Editing Unitarian Universalism (section)

==Controversies==

===External===

====Lack of formal creed====
In May 2004, [[Texas]] [[Comptroller]] [[Carole Keeton Strayhorn]] ruled that Unitarian Universalism was not a "religion" because it "does not have one system of belief", and stripped the Red River Unitarian Universalist Church in [[Denison, Texas]], of its tax-exempt status. However, within weeks, Strayhorn reversed her decision.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.window.state.tx.us/news/40524church.html |title=News Release From Carole Keeton Strayhorn |publisher=Window.state.tx.us |date=2004-05-24 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119143945/http://www.window.state.tx.us/news/40524church.html |archive-date=January 19, 2008 }}</ref>

====Confusion with other groups====
There are separate movements and organizations who hold to classical Unitarian or [[Christian universalist]] Christian theology and neither belong to the Unitarian Universalist Association nor consider themselves Unitarian Universalists. The American Unitarian Conference and the Christian Universalist Association are the two most significant organizations representing these theological beliefs today. Christians who hold these beliefs tend to consider themselves the true Unitarians or Universalists and heirs of the theological legacy of the original [[American Unitarian Association]] or [[Universalist Church of America]], and they do not wish to be confused with Unitarian Universalists. The [[Unity Church]] is another denomination that is often confused with Unitarian Universalism.<ref>See [http://www.americanunitarian.org/voicearticle.htm "Why the American Unitarian Conference Had to Be Formed"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080717051707/http://www.americanunitarian.org/voicearticle.htm |date=17 July 2008 }} and [http://www.christianuniversalist.org/articles/unitarian.html "What Is the Difference between Christian Universalism and Unitarian Universalism?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080715185257/http://www.christianuniversalist.org/articles/unitarian.html |date=15 July 2008 }}</ref>

====Boy Scouts of America====
{{Main|Boy Scouts of America membership controversies|Religious emblems programs (Boy Scouts of America)}}

In 1992, the UUA published statements opposing the [[Boy Scouts of America|BSA]]'s policies of discriminating against [[Boy Scouts of America membership controversies#Position on homosexuality|homosexuals]], [[Boy Scouts of America membership controversies#Position on religious belief|atheists, and agnostics]]; and in 1993, the UUA updated the curriculum guidance of its "Religion in Life" emblems program for young people in scouting to include criticism of the BSA policies.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.uua.org/news/scouts/faith.html |title=The Boy Scouts, a Battle and the Meaning of Faith |access-date=2007-05-09 |author=Gustav Niebuhr |date=1999-05-22 |newspaper=New York Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212065426/http://archive.uua.org/news/scouts/faith.html |archive-date=December 12, 2007 }}</ref> On account of the published criticism, in 1998 the BSA withdrew its recognition of UUA's Religion in Life emblem program. Subsequently, the UUA removed the objectionable material from the program curriculum and the BSA renewed recognition of the Religion in Life program. Later, the UUA issued internal, supplemental material to emblems-program workbooks that included general statements critical of discrimination on bases of sexual orientation or personal religious viewpoint. When the BSA learned of those (internal) statements it again withdrew recognition of the UUA Religion in Life emblems program.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Isaacson |first=Eric Alan |year=2007 |title=Traditional Values, or a New Tradition of Prejudice? The Boy Scouts of America vs. the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations |journal=George Mason University Civil Rights Law Journal |volume=17 |issue=1 |url=http://works.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=eric_isaacson |access-date=2015-06-14 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

In 2004, the Unitarian Universalist Scouters Organization (UUSO), a group not affiliated with the UUA, established their "Living Your Religion" emblems program for UU-BSA scouts.<ref name="UUSO">{{cite web |url=http://www.uuscouters.org/ |title=Unitarian Universalist Scouters Organization |access-date=2007-04-11 |date=March 5, 2006 |archive-date=25 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125200254/http://www.uuscouters.org/ }}</ref> Without the knowledge or approval of the UUA, the program was approved by the BSA Religious Relationships committee in 2005. Upon being notified of the UUSO program the UUA issued a statement (March 16, 2005) clarifying that UUSO was not an affiliate organization of the UUA and asserting that, contrary to reports otherwise, UU congregations were still awarding the UUA Religion in Life emblem to their youth members in BSA Scouts—whose emblems then were worn on the Scouts' uniforms without complaint from the BSA. Further, the statement made clear that the UUA still maintained its criticism of both the BSA's ongoing discrimination against gay Scouts and gay Scout leaders and the BSA requirement of a religious litmus test for membership.<ref>{{cite web|title= UUA and the Scouts: Statement from the Unitarian Universalist Association |url=http://archive.uua.org/news/scouts/050316_statement.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031154242/http://archive.uua.org/news/scouts/050316_statement.html |archive-date=October 31, 2007 |access-date=2007-07-08 |date= March 16, 2005 |publisher=Unitarian Universalist Association }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scouting.org/awards/religious/awards/index.html|title=Religious Emblems Programs Available to Members of the Boy Scouts of America|access-date=2007-07-08|publisher=Boy Scouts of America|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070717140759/http://www.scouting.org/awards/religious/awards/index.html|archive-date=2007-07-17}}</ref>

Later events made these issues moot: In 2013, BSA opened its membership to gay youth, followed by opening membership to gay adults in 2015, which policy changes resolved the main UUA objection to supporting BSA. The UUSO dissolved in 2015 and by 2016, via a memorandum of understanding, the UUA religious emblems program was again formally recognized by BSA.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uua.org/children/scouting/memorandum-understanding|title=UUA Memorandum of Understanding|date=March 24, 2016|website=Unitarian Universalist Association|access-date=19 November 2020|archive-date=12 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112004301/https://www.uua.org/children/scouting/memorandum-understanding}}</ref>

===Internal===

====Language of reverence====
During the presidency of William Sinkford, debate roiled the Unitarian Universalist (U.U.) movement over his call to return to, or to re-create, an authentic Unitarian Universalist "language of reverence."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uuworld.org/articles/need-language-reverence|title=Human reverence: The language of reverence is the language of humanity|date=2006-07-31|first1=Kendyl L.R.|last1=Gibbons|publisher=UU World: Liberal religion and life|access-date=2017-12-26}}</ref> Sinkford suggested that as Unitarian Universalists abandoned traditional religious language they would relinquish, to others, religion's words of power. These other religionists would proceed to dictate their meanings of religious words and language, including scripture, in the public sphere. He advocated that Unitarian Universalists should regain their proper seat at the interfaith table by making this language their own. In response, others saw his idea as an effort to return Unitarian Universalist congregations to more orthodox Christian worship patterns. Indeed, some were concerned that it might be a call to oppose the growing influence among UUs of humanism and atheism, the adherents of which would  be made unwelcome within the community. Sinkford denied such motives, citing the words of Unitarian Universalist humanists as examples of what he meant by "language of reverence".<ref>{{cite news| title= Religion Journal; A Heated Debate Flares in Unitarian Universalism | url= https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/17/nyregion/religion-journal-a-heated-debate-flares-in-unitarian-universalism.html?pagewanted=all | first= Richard |last= Higgins| date= May 17, 2003| work= The New York Times | access-date=2012-04-08}}</ref>

The growth of humanism among Unitarian Universalists stemmed in part from the congregational commitment to reach a universal audience while educating U.U. folk in biblical literacy, many of whom were born into families that eschewed or minimized religious or moral catechisms. (In addition to humanists, these people comprehend atheists and theists, agnostics, skeptics and seekers, non-member affiliates, the religion-alienated and others among the larger UU congregation.)
The debate saw the publication of a book by the UUA [[Beacon Press]], written by former UUA President [[John Buehrens]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Buehrens |first1=John A. |url=http://www.beliefnet.com/story/132/story_13272_1.html |title=Past Unitarian Universalist Association President John A. Buehrens on why even humanists should read the Bible |publisher=Beliefnet.com |access-date=2011-02-27}}</ref> and titled ''Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for skeptics, seekers, and religious liberals''.<ref>{{Cite book |isbn = 0-8070-1053-7 |title = Understanding the Bible: An introduction for skeptics, seekers, and religious liberals |last1 = Buehrens |first1 = John A. |year=2004|publisher = Beacon Press }}</ref> Meant to serve as a kind of handbook to be read alongside the Bible, it provides interpretative strategies from a liberal religious perspective for the reader to engage in conversation about the Bible—what it says and what it means today. Positive engagement is intended rather than to relinquish all public conversation to others over interpretation of the Bible. Another important work by Buehrens, with [[Forrest Church]], is ''A Chosen Faith: An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism'',<ref>{{Cite book |isbn = 0-8070-1617-9 |title = A Chosen Faith: An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism |last1 = Buehrens |first1 = John A. |last2 = Forrester Church |first2 = F. |year = 1998 |publisher = Beacon Press |url = https://archive.org/details/chosenfaithintro00bueh_0}}</ref> in which the authors present the many sources of the Unitarian Universalist faith.

====Borrowing from other religions====
{{Main|Syncretism}}

The "borrowing" of religious rituals from other faith traditions by Unitarian Universalists was discussed at the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in 2001 during a seminar titled "Cultural Appropriation: Reckless Borrowing or Appropriate Cultural Sharing" by the Religious Education Dept, UUA.<ref name="CulturApp">[http://www.uua.org/ga/ga01/2038.html "Cultural Appropriation: Reckless Borrowing or Appropriate Cultural Sharing"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080906102017/http://www.uua.org/ga/ga01/2038.html |date=2008-09-06 }} Reported for the Web by Dwight Ernest, July 24, 2001, Unitarian Universalist Association</ref><ref>[http://www.uua.org/leaders/leaderslibrary/leaderslibrary/interconnections/45522.shtml "When Worship Becomes Cultural Misappropriation"], September 15, 2007, UU Interconnections</ref> Of particular discussion was the borrowing rituals and practices that are sacred to specific tribes or using spiritual practices without real context.

===Racism===
{{Main|Racism in the United States|Racial segregation of churches in the United States}}

Internal controversy over the hiring of the UUA's Southern Region Lead (a white man from outside the region was hired rather than a Latina woman who resided within the region) led to resignations and apologies in 2017. UUA President Peter Morales, the denomination's first Latino president, resigned amid criticism of his failure to address the diversity controversies.<ref name="RNS UUA pres resigns">{{cite news |last1=Banks |first1=Adelle |title=Unitarian Universalist president resigns amid diversity controversy |url=https://religionnews.com/2017/03/31/unitarian-universalist-president-resigns-amid-diversity-controversy/ |access-date=28 February 2020 |agency=Religion News Service |date=31 March 2017}}</ref><ref name="UU World White Suprem">{{cite web |last1=McArdle |first1=Elaine |title=Critics see white supremacy in UUA hiring practices |url=https://www.uuworld.org/articles/critics-challenge-uua-hiring-practices |website=UU World |date=27 March 2017 |publisher=Unitarian Universalist Association |access-date=28 February 2020}}</ref> The three co-presidents who took over commissioned a "racism audit" to address [[white supremacy]] within the denomination.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gjelten |first1=Tom |author-link1=Tom Gjelten |title=Unitarian Universalists Denounce White Supremacy, Make Leadership Changes |url=https://www.npr.org/2017/06/24/534248664/unitarian-universalists-denounce-white-supremacy-make-leadership-changes |access-date=28 February 2020 |work=[[All Things Considered]] |agency=[[National Public Radio]] |date=24 June 2017}}</ref> In April 2018, ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported that the UUA "in the past year has been asked to help resolve 15 congregational conflicts involving religious professionals of color".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Boorstein |first1=Michelle |title=What happens when a church dedicated to fighting white supremacy is accused of it |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2018/04/17/what-happens-when-a-church-dedicated-to-fighting-white-supremacy-is-accused-of-it/ |access-date=28 February 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=17 April 2018}}</ref>