 German scholars such as <unk> <unk> and Gerald <unk> 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 <unk> . In <unk> 's words , this includes both the " efforts of German politicians to enhance their popularity with strong @-@ <unk> 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 <unk> news to boring investigation and may frame the issue according to American stereotypes " . Both <unk> and <unk> assert that the situation is compounded by the general <unk> of scientific studies of Scientology . <unk> as well as Irving <unk> , Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Calgary in Canada , have remarked in particular on the lack of academic studies by German scholars . <unk> 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 . 
