After months of sometimes difficult negotiations, the Unitarian Universalist Association, a liberal denomination with deep roots in New England, and the Boy Scouts of America have resolved a dispute over their opposing views of homosexuality.
The church deleted a statement on homosexuality that the Boy Scouts disagreed with from a denominational publication.
Controversy erupted last May when the Boy Scouts ordered the Boston-based Unitarian Universalist Association to stop giving out religious awards to scouts who are Unitarians because the church promotes gay rights.
The Boy Scouts were particularly angered by a manual widely disseminated by the Unitarians called ''Religion in Life'' that accused national leaders of the Boy Scouts of homophobia.
The Boy Scouts consider homosexuality immoral and forbid gays from joining the organization, a position that has been roundly criticized by human rights groups and several religious denominations.
To resolve the dispute and allow scouts who are Unitarians to receive the religious award, Unitarian officials agreed to remove all language in the manual referring to the Boy Scouts stance on gays and lesbians.
But, unwilling to compromise the denomination's beliefs, church officials will include a separate statement when it distributes the manual, making clear that Unitarians strongly disagree with the Boy Scouts' views on homosexuality.
Boy Scouts leaders said they were pleased with the church's willingness to revise its manual.
Thomas R. Deimler, a Boy Scouts official, in a letter to the Unitarian Universalist Association, said the Boy Scouts of America ''now reauthorizes the awarding of the Religion in Life emblem.''
Religious award emblems are given out by many denominations to Boy Scouts who are members of their faiths. While these emblems are not the well-known merit badges scouts earn for mastering specific tasks, they can still be worn on scout uniforms as badges of honor. Hundreds of Unitarian religious awards to Boy Scouts are given out every year, church officials said.
Religious Boy Scouts awards have been given out for decades by several denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church, Protestant and Jewish congregations and Muslim groups.
The Boy Scouts exclusion of gays from its organization has caused clashes with liberal religious congregations because in many communities Scout troops are headquartered in churches, temples and mosques.
In a letter mailed this week to Unitarians, John A. Buehrens, president of the 250,000-member denomination, said he was happy with the resolution but did not temper his criticism of the Boy Scouts.
''It is still not clear to me that the Boy Scouts of America can be redirected from patterns that in the long run will be institutionally self-destructive,'' Buehrens wrote. ''I am very pleased, however, that we have been able to resolve any implication that they wish to practice an added discrimination toward Unitarian Universalists simply because we support the belief that it is not homosexuality but homophobia which is the sin.''
