Audacity is not a “Christian” movie like the faith community has come to expect.
Don’t compare it to Fireproof, Facing the Giants or Courageous. Nor should you count it among the likes of Finger of God or Holy Ghost.
When director Ray Comfort tackled a cinematic approach to Christians encountering homosexuality, he shied away from a documentary. He focused on quality storytelling through professional acting to appeal to more than a Christian audience.
“The LGBT supporters will say there’s no way you can make a movie (like Audacity) without being homophobic,” Comfort says.
But he proved them wrong by presenting a message that isn’t “anti-gay” like many perceive the church to be, but one that cuts straight to the heart of homosexuality: Are people born gay?
The answer, Comfort says, is no. But for a Christian to show Christ’s love to someone stuck in homosexuality, the believer cannot just talk about the symptom. Instead, Comfort says the church needs to take a different angle.
“When you meet a homosexual, it’s very important to realize this person believes (you are a) Bible-bashing bigot, anti-gay homophobic,” Comfort says. “Christians must not address subject of sexual preference, but address their conscience with the Ten Commandments.”
In other words, go straight for the gut … but not in the expected way.
If Christians don’t start with someone’s sexual lifestyle, “Off come the boxing gloves because he knows you’re not condemning his lifestyle, but concerned about his eternity. You’re motive is one of love, not condemnation.”
Comfort says those who have seen the movie have applauded his efforts. He says even a lesbian atheist said the topic was handled with love and compassion, which was refreshing to see from the church.
Oftentimes, Christian rhetoric dictates addressing sexual preference before salvation, but this does nothing to advance the gospel. Through Audacity, Comfort is not only sharing a social message, but a kingdom one.
Before the technology age, missionaries had to hop on a boat and endure extreme trials at sea before even touching another country. When they finally got there, missionaries then had to use words or skits to communicate with natives. Now, the message of Jesus can be shared by the click of a mouse.
And much like missionaries of yore, Audacity has encountered a fair share of setbacks.
The trailer for the film was removed from YouTube, with the video giant claiming the posters had violated the site’s metadata policy. The preview was later posted once more, this time without any violations.
Comfort says LGBT-supporters showed up in droves to give the movie a 1-star review on the film’s IMDB page.
One review reads: “Here we go again … fundie propaganda bottled as a ‘movie.'”
Another: “Awful, heavy-handed film designed to gratify the ideological vanity of fundamentalists.”
But Comfort is not discouraged.
“They would rather have a quadruple root canal by a blind dentist then give $20 to a Christian movie,” he says.
And if they were to watch the movie, Comfort believes they would come away with the true gospel of Christianity.
