Department of Defense Revises Recognized Religious Affiliations

The Department of Defense has officially reduced its list of recognized religious affiliations, going from more than 200 to 31. Previously included groups like atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans, and Wiccans are no longer part of the list.

This decrease in religious affiliation codes is not designed to make any claims on the legitimacy of any faith or religious belief, nor is it intended to provide a list of ‘officially approved’ religions, stated Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. The change aims to help chaplains quickly identify the religious composition of their units and organize resources accordingly.

Parnell emphasized that the department values the free exercise of religion. Chaplains are to facilitate service members’ ability to practice their chosen religion or none. Christian traditions like Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist are grouped without specifying denominations.

Service members now have the options to identify as “no religion,” “other religions,” or agnostic. Recognized groups include Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, the Baha’i faith, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Unitarian Universalist Association, removed from the list, expressed concern about its impact on their members in the military, noting challenges in accessing spiritual care. The group plans to develop a strategic response to support their service members.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the change, citing the difficulty in managing numerous faith codes. Hegseth, known for integrating his evangelical Christianity into Pentagon leadership, hosted worship services and referred to the U.S. as a Christian nation.

Secretary Hegseth is not ‘streamlining’ anything. He is elevating one narrow religious worldview from the top of the chain of command, said Rev. Paul Raushenbush of the Interfaith Alliance. He argued that the First Amendment prohibits the government from creating a faith hierarchy.

The military is diverse; nearly 70% of troops identify as Christian, according to a 2019 congressional report. About a quarter were classified as other or unknown.

As a member of a minority religion, I think it’s really important that we be counted, stated Irene Glasse, a pagan religious professional and Marine Corp veteran. She shared concerns about erasure and recognition.

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