Pentagon Reduces Recognized Religious Affiliations

The Department of Defense has announced a significant reduction in the number of religious affiliations it formally acknowledges, cutting the list from over 200 to 31 recognized traditions for service members. This change means atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans, and Wiccans are no longer included. According to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, the decrease aims to allow chaplains to quickly assess the religious makeup of their units to structure resources effectively for all faith groups.

Parnell emphasized commitment to the free exercise of religion, stating chaplains will continue facilitating service members’ ability to freely exercise their chosen religion, or none at all. The simplified list offers broad categories for several Christian traditions, but does not detail specific denominations.

Service members can opt to identify as “no religion,” “other religions,” or agnostic. Recognized affiliations include Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, the Baha’i faith, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Unitarian Universalist Association expressed concerns about the potential impact on spiritual care access for their members, stating efforts are underway to support Unitarian Universalist service members.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who integrates evangelical Christian values into his leadership, has facilitated worship services and referred to the U.S. as a Christian nation. Hegseth initially announced these changes in December, citing the unwieldy nature of the previous number of faith codes.

The Rev. Paul Raushenbush criticized the move, arguing it prioritizes a narrow religious perspective. He highlighted the First Amendment’s restrictions on creating faith hierarchies and the Pentagon’s role in recognizing beliefs. Statistics from a 2019 congressional report indicate around 70% of troops identify as Christian, while nearly a quarter are classified as other, unclassified, or unknown.

Pagan religious professional and Marine Corp veteran Irene Glasse stressed the importance of minority religions receiving recognition, noting the honorable service rendered by many in these categories.