Scientologists in Germany face specific political and economic restrictions . They are barred from membership in some major political parties , and businesses and other employers use so @-@ called " sect filters " to expose a prospective business partner 's or employee 's association with the organization . German federal and state interior ministers started a process aimed at banning Scientology in late 2007 , but abandoned the initiative a year later , finding insufficient legal grounds . Despite this , polls suggest that most Germans favor banning Scientology altogether .