people who believe in intelligent design. It portrays the scientific theory of evolution as a contributor to communism, fascism, atheism, eugenics, and in particular Nazi atrocities in the Holocaust. Although intelligent design is a pseudoscientific religious idea, the film presents it as science-based, without giving a detailed definition of the concept or attempting to explain it on a scientific level. Other than briefly addressing issues of irreducible complexity, Expelled examines intelligent design purely as a political issue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oliver Stone</span> American filmmaker (born 1946)

William Oliver Stone is an American filmmaker. Stone is known as a controversial but acclaimed director, tackling subjects ranging from the Vietnam War, and American politics to musical biopics and crime dramas. He has received numerous accolades including three Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and five Golden Globe Awards.

<i>Maafa 21</i> 2009 film by Mark Crutcher

Maafa 21: Black Genocide in 21st Century America is an anti-abortion documentary film produced by anti-abortion activist Mark Crutcher in 2009. The film, which has been enthusiastically received by anti-abortion activists, argues that the modern-day prevalence of abortion among African Americans is rooted in an attempted genocide or the maafa of black people. The film is part of an anti-abortion, anti-birth control campaign aimed at African Americans.

Robert Leonard Schenck is an American Evangelical clergyman who has ministered to elected and appointed officials in Washington, D.C. and serves as president of a non-profit organization named for Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Schenck founded the organization Faith and Action in 1995 and led it until 2018. He is the subject of the Emmy Award-winning 2016 Abigail Disney documentary, The Armor of Light. Schenck stated that he was part of a group that paid Norma McCorvey to lie that she had changed her mind and turned against abortion. Once a prominent anti-abortion activist, Schenck has since repudiated this work and expressed support for the legality of abortion. In 2022, Schenck testified before the House Judiciary Committee concerning his allegation that a member of the Supreme Court leaked information about a pending case before the Court.

Bryan Jonathan Fischer is the former Director of Issues Analysis for the American Family Association (AFA). He hosted the talk radio program Focal Point on American Family Radio and posted on the AFA-run blog Instant Analysis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-abortion movements</span> Movement that believes abortion should be illegal

Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in response to the legalization of elective abortions.

The Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform is an anti-abortion group based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erwin brothers</span> American film directors and producers

Andrew and Jon Erwin, known as the Erwin Brothers, are American Christian film directors, screenwriters and film producers known for such films as Woodlawn, October Baby, Moms' Night Out and I Can Only Imagine which have collectively grossed more than $150 million worldwide. They are the leaders and co-founders of the production company Kingdom Story Company.

<i>Jojo Rabbit</i> 2019 film by Taika Waititi

Jojo Rabbit is a 2019 political satire comedy-drama film written and directed by Taika Waititi, adapted from Christine Leunens's 2008 book Caging Skies. Roman Griffin Davis portrays the title character, Johannes "Jojo" Betzler, a ten-year-old Hitler Youth member who finds out that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. He must then question his beliefs while dealing with the intervention of his imaginary friend, a fanciful version of Adolf Hitler with a comedic stance on the politics of the war. The film also stars Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, and Alfie Allen.

<i>Unplanned</i> 2019 anti-abortion film directed by Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon

Unplanned is a 2019 American drama film written and directed by Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman. It is based on the disputed 2011 memoir Unplanned by anti-abortion activist Abby Johnson. The film stars Ashley Bratcher as Johnson, following her life as a clinic director for Planned Parenthood and her subsequent transition to anti-abortion activism.

Exodus Cry is an American Christian non-profit advocacy organization seeking the abolition of the legal commercial sex industry, including pornography, strip clubs, and sex work, as well as illegal sex trafficking. It has been described by the New York Daily News, TheWrap, and others as anti-LGBT, with ties to the anti-abortion movement.

<i>Lifemark</i> 2022 American Christian drama film

Lifemark is a 2022 American Christian drama film by director Kevin Peeples, adapting the true story of the adoption of David Scotton, previously depicted in the 2018 short documentary film I Lived on Parker Avenue. It tells the story of how a young man's mother considered aborting him, but instead made an adoption plan for him, and later reconnected with him as a young adult.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Views of Kanye West</span>

American rapper Kanye West has garnered mainstream attention for his views on numerous political and social issues. He supported the political campaigns of Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, Hillary Clinton in 2015, Donald Trump in 2016 and initially in 2020, and Francis Suarez in 2024. West unsuccessfully ran for President of the United States in 2020, focusing on his opposition to abortion, running again in the 2024 election before terminating his campaign. West opposes abortion, capital punishment, and welfare, and has supported gun rights and gay marriage. In December 2022, West stated that he admired Adolf Hitler, publicly denied the Holocaust, and identified as a Nazi in an interview with Alex Jones's Infowars.

References

  1. 1 2 Neistat, Aimee (November 12, 2011). "ADL slams movie that compares Holocaust to abortion". Haaretz . Archived from the original on November 13, 2011. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Lopez, Ashley (November 4, 2011). "Group wants to push movie comparing abortion to the Holocaust into high schools". The Florida Independent . Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  3. ↑ Dulaney, Josh (March 1, 2012). "Holocaust Deniers in Huntington Beach Hear About Hayzoos". OC Weekly. Archived from the original on May 29, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Pro-life documentary '180' gaining national attention". Christian Examiner . October 25, 2011. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  5. ↑ Murashko, Alex (October 7, 2011). "'180' movie reaches half a million views after 9 days". The Christian Post . Christian Today. Archived from the original on October 26, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  6. ↑ Moring, Mark (October 26, 2011). "Un-Comfort-able Video Raises Hackles Online". Christianity Today . Archived from the original on October 30, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  7. 1 2 Llorens, Ileana (October 12, 2011). "'180' Documentary Compares Abortion To Holocaust, Goes Viral Among Pro-Life Groups". The Huffington Post . Archived from the original on October 15, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  8. ↑ Phillips, Francis (October 28, 2011). "Should pro-life campaigners compare abortion to the Holocaust?". Catholic Herald. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
  9. ↑ Lawrence Jr., Calvin (December 14, 2011). "Mike Huckabee Premieres Anti-Abortion Documentary in Latest of Films With Similar Message". ABC News. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Billboard companies refuse to advertise pro-life film '180'". Christian Telegraph. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
  11. ↑ Lopez, Ashley (November 23, 2011). "Billboard companies refuse to advertise movie comparing abortion to the Holocaust". The Florida Independent. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
  12. ↑ Butts, Charlie (January 6, 2015). "Woman reported for sharing pro-life film with her own children". OneNewsNow. Archived from the original on January 10, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.