As an American, when I celebrate the 4th of July with great patriotic pride for this country my heart builds with an astounding crush endow. As an idealistic young man, I was eager to give four years of my life to the United States Air Force (USAF) to insure freedoms that my fore fathers gave their lives and health for, remain intact. Freedoms that are articulated in the Bill of Rights as described in the Constitution of the United States of America. I have enjoyed being an American to the fullest extent possible.

     Having been raised in abject poverty by a part time coal miner and share cropper in a small 4 room house without indoor plumbing, in the southern edge of the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas, the cards to be a success in life, were stacked against me. Seeing how difficult it was for my family, I knew I had to leave my hometown, or be trapped in the poverty cycle that enveloped my parents.

     At the end of the 10th grade, I dropped out of high school and left home to make my own way. After completing my tour of duty in the (USAF) where I completed my GED, I went to work in the mills of Northwest Indiana. It did not take me long to decide that if I wanted to get ahead in life, I needed to attend college.

     At the age of 28, married and with a small child, I entered my first year of college. Thank GOD for his many blessings. I was able to complete a B.A. Degree in Religious Education, a B.S. Degree in Secondary Education, A M.S. Degree in Guidance and Counseling and a Doctoral Degree in Counselor Education.

     All of these degrees were completed debt free, only in America can one work and improve their quality of life as GOD has enabled me to do. My professional life as a college professor has been devoted to training members of Clergy and Licensed Professional Counselors.

     Now at the close of a great career devoted to helping others, my professions of being a Clergyman and Licensed Professional Counselor are being threatened by a group of individuals who behave in a hypocritical fashion. While the profess to believe in freedom of speech, they are very active in putting political pressure on State and National leaders to pass legislation to prosecute any Clergyman who says anything negative against their social agenda as one who is guilty of a hate crime.

     In most Evangelical circles, a clergyman will address a variety of moral and social issues that are addressed in the Bible. To say that a clergyman is guilty of a hate crime because he/she addresses a moral issue is the height of bigotry and hypocrisy.

     As one who is trained in the study of both Psychology and Theology, I have formed a word to describe these individuals, Christophobia. Christophobia is the irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against Christianity or Christians. It can also mean hatred of, hostility toward, or disapproval of Christianity, Christ like behaviors or cultures and is generally used to insinuate bigotry. The term means to be prejudice against Christian people. A person who is Christophobic is a Christophobe.

     As an American, I realize every person has the right to decide how he/she will live their lives and the moral standard they will live by. Their lives will consist of the choices they make. However just because one does not approve of or addresses a moral issue he/she does not approve of in a sermon does not make them guilty of a hate crime.

     A member of the Clergy who addresses the emotional pains caused by an abortion does not hate all individuals who have had an abortion. When he/she comments the ravages of sexually transmitted diseases, it does not mean that they hate those that who have engaged in immoral sexual activity.

     The heartaches of children and spouses caused by sexual infidelity can be addressed with compassion and without hatred for those who have engaged in this behavior. The list of moral issues that cause emotional pain go on and on. When members of the Clergy or Christian Counselors address these issues, they are exercising their rights to freedom of religion and freedom of speech as articulated in the Bill of Rights.

     Let freedom ring from the pulpit of America and the offices of Christian Counselors!

Berl H. Best, Ed. D. Licensed Professional Counselor, Ordained Assemblies of GOD Minister.