Has Jesus been 'domesticated'?


Chris Woodward - OneNewsNow - 8/28/2010 4:00:00 AMA Christian author and board-certified surgeon who helps on missions in Uganda and Kenya is suggesting that Jesus has been domesticated by Christians.


Dr. Harry Kraus, author of Domesticated Jesus, thinks many of today's Christians are treating Jesus as a pet rather than as an example of the way God wants them to live.

"When I say the phrase 'domesticated Jesus,' what I mean is...anything that we do that makes him appear small and ourselves, in turn, big," Kraus explains.

He suggests that an example is when a person accepts Jesus as Savior but continues to live life on his or her own terms. The author notes that believers sometimes tend to view the gospel as a "get out of Hell free" card. He laments that the mindset that often follows the prayer of salvation is, "I want to go forward and live my life on my own terms and just take the gospel as an escape in the end rather than realizing that the gospel is much bigger than that."

He adds that Christians should not act like they are perfect because what the world needs is a "real Christian, a transparent Christian -- somebody who's honest enough to say, 'Boy, I serve a God that's so big I just don't get him. But he loves me. He created the universe, and yet he looks upon me with favor.'"

Kraus thinks it is time believers realize they are imperfect people who have found a solution through the gospel.

These comments were made Tuesday on the Today's Issues program on American Family Radio.