Forum kicks off Rocky's religious 'bridge'

Since the Nov. 2 election, pundits have been analyzing a religious divide between conservative Christians, who overwhelmingly supported President Bush, and those of other theological or philosophical persuasions, who were more likely to support Sen. John Kerry, according to exit polls.

Staffers at Mayor Rocky Anderson's office find it providential that they are kicking off their own campaign to close Salt Lake City's religious divide with the backdrop of the recent election.

"We think the timing is serendipitous," Anderson's spokeswoman, Deeda Seed, said of today's scheduled city forum on the divide.

The event is to be moderated by Library Systems Director Nancy Tessman and will run from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the City Library auditorium downtown.

For Anderson, the city's first step toward healing is admitting there is a problem. As Anderson put it earlier this year, the city needs to face its religious issues and "honestly deal with them, instead of avoiding them as if they don't exist."

Of course, this is only a first step, and it's unknown how many steps Salt Lake City will follow. But Anderson figures the city has to try.

City leaders have identified at least two steps: Hold a series of public meetings to generate discussion; a series of smaller dinners, get-togethers or nights out among couples or small groups.

Christine Balderas, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who helped develop the program as part of Anderson's Bridging the Religious Divide Committee, said she hopes the public meetings won't turn into "Mormon bashing" sessions.

"I'm hoping that people will kind of realize that they have a habit or hobby of Mormon bashing and realize that if we all start seeing others as individuals and not as groups with labels I think we can do this," she said.

Anderson hopes after initial talks, the program can pair up LDS Church members with nonmembers into small groups and send them out for a night on the town. That sort of bonding between couples will help heal the rift from the ground up, Anderson figures.

The divide is statistically evident. In the 2003 municipal election, 81 percent of non-LDS Church members voted for Anderson and 81 percent of LDS Church members voted for challenger Frank Pignanelli, according to exit polling data from Dan Jones & Associates.

Also, Jones polling for the Deseret Morning News from last year shows non-LDS Church members and those who belong to the church differ on key points about the rift.

Ninety percent of LDS Church-goers said the LDS Church doesn't assert much power in state and local government. In contrast, roughly 65 percent of non-LDS Church members said the LDS Church asserts too much power in local and state government.