Ray Comfort, an evangelist, created a film entitled, “180”. The film depicts Comforts engagement with random passer-by in which he asks a serious of questions regarding the Holocaust, abortion, and Jesus Christ. This essay attempts to analyze Comforts use of the rhetorical appeals in regards to his argumentation.
Keywords: Holocaust, abortion, ethos, logos, pathos America is an easily divided nation, especially when it comes to political stances. Often people seem not to even consider the implication of their vote. In his film, “180”, Ray Comfort poses questions aimed at changing people’s votes. Ray Comfort is a New Zealand born American Christian evangelist. He is also the founder of Living Waters Publications, and has written numerous …show more content…
Comfort, as the interviewer, was blessed with the unique opportunity of causing the interviewees to argue and give credibility to their responses and opinions. In that way, Comfort was not on the defense but on the offense. So, the answers given to each question were building the credibility of the audience members. If it was not truly credible, the answers would fall on themselves and Comfort would have a way to show them truth. Comfort also uses ethos; a credible source, to persuade the interviewees outlook toward becoming pro-choice; supporting the murder of unborn children inside of the mother’s womb. He uses the sixth commandment from the Bible that states, “Thou shall not kill.” (Bible.) For those who may believe or heard of God this made the interviewees feel shameful. Not only does he use credible sources but he also uses logistics and statistics; logos. When the people try to start an argument stating that the fetus does not become a baby until three months of age in the mother’s womb, but in the documentary he shows the viewers actual footage of a baby in the womb at three weeks, in the video you can clearly see the baby’s eyes, hands, and beating heart(Comfort,2011). In just a matter of minutes Comfort was remarkably successful with changing the passer-by’s outlook on abortion and potentially saving a life by using ethos, pathos, and
Keywords: Holocaust, abortion, ethos, logos, pathos America is an easily divided nation, especially when it comes to political stances. Often people seem not to even consider the implication of their vote. In his film, “180”, Ray Comfort poses questions aimed at changing people’s votes. Ray Comfort is a New Zealand born American Christian evangelist. He is also the founder of Living Waters Publications, and has written numerous …show more content…
Comfort, as the interviewer, was blessed with the unique opportunity of causing the interviewees to argue and give credibility to their responses and opinions. In that way, Comfort was not on the defense but on the offense. So, the answers given to each question were building the credibility of the audience members. If it was not truly credible, the answers would fall on themselves and Comfort would have a way to show them truth. Comfort also uses ethos; a credible source, to persuade the interviewees outlook toward becoming pro-choice; supporting the murder of unborn children inside of the mother’s womb. He uses the sixth commandment from the Bible that states, “Thou shall not kill.” (Bible.) For those who may believe or heard of God this made the interviewees feel shameful. Not only does he use credible sources but he also uses logistics and statistics; logos. When the people try to start an argument stating that the fetus does not become a baby until three months of age in the mother’s womb, but in the documentary he shows the viewers actual footage of a baby in the womb at three weeks, in the video you can clearly see the baby’s eyes, hands, and beating heart(Comfort,2011). In just a matter of minutes Comfort was remarkably successful with changing the passer-by’s outlook on abortion and potentially saving a life by using ethos, pathos, and