The civil service may not be infiltrated by state enemies, believes Upper Austria. Active sect members risk exclusion. The legal basis for a dismissal or discharge should be determined in accordance with existing ordinances. In Bavaria, for the past two years, every state worker has had to sign a statement that he is neither a member of the sect nor does he support its views.
Untrue statements are grounds for dismissal.
Originally the Germans had wanted to enforce a ban on Scientologists from civil service throughout the entire federal jurisdiction, however, that could not be carried out. We will stick to the Bavarian route. A Scientologist challenges the state in this way and endangers democracy. The Upper Austrian State Assembly Director, Helmut Hoertenhuber, replied to Hiesl's initiative that, basically, any labor law could be used as grounds for dismissal. The question would be whether the constitutionally protected basic right of freedom of religion or freedom of belief would possibly be violated in doing so.