A pro-life documentary has been making a significant impact across America and beyond — in more ways than its producers ever dreamed.

The film 180 discusses abortion with young adults, and shows how seven individuals changed from being pro-abortion to pro-life in under 30 seconds. It also explains the similarities between the Jewish Holocaust of the 1940’s and the abortion holocaust of present time.

180 has had over 3 million views on YouTube since it’s September 2011 release, and continues to make an impact with planned abortions being cancelled and children being born. Dubbed “180 Babies,” the 33-minute video produced by Living Waters and hosted by it’s founder, Ray Comfort, is opening a lot of eyes to realize that abortion is never justifiable.

The Inspiration

Comfort recently told Christian News Network just how the concept of 180 came into being.

“180 wasn’t the video I meant to produce. I wrote a book called Hitler, God and the Bible and asked my publishers if they would like a free video to go with the book,” he said. “I then went to the streets with a camera to find out what people believed about Hitler. I could hardly believe what I found–14 people—mainly university students, who had no idea of the identity of Adolf Hitler.”

Comfort explained that when he conducted research for his book, he was struck by the evil that was committed during the Holocaust, especially an incident in which Nazi soldiers shot mass numbers of Jews and then buried them in a ditch with a bulldozer. Some of the Jews were even buried alive. He said that this incident was the inspiration for his approach in interviewing the students in the film.

“When I interviewed students, I put them into a moral dilemma,” Comfort outlined. “I said, ‘It’s 1943. A German officer has a gun pointed at you. He wants you to get into a bulldozer and drive it forward. In front of the bulldozer in a pit in which there are 300 Jews who have just been shot. Some of them are still alive. He wants you to bury them alive! If you don’t do what he says, he is going to kill you and do it himself. If you do what he says, he will let you live. Would you drive it forward?'”

He states that when those being interviewed said that they could not bring themselves to bury the Jews, he asked them if they valued human life.

“If they did, I asked how they felt about abortion, and if they believed in a woman’s right to choose,” Comfort explained. “I asked them one question, and was amazed that they did a complete 180. They changed from being adamantly pro-abortion, to being pro-life, in seconds.”

Testimonies of Lives Saved

One of the women that were impacted while watching the film is named Vanessa. Describing her reaction after finding out she was pregnant, Vanessa said she “was shocked, horrified and scared.”

Vanessa was five weeks pregnant when she and her brother went to the Santa Monica Pier and was “struggling with a lot of shame” and wanting “an exit” from the pregnancy. A Christian handed her a DVD of 180 and she immediately went to her car and played it. “I was just floored,” stated Vanessa as the powerful video confirmed to her that she should have the baby. Her son, David, was born in early 2012.

Linda is another life that was changed through the documentary. She says that she sent an e-mail to Living Waters just a few weeks ago after watching 180. “I’ve had two abortions, and I am going for another one next week,” she wrote. “If you really thought this would make me do a 180, you are sadly mistaken.”

Comfort responded directly to Linda and invited her to lunch. He also emailed her a picture of a newborn baby that he described as the “fruit of 180.”

Linda’s response was similar to many that the ministry has received.

“I did not tell you the truth in my last email,” she wrote. “I was supposed to have the abortion this past Friday. Not this week. When I opened your email, with the attached picture of the beautiful baby…I could not get her out of my head. I tried pushing her out of my mind, but couldn’t.”

“I said to myself, why do I feel so guilty?” she continued. “Friday, I was driving with my boyfriend to the clinic, and the little smiling face of [the baby in the photograph] was permanently cemented in my head. I said to my boyfriend, I can’t do this. I’ve got to go home. We turned around before we reached the clinic.”

Continued Distribution Efforts

Momentum continues with 180. The official Facebook page has over 316,000 members and an October conference is planned in San Diego. The second Wednesday of each month is titled 180 Day, where thousands of volunteers pass out DVDs of 180 around the world.

Comfort says that he would like others to participate in the global distribution of the film both online and in hard copy.

“We want people to watch 180 at 180movie.com and pass on the website address to others,” he said. “Or, they could purchase copies of the actual DVD and give them away. They only cost $15  for ten DVDs, and who is going to refuse a free award-winning DVD, especially in today’s economy?”

You can keep up with the 180 effort at www.heartchanger.com.

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