According to a media report, the former TV chaplain Jürgen Fliege is committed to the Corona protest party “Die Basis”. The 74-year-old Protestant theologian, who appeared at a “lateral thinker” event last year, confirmed his membership, reported the news magazine “Der Spiegel”. Accordingly, Fly joined the party in the spring. He does not claim that the virus is an invention, Fliege told the magazine, it is also more dangerous than the flu. However, the lockdown measures were not justified. The former television pastor, who had his own talk show on the first until 2005, called for “special programs that don't scare you”, but showed “how you can strengthen your immune system, for example with vitamin D and forest runs”.
The former TV presenter has been repeatedly criticized in recent years for his proximity to esotericism and the sale of controversial esoteric products. In 2011, Fliege stopped selling a so-called fly essence, which he allegedly gave healing powers personally through the laying on of hands and prayer. The former sect representative of the state of Hamburg, Ursula Caberta, accused Fliege of making esoteric charlatans and their methods and products acceptable and giving them a touch of seriousness.
The Protestant regional bishop Petra Bahr from Hanover had sharply criticized an event of the initiative “lateral thinking” in Munich in November, at which flies had appeared among others.
The demonstration had been declared a church service because the Bavarian Corona Protection Ordinance for open-air worship services, unlike demonstrations, did not provide for any number of participants.
Fliege was pastor in Düsseldorf, Essen and Aldenhoven near Aachen before he went on air in 1994 on ARD with a talk show named after him.
The format was discontinued in 2005.
He has been retired since 2010.
He is the author of numerous books on health topics and life support.
“Babylon Berlin” star Volker Bruch had commented on reports in “Welt am Sonntag” at the beginning of May, after which he had also made a membership application for “Die Basis”. He found the party's “grassroots approach” interesting, he said. “For me, the content is decisive.” In principle, party affiliation is “something very personal”, he said that the “public scandal” surprised him.