Church officials want to pull the teeth out of the “Pastors Check”
It is not known who initiated the proceedings before the Federal Administrative Court. It was probably members of a church council (cantonal or national). In the court files, these “heroes,” most of whom receive high salaries under the protection of public churches, had their personal data redacted.
Abuse of the state churches under public law
Since May 2023, the political campaign “Pfarrer-Check” (Pastor Check) has been running, which opposes the red-green takeover of the Swiss national churches. The fact that Reformed and Catholic governing bodies have increasingly degenerated into water carriers for left-wing politics is a betrayal of the fundamental mission of the Christian churches. The pulpits often sound like red-green party rallies. Churchgoers are indoctrinated with an unchristian pseudo-gospel (climate, gender, self-determination, etc.). Conservative positions (marriage, family, education, economy, migration, etc.) hardly have a place in the national churches anymore.
This illegitimate left-wing bias fundamentally distorts the core Christian message. The state churches are therefore failing in their constitutional mandate to enable the public to enjoy freedom of belief with regard to Christianity. Freedom cannot be achieved on the foundation of false doctrine.
Pastors and synod members hide behind church walls
The campagin “Pastors Check” aims to bring political abuse and distortion of the national churches into the public discourse. It uses a template with eight questions on the primary core tenets of the Christian faith. These questions were sent to 5,837 pastors, priests, teachers, church officials, etc. in 2023. In addition, the questionnaires were and are being distributed to employees and visitors at dozens of distribution campaigns before church services, Holy Masses, synods, church concerts, etc.
But the clergy and others seem to shy away from the public eye. They enjoy the privileges of public office. But when it comes to a small association that wants to expose the abuses of the bleeding state churches, the anonymous officials are quick to bring out the big guns.
In such cases, bureaucrats almost always choose the same path (denial and state defense). Since their conscience tells them from afar that their critics are right, they avoid public discussion at all costs.
So our clandestine church councils quickly sought the help of an official office in Bern to take action against the annoying “pastor check.” With initial success. At the beginning of April 2024, the FDPIC ruled that the data of the 5,837 persons requested must be deleted from the Bürgerforum website. And in future, only church officials who had given their express consent could be named publicly as part of the campaign.
The FDPIC's ruling was accompanied by a fee of several thousand francs. Not only is the ban intended to silence the activists of the Bürgerforum, but also a hefty demand.
Blood, sweat & tears
We are not yet at the point where critics have to risk their lives in the fight against the church. Nor is it likely that the renowned law firm that filed the appeal against the EDÖB's decision with the Federal Administrative Court formulated its legal arguments through tears.
However, great determination and the assumption of high financial obligations are clearly unavoidable if the political abuse of the national churches to the detriment of the population is to be stopped.
Based on the second-instance ruling by the Federal Administrative Court, the personal data of pastors, priests, church councils, etc. will remain online, and the “Pastors Check” can cheerfully start the next phase of the project.
The "Swiss Civil Forum" is keeping up the pressure to finally get church personnel to disclose their teaching content and compare it in the public eye with the fundamental mission of the Christian church. Society clearly deserves the truth on such important matters.