M M e e d d i i a a & & R R e e l l i i g g i i o o n n Jurnalism ºi comunicare * Anul X, nr. 4, 2015 28 Abstract It is quite obvious that cultural and ethical questions have a potential to stir public discourse in countries which claim to be a part of the Western civilization. The ongoing public discourse on these questions has been tagged as ‘culture war’. The conflict itself appears irreconcilable and concerns have been raised as to whether a dialogue between the two opposing parties is useful or even possible. The author of the study seeks answers to this question against the backdrop of communication of religious message on marriage, family and homosexuality. Drawing on her previously published studies on media discourse prior to the Slovak referendum on family, as well as previous researches into the key argumentation bases (including ‘human nature’ and ‘manipulation’), the author examines the question using a method of in-depth interviews with the most influential journalists. The study focuses on how to effectively communicate religious messages in public discourse and presents the findings about the misunderstanding on both sides of the dispute. The study also suggests possible solutions. The author affirms that dialogue can make the form of discussion more enjoyable, however it does not lead to resolution of the differences. The study suggests that the ability of communicators to discern between political and non-political advocacy of ideas critical as the former require tougher forms, while the latter softer forms of communication. When used in incompatible contexts, these messages may backfire. Keywords Cultural war, Same-sex marriages, Religious message, Public discourse, Referendum on family. Résumé Les questions éthique-culturelles appartiennent sans doute parmi les sujets qui déclenchent le discours social dans les pays de la civilisation occidentale. Ce discours public a déjà obtenu l’étiquette „guerre culturelle“. Les partis discutant apparaissent irréconciliablement et il y a des inquiétudes si le dialogue est possible et utile. Dans la présente étude, l‘auteur examine ce problème sur un exemple du message religieux sur le mariage, la famille et l’homosexualité. Elle renoue avec son analyse précédente du discours médial devant le référendum slovaque sur la famille et avec des lignes principales de l’argumentation (de la nature et de la manipulation). Elle examine aussi avec la méthode des interviews profonds avec les journalistes influencent l’opinion publique. L‘auteur demande comment peut- on efficacement défendre les messages religieux dans un discours public. Elle présente les causes de l’incompréhension mutuelle et les solutions possibles de ce conflit. Elle affirme que le dialogue peut améliorer la forme du débat, mais il ne conduit pas a de vraies solutions. Elle propose de distinguer le niveaux politique et non politique, parce que le niveaux politique exige des formes plus sévères que le niveau non politique, tandis que dans le mauvais contexte, ils peuvent être contre-productif. Mots-clés La guerre culturelle, les mariages homosexuels, les messages religieux, le discours public, le référendum sur la famille. 1. Introduction Questions which are likely to stir public discourse in Western countries often have an underlying moral charge and sometimes they are tagged as ‘culture Reconciling Conservatives and Liberals: Mission impossible? How to Effectively Communicate Religious Messages in Public Discourse – Lessons Learned from the Slovak Referendum on Family Terézia RONČÁKOVÁ, Faculty of Arts and Letters, Catholic University in Ružomberok, Slovakia