Will '180 Movie' Go Viral?
Ray Comfort Releases 33-Minute Pro-Life Documentary Online
A dramatic 33-minute pro-life film that documents the responses of young adults to questions by evangelist Ray Comfort, which also includes discussions on Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust in Europe, appears to be gathering enough momentum to go viral after being released online Sunday.
Prior to the video’s online release, Comfort told The Christian Post that, in the process of making the film, he asked a question that was “so powerful that it not only changed the people’s minds about abortion, and made them do a 180 (degree turn in viewpoint), but it made them do a 180 when it comes to their own eternal salvation.”
Produced by Comfort’s Living Waters Ministry, the film “180” had 29,831 views on YouTube by 5 p.m. on Monday. Shane Martin, who is managing the social media aspect of the film’s release said the 180 Movie Facebook page was receiving 100 new “Likes” per hour.
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“The response has actually been overwhelming,” said Martin, who is a social media expert that is volunteering his services. “We've had thousands of views on YouTube today and it’s just the first day that it’s live. The Twitter trending hash tag ‘#180movie’ has increased by leaps and bounds.”
Comfort said he was highly encouraged from the results of the video's release at 180Movie.com. For him, it was not only about the relatively high number of viewers, but also about how people are reacting to the film.
“With all the glowing high-profile endorsements I was a little concerned that people might be expecting too much, and would be disappointed when they saw it. But from the response it certainly lived up to the buildup,” Comfort said.
“Thanks to social media, every person who sees 180’s potential to save lives becomes a distributer with a click of a ‘Send to a friend’ button,” he said. “Even though next month we are giving away 200,000 DVD’s at 100 top universities (in one day), our big hope is that millions will freely see it via social media.
If the YouTube clip ‘Charlie bit my finger’ can get over 360 million views, we can do just as well if not better, because a video that can save lives is a little more important than a kid having his finger bit by his brother.”
When asked about their reactions to the film on the video’s Facebook page, many people were outspoken.
“Unbelievably brilliant how Ray uses logic and the parallel of the Holocaust to make the point about the butchery of abortion,” commented Patrick Moore. “It truly is an American Holocaust sanctioned by our government.
“Nevertheless, the choice is still made by each individual. NO ONE is being forced to do it. Personal responsibility is stressed, because it is easy to blame the group when in reality the group is made up of each of us. Lord, please forgive our callous indifference,” he added.
“This documentary caused a dialogue of 67 comments worth on my one post alone. If that won't make you watch it, I don't know what will,” Andrew Mora commented.
“This video confronts the sin of abortion and presents the hope of the gospel. I believe it will be used to save lives and save souls,” stated Pastor Joe Roof, of Calvary Baptist Church in Albany, NY.
Martin, who manages Facebook and Twitter accounts for several major business clients, said that nothing else he has done previously compares to the work he is doing for Living Waters and its movie.
“Since becoming involved with 180, I would say that I myself have done a 180 in the area of being a Christian that was (previously) passive when speaking up about abortion. I never agreed with it, but didn't really get involved and since the exposure, my heart has been wrenched and I know that I could never be silent again,” he said.
