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The past few weeks have been unsettling for the Church in Ghana as collared charlatans running so-called churches taint its image with untoward conduct. They come wearing assortment of titles ranging from Prophets to Bishops, self-conferred labels which appear to taunt genuine clergymen engaged in the serious business of shepherding their flocks. For the real Men of God engaged in fishing men for the Lord, these are rough times as they try hard to parry the bad press the charlatans are attracting to the Church. The lurid headlines about the damning actions of these men have unsettled and embarrassed not only true Christians but others concerned with safeguarding the mores of society. Some of them have been unable to control their libidos and while displaying the scriptures in front of their victims, they simultaneously unleash their lust on the unsuspecting persons who consult them for so-called deliverance. It is as if Lucifer has suddenly straddled the country and taken charge of these so-called churches run by the likes of the man who descended upon the studios of an Accra-based radio station in the most damning fashion, armed with a crowbar. By the time he was done with his mission, one of his victims had to see a doctor. And that was a Man of God with thousands of followers for whom his word is a cannon, not to be challenged. It was a despicable act which cannot be whitewashed by an apology. If there are crimes which should not be forgiven because of their gravity, the action of that so-called Man of God is one of them. For him to also claim responsibility for casting a spell on a baby, leaving her physically challenged, is another action which beats our imagination and others� who have observed the activities of these charlatans in recent times. Perhaps, by the time today�s issue of this newspaper is sold out, we would be hosting another so-called Man of God attacking our newsroom with a busload of thugs for daring to critique the inappropriate conduct of charlatan pastors. The contributions of churches such as the Presbyterian, Methodist, Roman Catholic, SDA, Salvation Army and others towards the development of the country in the areas of agriculture, education and health cannot in any way be overlooked. At the peak of missionary activities in the colonial era, discipline was the hallmark of the churches. They held sway in the community and it was almost impossible to hear of any act of misdemeanour as being witnessed today by charlatans masquerading as prophets and bishops. Today, there is a marked ease with which churches can be established, all in the name of a liberal society in which the freedoms of association and worship cannot in anyway be trampled upon. Gone are the days when nobody dared sport the collar and the cassock if they were not qualified to do so. The responsibility which comes with rights has been dealt a terrible abuse by the burgeoning plethora of churches across the country. It sounded pathetic when a top official of the Christian Council of Ghana described the radio show as embarrassing and that there is a limit to which the council can stem some of these challenges. In the light of the foregone, these charlatans will continue to feast on the vulnerability of stressed citizens to pay for their insatiable taste for posh cars and expensive lifestyle. Freedom of worship and association, notwithstanding, we are calling on the Christian Council of Ghana and the Pentecostal Council of Ghana under the auspices of the state to discuss how to manage the social menace of the mushroom churches. For us, not taking any action at all as these crooks continue their iniquities is not an option.