The Boston-based national church, meanwhile, has filed suit in federal court against the fledgling movement, claiming the UUA still owns the name American Unitarian Association, even though the name largely went out of use when the UUA was formed 40 years ago. In many ways, the new group is no different than other renewal groups in Lutheran, Catholic or even Jewish circles. But for the UUA, whose only creed is that there is no creed, the dispute is testing its cherished belief in religious tolerance and room for all. When the UUA was formed in 1961, it blended Unitarians, who do not embrace the Trinitarian view of God, and Universalists, who believe a loving God would not condemn human souls to eternal punishment. Such a broad worldview led many of the church's 216,000 members to delve into alternative religions, or no religion at all.
Critics say they are left with a church with little to no real theology.
It has become utterly relativistic. So Burton and about 20 others will gather outside Washington to plot strategy. Initially, they plan to create education materials for like-minded pastors and churches. Eventually, they would like churches who agree to become dually aligned with both bodies, and even launch new churches. Leaders within the movement maintain they are just as liberal as other Unitarians.