 German scholars such as Brigitte Schön and Gerald Willms have commented that rhetoric dominates public discourse around Scientology in Germany : in their view , efforts to " frame " information in such a way as to shape opinion have long been more important than the underlying realities . In Schön 's words , this includes both the " efforts of German politicians to enhance their popularity with strong @-@ worded statements " and " Scientology 's efforts to present itself as the victim of unjust persecution " ; commenting on foreign reporting on Scientology in Germany , she adds that " the American press may prefer sensationalist news to boring investigation and may frame the issue according to American stereotypes " . Both Willms and Schön assert that the situation is compounded by the general paucity of scientific studies of Scientology . Schön as well as Irving Hexham , Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Calgary in Canada , have remarked in particular on the lack of academic studies by German scholars . Hexham attributes this situation to the strong influence of the Christian churches in Germany , which has made German academics wary of approaching the subject , because they fear repercussions for their research funding and for their prospects of future employment if they involve themselves in the debate . 
