The new religion

Tomáš Halík, a Catholic priest, told participants of the Lípa discussion forum that the media are the world's new religion. The media strive to interpret events, tell captivating stories, influence ways of thought and behavior, and are the arbiters of truth, he says. The media bring together almost all segments of society, he adds, and politics and consumer business are to a big degree dependent on media & advertising. Halík himself brings together religion, the media and politics. His latest book, a group of essays on faith and spiritual discovery, is a bestseller. It's sold 28,000 copies, a good figure even for a popular novel. He's also been active in civic groups and was mentioned as a potential presidential candidate. Respekt magazine said the media are fighting over him because he speaks to the souls of today's world. In a sense, he's a star in the new religion of media.