Sure, reference http://www.uua.org/news/uuaidentity/newstatement.html where the President of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations wrote of the schism group that he calls a group of name thieves this description of his anger and a lawsuit. So much for the UU allowing "Christian Freedom" with the UUA opposing the AUA and letting total atheists head the UUA congregations to say nothing of the anti-Christ pagans you mentioned:
With regard to the “American Unitarian Association”
An update and statement from
outgoing President of the UUA, John Buehrens
(Cleveland, OH – June 20, 2001) I must admit that when I first discovered that a website had appeared using the name American Unitarian Association, one of my first responses was some anger. After all, it is a name and heritage that rightfully belongs to the more than 1,000 congregations that now constitute the Unitarian Universalist Association. When the UUA was formed in 1961 by special act of the Massachusetts Legislature, it was formed as the consolidation and continuation of both the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America.
My deeper feeling, however, is one of sadness. Some people have gained the impression, through the statements of a handful of unhappy people who have formed a new group under the old name, that there is a schism in our midst or that contemporary Unitarian Universalism has no place for God or spirituality. Neither statement could be further from the truth.
As we celebrate our 40th anniversary as an Association at this week’s General Assembly, Unitarian Universalists are more united than ever. There is not a single congregation that is even contemplating affiliating with the so-called “AUA.” Instead, we are experiencing a time of significant spiritual renewal – marked by deeper common worship, more widespread devotion to personal spiritual disciplines, and renewed appreciation of the varied wisdom traditions that inspire us. Our taproot, a tradition of Unitarian faith that is not creedal, but rather covenantal, is more deeply appreciated.
Let me be clear about this issue: we have absolutely no argument with the theological or political perspectives of this group. Had they proposed a “Unitarian Theists Fellowship,” it would have been welcome. After all, the UU Christian Fellowship is thriving, as are the UU Buddhist Fellowship, UUs for Jewish Awareness, and other UUA-affiliated groups based on shared spiritual affinity. The issue is not theology. If that were the case the new organization would have a hard time explaining how the UUA had me as its President for eight years – believing in and speaking about God, writing a book called Understanding the Bible, and devoted to a discipline of daily prayer!
Our only argument with this group is over the name they chose to use, and all we ask of them is to cease using that name. I deeply regret that the UUA has been forced to take legal action to stop this attempted identity theft. This is no trivial matter. The Association receives sizeable trust and bequest income in the name of the American Unitarian Association. I especially regret the legal expense, but our attorneys assure me that we should be able to recover our costs because the actions of the new group and its founders so clearly fit the legal definition of a malicious, rather than accidental, use of a name that we rightly own.
A hearing was held last week in Federal district court in Alexandria, VA, on a motion by the defendants to dismiss our suit. That motion was denied. There is very strong legal precedent in our favor – based on an attempt, following the consolidation of several Methodist bodies, to use the name of one of the constituent groups. We expect summary judgment in our favor within a matter of months
In the meantime, news stories continue to appear in regional papers portraying this as a schism or as a theological dispute. It is important for all Unitarian Universalists to understand that it is neither: it is an attempt at identity theft, and it must not distract us from the important religious renewal and justice work we have to do together.
Yours in faith,
John A. Buehrens
For previous information on the UUA's position relative to the 'AUA' UUs & the News
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