The Department of Defense has reduced its list of officially recognized religious affiliations from over 200 to 31. This change no longer includes atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans, and Wiccans.
Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesperson, emphasized that the reduction is not intended to question the legitimacy of any faith. The adjustment aims to assist chaplains in understanding the religious diversity within their units to better allocate resources for all faith groups.
Service members retain the option to identify with broad categories like Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist without specifying specific denominations. They can also select options such as “no religion,” “other religions,” or agnostic. Additionally, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, the Baha’i faith, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints remain on the list.
The Unitarian Universalist Association expressed concerns: “This may make it more difficult for our uniformed UUs to access the spiritual care that they need.”
The denomination is working on strategies to support its members in the military. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, known for his evangelical Christian views, initially announced these changes due to the complexity of the previous list.
Rev. Paul Raushenbush, leader of the Interfaith Alliance, criticized the update. He stated, “The First Amendment does not allow the government to create a hierarchy of faiths.” He expressed concerns over elevating a singular religious perspective.
The 2019 congressional report notes that 70% of service members identify as Christian. Nearly 25% fall into the category of other, unclassified, or unknown affiliations.
Irene Glasse, a Marine Corps veteran and pagan religious professional, voiced concerns about the exclusion of minority religions, stating the importance of being acknowledged for their service.
Service members and religious organizations will continue working to address the needs and freedoms of diverse faiths within the military framework.