Good Talks|June 25, 2015 11:42 EDT
Same Sex Marriage Legalized: Ray Comfort Takes on Faith & Homosexuality in New Film ’Audacity' [MOVIE REVIEW]
What would happen in this day and age if a Christian had the audacity to warn a homosexual about their lifestyle just as they would to an adulterer or a fornicator? Popular evangelist Ray Comfort has taken on the delicate subject in a new film titled 'Audacity.'
Read BREATHEcast's review below: (CAUTION THERE ARE SOME SPOILERS)
If you have ever logged on to Livingwaters.com or found one of Comfort's many evangelism videos on YouTube you would see that he is not afraid to tackle controversial topics with the truth of the Bible. In 'Audacity' we see those same street evangelistic videos but interwoven in a narrative. I know what you are thinking, 'how on earth could that work?' But it actually does. Comfort and his team creatively used a modern day approach by introducing his real life evangelism experiences when the characters in the movie Google search how to witness to homosexuals and the viewers then watch along with the characters.
'Audacity' is filled with quite a few lessons that all help to bring home the movie's message. It answers the question of whether or not Christians should share the truth of the Bible with the LGBT community even if it is scary or frowned upon.
In the short film, the main character Peter is given a prophetic dream in which he is faced with the decision to tell a young lesbian couple about God and sexuality but does not. Later in the dream after getting stuck in a faulty elevator and getting out alive he was instructed to stay put and guard the elevator until a repair man comes. Unfortunately because of a pressing issue Peter walked away from the elevator for a moment and that same lesbian couple gets on the faulty elevator. Because they were not warned, they fall to what appears to be their death. Dramatic I know, but it was a dream and Peter awakes with a newfound concern for homosexuals and their well being.
Throughout the film as Peter goes on to share with his friends about his dream and new convictions, to care about people enough to tell them the truth in love, he begins to watch and share Comfort's real-life evangelism experiences on homosexuality.
The popular statement of being "born that way" is brought up by Comfort to the people he witnessed to and the majority of them maintained that gays and lesbians were in fact born that way. He then dropped a bombshell on them that Christians usually never say when confronted with that phrase. Comfort admitted that he himself was born with the tendencies to want to fornicate and commit adultery but ensured that does not make the act right. As the light bulbs went off on the people he witnessed to, many of them being gay and lesbian themselves continued to open up to Comfort.
I really enjoyed that the storyline did not shy away from addressing the concerns of many in the LGBT community of Christians being bigoted, judgmental, religious freaks. The actor actually condemned that behavior from Christians. As the film continued to show clips of Comfort witnessing, it was evident that he was having a peaceful exchange with each person from a place of love and was not condescending at all.
Comfort brought up another point while witnessing that was enlightening. He broke down the first two commandments which say, "You shall have no other gods before me," and "You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below." His point was that many people make up their own version of "god" and it does not line up with the God of the Bible. He called that a form of idolatry.
The New Testament verse used in the film is found in 1 Corinthians 6: 9 & 10. It reads, "Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
As the storyline continues the most eventful scene in the film is probably when Peter runs into a convenient store and witnesses a robbery/hold up. When the gunman looks around for people to hold hostage or shoot, Peter volunteers on their behalf. He saves the day and later revealed he did that because he is a Christian and if got killed he knows he would end up in Heaven. A gay couple he risked his life for thank him by taking him out to dinner and that is where the most heated exchange in the film took place fairly revealing both sides of the argument. Peter not wanting to offend anyone apologized but one of the men left extremely angry as the other stayed and listened. Then the two of them have a peaceful exchange and go their separate ways.
The film continues on with one final dramatic scene that brings home the point. The impression left is that although sometimes the LGBT community believes Christianity wants to bring harm it is really the opposite because Jesus really just came to save and set free.
Overall 'Audacity' serves as a conversation tool between Christians and the LGBT community. It did not come off as Bible thumping and insensitive but instead from the heart of someone who genuinely wants to share the truth of God's word with a community that has been singled out. The film is relevant and timely and was seemly made with the intention of raising awareness but also providing the simple solution of accepting a savior in Jesus Christ that can wash away all sins.
This was a brief recount of the film, if you are interested in watching the short film visit audacitymovie.com