Germany Stops Watching Scientology

May 15, 2026, 12:53
EuropePolitics

Introduction

The German government office (BfV) stopped watching the group Scientology. They think the group is not important now.

Main Body

The BfV watched Scientology since 1997. Now, they stop. Other state offices also stop watching them. The group has only 3,600 members in Germany. This number does not grow. In the past, Germany said Scientology was dangerous. They said the group wanted power over the world. They said the group did not like human rights. Some people said the group took money from members. The BfV is changing how it works. It stopped watching other small problems too. But the BfV can still watch one person if that person does bad things to democracy.

Conclusion

The BfV does not watch the whole group anymore. Now, they only watch dangerous people.

Learning

💡 The "Now vs. Then" Switch

In this story, we see how words change when we talk about the past and the present. To reach A2, you need to know how to move between these two times.

1. Right Now (Present) We use simple words for things happening currently:

  • Stop → They stop now.
  • Is → The group is not important.
  • Does not → This number does not grow.

2. Before (Past) We add -ed to the end of many words to show they happened a long time ago:

  • Watch → Watched (They watched since 1997).
  • Want → Wanted (They wanted power).
  • Stop → Stopped (It stopped watching).

⚠️ The Special Change Some words are "rule-breakers." They don't use -ed:

  • Say → Said (Germany said it was dangerous).

Quick Guide: Present (Now) →\rightarrow Past (Then)

  • is →\rightarrow was
  • stop →\rightarrow stopped
  • say →\rightarrow said

Vocabulary Learning

German
Relating to Germany, its people, or language.
Example:The German government announced a new policy.
government
The group that runs a country or state.
Example:The government will meet tomorrow.
office
A place where people work or do business.
Example:I work in a small office.
stop
To end or cease an action.
Example:Please stop talking.
watch
To look at something attentively.
Example:She likes to watch movies.
group
A set of people or things that are together.
Example:The group is planning a trip.
think
To have an opinion or belief about something.
Example:I think it's a good idea.
important
Having great value or significance.
Example:It is important to study.
since
From a particular time in the past until now.
Example:I have lived here since 2010.
state
A country or a region with its own government.
Example:California is a state.
members
People who belong to a group or organization.
Example:The members signed the contract.
number
A quantity or count of items.
Example:The number of students is 200.
grow
To increase in size, amount, or importance.
Example:The plant will grow taller.
dangerous
Likely to cause harm or injury.
Example:The road is dangerous at night.
world
The earth or the global community.
Example:We live in the world.
human rights
Basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person.
Example:Everyone has human rights.
money
Currency used for buying goods and services.
Example:She saved her money.
person
An individual human being.
Example:The person is friendly.
bad
Not good or undesirable.
Example:That was a bad decision.
democracy
A system of government where people vote to choose leaders.
Example:Democracy allows voting.
whole
Entire or complete.
Example:He ate the whole cake.