It may have ended the discussion about division among members of various beliefs, but it didn't address the underlying cause.

Now Salt Lake City plans to peel back that bandage by launching discussions about the divide that promise to be painful. It's part of Mayor Rocky Anderson's "Bridging the Religious Divide Project," which he kicked off Wednesday.

The undertaking - one of Anderson's priorities for the year - calls for a communitywide meeting Nov. 17 for people to talk about the role of religion in the city and how people can get along better.

Anderson called it "one of the most important conversations" the city can have.

The project is expected to evolve into smaller discussion groups in which residents talk about the issues among their neighbors, friends and families.

The mayor's office acknowledges the conversations will be painful, though it is trying to avoid religion bashing by asking participants at next month's meeting to answer the questions: "How do we create a more respectful community?" and "What would you do personally to unite our community?"

The goal is to promote understanding of various beliefs and the value of diversity. There also will be a facilitator.

If "people speak candidly and forthrightly but at the same time doing so in the kindest fashion possible, we can get the issues out on the table and have a very honest discussion, one that I think has been sorely lacking in this community," Anderson said.

But there was tension even when the mayor's aides huddled with people from various religious backgrounds to plan the project. At one gathering, talk turned to racism, and then fears about the November meeting devolving into Mormon bashing. At another, they talked about Utah being a theocracy.

On the topic of respect, one group member wondered if Mormons can respect non-Mormons when the LDS Church says it is the one true church.

Other groups have been dealing with the divide already. Earlier Wednesday, 18 people discussed the issue in a meeting sponsored by the Utah Psychological Association, which has been focusing on the topic for a year.

One woman said she nearly left the LDS Church because of its recent statements against gay marriages and civil unions.

Another LDS participant, Christine Balderas - who also helped plan the mayor's event - said she was frustrated by the stereotypes people have of Mormons. "I'm overwhelmed with the hatred I feel [aimed] toward Mormons. I'm not a bloc. I'm a person who gets up every day. . . . I'm just me."

Balderas said later she sometimes isn't comfortable telling people she is Mormon. "I don't want to be thought poorly of."

Andrea Moore-Emmett, an atheist who also helped plan the mayor's project, said people need to be brave to talk about the divide. "Issues of power [are] a really strong topic for me. Non-Mormons feel very disenfranchised."

Underlying the issue is the cultural norm that encourages people to avoid contention and confrontation.

But Anderson said the divide "constantly" bubbles under the surface. It came up during the vote on Nordstrom's location, when profanity was found in a book selected for the city's book club, and when the LDS Church revealed plans to redevelop 30 acres of downtown property.

Closer to home, Anderson has heard of neighbors excluding one another based on religion.

The city has asked for letters of support for the project from various church leaders. Notably, the Alliance for Unity is not involved.

The group of leaders of churches, businesses and civic organizations was created in part by Anderson in mid-2001 to bridge religious, ethnic and economic divides in the community. It brokered and helped fund the Main Street Plaza resolution in which the city gave up the public easement through the LDS Church's plaza and is now building a community center on the city's west side in Glendale.

The mayor said he approached the alliance about a community dialogue. "It didn't seem to go anywhere.

The Alliance for Unity has done a lot of good things. Sometimes there's a sense of not rocking the boat by opening up the dialogue on these issues," he said, noting that he wanted a more grass-roots effort anyway.

After all the talking, Moore-Emmett said residents may never reach total understanding.

"I don't know if in any of our lifetimes it will lead to any kind of bridge building Rocky is hoping for. All I hope for is that it's a start. Maybe the goal itself is just to have the discussion."

hmay@sltrib.com

Talking about the religious divide

* When: Nov. 17, 7 to 8:30 p.m.

* Where: Salt Lake City Main Library auditorium

* What: Community conversation about the role of religion and belief in the city. Come to answer the questions: "How do we create a more respectful community?" and "What would you do personally to unite our community?"