Defense Department Reduces Recognized Religious Affiliations to 31 Categories
The Defense Department announced Friday it will recognize 31 religious affiliations for service members, down from more than 200. The change removes several specific traditions while retaining broad categories and options for no religion or other religions.
The IndependentThe new list no longer includes atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans and Wiccans. Service members may still select “no religion,” “other religions” or agnostic. A Pentagon spokesperson said the reduction is not intended to judge the legitimacy of any faith.
The spokesperson added that the change is meant to help chaplains quickly assess the religious makeup of units and allocate resources accordingly.
Christian groupings such as Baptist, Presbyterian and Methodist remain on the list without further denominational detail. Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, the Baha’i faith and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are also retained.
The Unitarian Universalist Association said the change may make it more difficult for its members to access spiritual care and that it is preparing a response to support service members.
A 2019 congressional report found nearly 70 percent of troops identify as Christian, while almost a quarter were listed as other, unclassified or unknown. A pagan religious professional and Marine veteran said being counted is important for minority religions and that the reduction erases those groups.
