Pentagon Reduces Recognized Religious Affiliations

The U.S. Department of Defense has announced a significant reduction in the number of religious affiliations it officially recognizes. The new list includes 31 affiliations, down from over 200 previously recognized options available for troops. This list no longer acknowledges atheists, Unitarians Universalists, pagans, and Wiccans.

The Pentagon’s spokesperson, Sean Parnell, stated that this reduction does not aim to question the legitimacy of any faith or religious belief, nor does it provide a list of ‘officially approved’ religions. Instead, it is designed to help chaplains quickly understand the religious composition of their units and allocate resources to better serve service members of all faith groups.

Parnell emphasized the Department of Defense’s commitment to valuing the free exercise of religion. Chaplains play a crucial role in facilitating the ability of service members to practice any religion of their choice, or none at all.

The revised list includes broad categories for certain Christian traditions such as Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist, without detailing denominations within those traditions. Service members have the option to identify as ‘no religion,’ ‘other religions,’ or agnostic. Other included religions are Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, the Bahá’í faith, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The reduction may limit access to needed spiritual care for certain religious groups, as indicated by the Unitarian Universalist Association, which is formulating a strategic response to support its members in the military.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, known for his evangelical Christian beliefs, has emphasized Christian-centered practices within the Pentagon. He first announced the impending changes to religious categories in December, arguing that the extensive number of faith codes had become unwieldy.

Rev. Paul Raushenbush, a Baptist minister from the progressive Interfaith Alliance, criticized these changes. He argued that the First Amendment does not allow the government to establish a hierarchy of faiths or allow the Pentagon to decide which beliefs deserve recognition.

The U.S. military is religiously diverse. Around 70% of troops are identified as Christian, according to a 2019 Congressional report. Nearly one-fourth of the troops were categorized as other, unclassified, or unknown.

As Irene Glasse, a pagan religious professional and Marine Corps veteran, expressed, the reduction could lead to a lack of acknowledgment for minority religions. She emphasized the pride and honor with which many individuals in minority faiths have served.

This story was contributed by Konstantin Toropin of The Associated Press and translated from English by an AP editor with the help of generative AI tools. The Associated Press bears sole responsibility for this content.