US Defense Department Reduces Recognized Religious Affiliations

The Department of Defense in the United States has introduced a major reduction in the number of religious affiliations it officially recognizes. The updated list now includes 31 options, a significant drop from the more than 200 previously available to troops. This revision excludes atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans, and Wiccans.

This decrease in religious affiliation codes is not meant to comment on the legitimacy of any faith or belief, nor does it intend to offer a list of ‘officially approved’ religions, stated Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. Instead, it aims to support chaplains in quickly understanding the religious makeup of their units to better allocate resources for all faith groups, he added.

Parnell emphasized that the Department of Defense upholds the free exercise of religion, noting that chaplains play a key role in allowing service members to freely choose their religious practice, or to practice none at all.

The new list creates broad categories for some Christian traditions, such as Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist, without detailing specific denominations. Service members can identify as ‘no religion,’ ‘other religions,’ or agnostic. The list also includes Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, the Bahá’í faith, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Unitarian Universalist Association, which was removed from the list, expressed concern that this development may limit the ability of their members in uniform to receive needed spiritual care. They are working on a strategic response to support their service members.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, known for infusing his evangelical Christianity into his leadership, first announced the changes in December. He noted that managing the large number of faith codes had become challenging. Hegseth has organized worship services for employees and often describes the U.S. as a Christian nation.

The Secretary is not simplifying, stated Reverend Paul Raushenbush, a Baptist minister and head of the progressive Interfaith Alliance. He is promoting a narrow religious view from the top of the command chain. The First Amendment does not allow the government to create a hierarchy of faiths, and certainly not for the Pentagon to decide which beliefs deserve recognition, he added.

The U.S. military is diverse in its religious representation, with nearly 70% of its troops identifying as Christian according to a 2019 Congressional report. Nearly a quarter of troops were categorized as other, unclassified, or unknown.

Irene Glasse, a pagan religious professional and Marine Corps veteran, expressed the importance of recognizing minority religions. It erases us, and many of us have served with pride, distinction, and honor, she said.

This report is part of The Associated Press’s religion coverage supported by The Conversation US and funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. The Associated Press maintains responsibility for its content.