Pentagon Cuts Recognized Faiths from 211 to 31, Sparks Mormon Classification Controversy
The U.S. Department of Defense reduced its list of recognized religious faiths for personnel records from 211 to 31, citing administrative efficiency for chaplain support. The initial list excluded The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) from the Christian category, prompting backlash from Utah lawmakers. The Pentagon subsequently revised the list to remove Christian subheadings, listing Latter-day Saints alongside other major religions. The changes, part of broader chaplain corps reforms, take effect by mid-July 2026.
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Pentagon Cuts Religious Affiliation Codes from Over 200 to 31, Removing Pagan and Wicca
The Pentagon has reduced its list of Religious Affiliation Codes from more than 200 to just 31, fulfilling a promise by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The new list collapses Christian denominations to 21 and removes all designations for Pagan, Wicca, and other non-traditional faiths. Individual service members can still identify their religious preference on dogtags regardless of the list. Pentagon officials say the change streamlines data collection to help the Chaplain Corps better allocate resources. Critics and former chaplains note that smaller faith groups may feel marginalized as their specific numbers will no longer be tracked. The move follows Hegseth's previous comments criticizing requests for religious exemptions to grow beards, which he associated with 'Nordic pagans.' The Pentagon insists the change does not question the legitimacy of any faith and upholds First Amendment rights.
Air & Space Forces MagazinePentagon Slashes Religious Affiliation Codes from Over 200 to 31
The Pentagon has fulfilled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's promise to drastically reduce the number of Religious Affiliation Codes used by the military, cutting the list from more than 200 to just 31. The change, announced on June 5, 2025, collapses Christian denominations to 21 and removes Pagan, Wicca, and other nontraditional faiths. Pentagon officials stated the move streamlines religious preference collection to enhance chaplain support for warfighters. Service members can still self-identify any religion on their dog tags. The new list includes Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, but not Paganism, which Hegseth had previously criticized. Retired chaplain generals offered mixed reactions, noting the list is easier to manage but may marginalize smaller faith groups. The Pentagon emphasized the change does not judge the legitimacy of any faith and respects First Amendment rights.
Air & Space Forces MagazinePentagon Revises Religious Affiliation List After Mormon Backlash
The Pentagon on Monday published an updated list of religious affiliations, backtracking days after Mormon lawmakers expressed outrage at a revamped list published last Friday that did not list the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under a subcategory for Christian denominations. The initial list, narrowed to 31 codes for better chaplain data, included 21 Christian denominations but excluded the LDS church. Utah Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis, along with Rep. Mike Kennedy, swiftly criticized the move. Lee spoke with President Trump about the exclusion. On Monday, the Pentagon's rapid response account said the Friday list was meant to simplify a bloated coding system and fixed a 'redundant' labeling error. The new list eliminated the Christian subcategory entirely, listing denominations like Catholic and Lutheran without the Christian moniker. The Pentagon stated its job is not to adjudicate theological debates but to ensure faith is respected. The changes follow Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's promise to reform the Chaplain Corps.
Forbes - BusinessPentagon Revises Religious Affiliation List After Mormonism Omission Controversy
The Pentagon revised its newly consolidated list of officially recognized religious affiliations after Republican lawmakers from Utah objected to the omission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) from the Christian category. The original list, which reduced recognized faiths from over 200 to 31, drew criticism from Senators Mike Lee, John Curtis, and Representative Mike Kennedy, who argued the government should not adjudicate doctrinal disputes. The Pentagon subsequently removed the subheading grouping Christian denominations, instead presenting an uncategorized list that includes Latter-day Saints alongside other major religions and non-religious options. Pentagon officials stated the consolidation aims to improve administrative efficiency for chaplains, not to judge religious legitimacy. The changes, which also include removing visible rank insignia from chaplains, are expected to take effect by mid-July 2026.
Air Force TimesPentagon Revises Religious Affiliation List After Mormonism Omission Controversy
The Pentagon reversed its decision to reduce officially recognized faith affiliations from over 200 to 31 after facing criticism from Republican lawmakers, particularly from Utah, over the omission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the Christian category. Senators Mike Lee, John Curtis, and Representative Mike Kennedy urged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to amend the list. The Pentagon subsequently removed the subheading grouping Christian denominations, instead providing an uncategorized list that includes LDS, other major religions, and classifications like Agnostic and 'no religion.' Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated the consolidation aims to improve administrative efficiency for chaplains, not to judge faith legitimacy. The changes, which also include replacing chaplain rank insignia with religious insignia, are expected to take effect by mid-July 2026.
Navy TimesPentagon Revises Religious Affiliation List After Mormonism Omission Controversy
The Pentagon reversed its decision to reduce officially recognized faith affiliations from over 200 to 31 after Republican lawmakers from Utah, including Senator Mike Lee, criticized the omission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the Christian category. The original list, signed by Under Secretary of Defense Anthony Tata on May 20, aimed to improve chaplain efficiency. Following backlash, the Pentagon removed subheadings entirely, presenting an uncategorized list that includes Latter-day Saints alongside other major religions. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated the consolidation was not about legitimacy of faiths but administrative efficiency. Additionally, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced chaplains will no longer display rank insignia, emphasizing their religious role. The changes take effect by mid-July 2026.
Air Force TimesPentagon revises religious affiliation list after criticism over Mormon omission
The Pentagon admitted a mistake and revised its new list of officially recognized religious affiliations after Republican lawmakers from Utah objected to the omission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) from the Christian category. The original list, which slashed recognized faiths from over 200 to 31, grouped Christian denominations under a subheading that excluded Mormonism. Following pressure from Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis and Representative Mike Kennedy, the Pentagon removed the subheading entirely, presenting an uncategorized list that includes Latter-day Saints, other major religions, and non-religious options. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated the consolidation aims to improve administrative efficiency for chaplains, not to judge faith legitimacy. The changes, which also include replacing rank insignia on chaplain uniforms with religious insignia, are set to take effect by mid-July 2026.
Military TimesPentagon Revises Religious Affiliation List After Criticism Over Mormonism Omission
The Pentagon revised its list of officially recognized religious affiliations after Republican lawmakers from Utah objected to the omission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) from the Christian category. The original list, which reduced recognized faiths from over 200 to 31, was criticized by Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis and Representative Mike Kennedy. The Pentagon admitted the omission was a 'mistake' and removed the subheading grouping Christian denominations, instead providing an uncategorized list including Latter-day Saints, other major religions, and 'no religion.' The changes, part of a broader policy shift by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, aim to improve administrative efficiency for chaplains. Chaplain rank insignia will also be replaced with religious insignia. The new policy takes effect by mid-July 2026.
Navy TimesPentagon revises religious affiliation list after criticism over Mormon omission
The Pentagon admitted a mistake and revised its new religious affiliation codes after Republican lawmakers from Utah objected to the omission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the Christian category. The original list, which slashed recognized faiths from over 200 to 31, grouped Christian denominations under a subheading that excluded Mormonism. Following pressure from Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis and Representative Mike Kennedy, the Pentagon removed the subheading entirely, now listing all faiths uncategorized. The new list includes Christian denominations, the Church of Latter-day Saints, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Agnostic, 'no religion,' and 'other religions.' Pentagon officials said the consolidation aims to improve administrative efficiency for chaplains, not to judge religious legitimacy. Troops can still choose any faith for their dog tags. The changes take effect by mid-July 2026.
Military TimesPentagon revises religious affiliation list after criticism over Mormon omission
The Pentagon admitted a mistake and revised its new list of officially recognized religious affiliations after Republican lawmakers from Utah objected to the omission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) from the Christian category. The original list, signed by Under Secretary of Defense Anthony Tata, reduced recognized faiths from over 200 to 31. Following criticism from Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis and Representative Mike Kennedy, the Pentagon removed subheadings that grouped Christian denominations, instead providing a long uncategorized list including Latter-day Saints, other major religions, and 'no religion.' Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the consolidation was for administrative efficiency, not to judge faith legitimacy. Troops can still choose any religion for dog tags. The changes, including replacing chaplains' rank insignia with religious insignia, take effect by mid-July.
Army TimesPentagon revises religious affiliation list after criticism over Mormonism omission
The Pentagon revised its list of officially recognized religious affiliations for military chaplains after Republican lawmakers from Utah, including Senator Mike Lee, criticized the omission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) from the Christian category. The original list consolidated over 200 faiths into 31 categories. Following the backlash, the Pentagon removed the Christian subheading entirely, instead providing an uncategorized list that includes LDS, other major religions, and non-religious options. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated the consolidation aims to improve administrative efficiency, not to judge faith legitimacy. The changes, which also include replacing chaplain rank insignia with religious insignia, are expected to take effect by mid-July.
Marine Corps TimesPentagon revises religious affiliation list after criticism over Mormon omission
The Pentagon revised its list of officially recognized religious affiliation codes after Republican lawmakers from Utah, including Senator Mike Lee, criticized the omission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) from the Christian category. The original list consolidated over 200 faiths into 31 categories. Following the backlash, the Pentagon removed the subheading that grouped Christian denominations, instead presenting a flat list of options that includes LDS, other major religions, and non-religious classifications. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated the consolidation was for administrative efficiency, not to judge faith legitimacy. The changes, which also include removing visible rank insignia from chaplains, are set to take effect by mid-July 2026.
Marine Corps TimesPentagon revises religious affiliation list after Mormonism omission controversy
The Pentagon revised its list of officially recognized religious affiliations after Republican lawmakers from Utah, including Senator Mike Lee, criticized the omission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) from the Christian category. The original plan had reduced recognized faiths from over 200 to 31. Following the backlash, the Pentagon removed the Christian subheading entirely, creating an uncategorized list that includes Latter-day Saints alongside other major religions and non-religious options. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated the consolidation aims to improve administrative efficiency for chaplains, not to judge religious legitimacy. The changes, which also include replacing chaplains' rank insignia with religious insignia, are expected to take effect by mid-July 2026.
Marine Corps TimesPentagon revises religious affiliation list after criticism over Mormon omission
The Pentagon admitted a mistake and revised its new religious affiliation codes after Republican lawmakers from Utah objected to the omission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) from the Christian category. The original list, which slashed recognized faiths from over 200 to 31, grouped Christian denominations under a subheading that excluded Mormonism. Following pressure from Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis and Representative Mike Kennedy, the Pentagon removed the subheading entirely, creating a flat list that includes LDS, Christian denominations, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Agnostic, 'no religion,' and 'other.' Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the consolidation was for administrative efficiency, not to judge faith legitimacy. The changes, which also include replacing chaplain rank insignia with religious insignia, take effect by mid-July 2026.
Navy TimesPentagon Revises Religious Affiliation List After Criticism Over Mormonism Omission
The Pentagon reversed its decision to reduce officially recognized faith affiliations from over 200 to 31 after Republican lawmakers from Utah, including Senator Mike Lee, criticized the omission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) from the Christian category. The Pentagon admitted the mistake and removed the subheading that grouped Christian denominations, instead providing an uncategorized list that includes LDS, other major religions, and classifications like Agnostic and 'no religion.' The changes, signed by Under Secretary of Defense Anthony Tata, aim to help chaplains better anticipate service members' religious needs. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated the consolidation was for administrative efficiency, not to elevate certain faiths. Troops will still choose their own dog tag information. Additionally, chaplains' rank insignia will be replaced with religious insignia, emphasizing their primary calling. The new policy takes effect by mid-July 2026.
Army TimesPentagon revises religious affiliation list after criticism over Mormonism omission
The Pentagon admitted a mistake and revised its new religious affiliation codes after Republican lawmakers from Utah objected to the omission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the Christian category. The original list reduced recognized faiths from over 200 to 31. Following pressure from Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis and Representative Mike Kennedy, the Pentagon removed subheadings that grouped Christian denominations, instead providing a long uncategorized list including Latter-day Saints, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and others. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the consolidation was for administrative efficiency, not to judge faith legitimacy. The changes, which also include replacing chaplain rank insignia with religious insignia, take effect by mid-July 2026.
Army TimesPentagon revises religious affiliation list after criticism over Mormon omission
The Pentagon revised its list of officially recognized religious affiliations after Republican lawmakers from Utah objected to the omission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the Christian category. The original list, which consolidated over 200 faiths into 31, excluded Mormonism from the Christian subheading. Following pressure from Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis and Representative Mike Kennedy, the Pentagon removed all subcategories, presenting a flat list of options including Christian denominations, the Church of Latter-day Saints, and other major religions. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the consolidation was for administrative efficiency, not to judge faith legitimacy. The changes, which also include replacing chaplain rank insignia with religious symbols, take effect by mid-July 2026.
Military TimesMormon Lawmakers Protest Pentagon Policy Excluding LDS from Christian Faith Code
Mormon lawmakers in the U.S. Congress are expressing strong opposition to a new Pentagon policy that removes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) from the 'Christian' faith designation. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this year announced the reduction of faith codes used by the Department of Defense to track religious demographics of service members. The change reclassifies LDS as a separate category rather than a subset of Christianity, which lawmakers and LDS leaders consider offensive and inaccurate. The policy aims to streamline demographic data collection but has sparked a political backlash from Mormon representatives who argue it misrepresents their religious identity and could affect religious accommodation and recognition within the military.
Just In NewsPentagon cuts its list of religious identities by 180
The Department of Defense is drastically reducing the number of recognized religious faiths in its personnel records from 211 to 31, removing 180 previously accepted belief systems. The change, outlined in a May 20 memo by Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata, is described as an administrative update to help chaplains better provide spiritual care. The revised list includes 22 Christian denominations, along with agnostic, Bahai, Buddhism, Hindu, Islam, Judaism, Sikh, 'no religion,' and 'other religion.' Excluded faiths include Druids, Pagans, and Unitarian Universalists. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated the change is not about legitimacy of faiths but about streamlining support. The move is part of a broader overhaul of the chaplain corps under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has emphasized faith-focused chaplaincy and previously scrapped the Army's Spiritual Fitness Guide.
Task & PurposePentagon Cuts 180 Faiths from Recognized Religion List, Reducing to 31
The U.S. Department of Defense has drastically reduced the number of recognized religious faiths and belief systems in its personnel records from 211 to 31, removing 180 previously accepted codes. The change, outlined in a May 20 memo by Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata, is intended to streamline data collection and help chaplains provide targeted spiritual care. The revised list includes 22 Christian denominations, along with agnostic, Bahai, Buddhism, Hindu, Islam, Judaism, Sikh, 'no religion,' and 'other religion.' Excluded faiths include Druids, Pagans, and Unitarian Universalists. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated the change is not about legitimacy of faiths but administrative efficiency. The move follows broader reforms by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has emphasized faith-focused chaplain support and previously scrapped the Army's Spiritual Fitness Guide. The changes must be implemented within 60 days.
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