DOD Officially Drops 180 Faiths From Military's Recognized Religion List

[bluedigger]

Source: Military.com


Military.com has learned that the Department of Defense, for the first time in almost 10 years, has dramatically reduced its number of recognized religious faiths and belief systems by approximately 180.

The reforms mark the first time the list has been officially revised since a memo was issued March 27, 2017, decreasing the total number of faiths from roughly 211 to its new number of 31. The changes were iterated in a May 20, 2026, memorandum issued by the Under Secretary of War and signed by Anthony Tata, under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness of the United States, and obtained by Military.com.

This latest revision to the faith codes comes at the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to the Tata-signed memo, done to “streamline the DoW collection of religious preferences collection for service members to enhance the delivery of targeted religious support from the Chaplaincy.” It calls for the previously instituted faith and belief codes to be revised within a 60-day period from the issuance of the memorandum.
...

He added that members will not be limited to the list of “religious affiliation codes” when selecting information for their dog tags. The revised list, according to documents obtained by Military.com, include Agnostics, Buddhists, Hindus, Islam (Muslims), Judaism, Sikh, and a wide range of Christian-based groups like Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans and Methodists.

This restructuring of faith codes, which help identity service members as well as the military in planning for appropriated religious coverage to include them, has now excluded minority faith/worldview groups including Atheists, Asatru, Deists, Druids, Eckankar, Heathens, Humanists, Magick, New Age churches, Pagan, Rosicrucianism, Shaman, Spiritualists, Troth, Unitarian Universalists and various Wiccans.

Read more: https://www.military.com/dod-officially-drops-180-faiths-from-militarys-recognized-religion-list

[DBoon]

1. So Unitarian Universalists are no longer recognized?

The following famous individuals were Unitarians:

George Washington – 1st President of U.S.
John Adams – 2nd President of U.S.
John Quincy Adams – 6th President of U.S.
Thomas Jefferson – 3rd President of U.S. and author of Declaration of Independence
Paul Revere
Adlai Stevenson
William Howard Taft – 27th President of U.S. and Chief Justice of U.S. Supreme Court
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. – U.S. Supreme Court Justice

Are these people no longer Americans?

list from https://ushartford.org/about-uuism/famous-unitarians/

[ninjanurse]

20. Our Church is really, really big

I’m Unitarian, we have a huge church. That’s how you measure it, right?

[Chemical Bill]

25. Will it fit sideways in the reflecting pool?

[wnylib]

23. I think that those early US leaders were Deists, not Unitarians.

Not the same things.

[progressoid]

34. Correct. n/t

[yorkster]

2. No UU? Agnostics but not Atheists?

Go to hell.
Um, make that get lost, turn blue.

[msongs]

3. get rid of the chaplaincy. let people who kill for a living work out their contradictions nt

[Lulu KC]

4. I'd love to see the list.

Did Episcopalians make the cut?

[The Madcap]

11. Was wondering the same

after that glorious takedown of the orange buffoon a few years ago...

oh, and for being affirming and treating women like human beings...

[TommyT139]

39. We confused them by virtue of the fact

...that we run the National Cathedral!

[LT Barclay]

37. I'm worried about the Pastafarians

[Lulu KC]

38. Thanks for giggle

I'll take those anytime!

[SeattleVet]

5. My dogtags read "ATHEIST"

For a few years I had to accept 'NO PREFERENCE', which was a lie, since I certainly DID have preference!

I saw a newspaper article about a kid in the Navy that had gone to court and had "ATHEIST" approved. I immediately headed to the base personnel office and demanded that I also get my personal preference. (As far as I know, I was one of the first Air Force person new to get that designation.)

They complied.

[reACTIONary]

6. Lawsuits in 3, 2. 1, File!

[Baitball Blogger]

8. lol!

Same.

[reACTIONary]

26. As a teacher of mine used to say, great minds....

...roll in the same gutter!

[Baitball Blogger]

7. Lawsuit in 3, 2, 1 ...

[BarbD]

9. What's next? A state religion?

We'll have to change the Constitution.

Help me jesus.

[StarryNite]

12. Seems like it's heading that way.

[IronLionZion]

15. Might as well repeal the whole Constitution

This administration doesn't like most of it anyway. They'll just keep the 2nd amendment.

[lastlib]

17. They want us down on our knees.....

...in the church of THEIR choice.........

[dave99]

19. shitstain will be D.O.A. soon due to this stupidty

[SamuelTheThird]

10. Some of those right-wing viking role players are going to be unhappy

[twodogsbarking]

13. Trump wants to be pope and king.

[TBF]

14. We are no longer the USA - we are now just America

sponsored by the Heritage Foundation. That's it. Surprised they kept agnostics and Methodists on the list.

[Martin68]

16. So much for freedom of religion. This sure to be contested in court.

[sakabatou]

18. As others have said, lawsuits will go flying

[debsy]

21. What a bunch of a-holes

They are all awful

[The Grand Illuminist]

24. Short list of what was dropped.

Atheist
Humanist
Deist
Pagan
Wiccan (including various Wiccan traditions)
Druid
Asatru
Heathen
The Troth
Magick
Shaman
Spiritualist
Unitarian Universalist
Eckankar
Rosicrucianism
New Age Churches

[LeftInTX]

32. They should leave Athetist or least call it "No affiliation"

I won't comment on the others, because there are so many of them.


I believe Unitarians were considered "Protestant" in the 1960s or possibly X?


Religious Codes & Their EvolutionPrior to 1962, the U.S. military used specific single-letter abbreviations to save space on stamped identification tags
P: Protestant
C: Catholic
H: Hebrew (Jewish)
X: Other or unspecified religion (introduced in 1952)
Y: No religious preference (introduced in 1952

My Unitarian cousins were considered to be more or less Protestant.

[Raven123]

27. In the midst of an illegal war with Iran it's good to know Hegseth is focused on what is important

[Paxman]

28. Ironically, "Tata" is the title of Maya Spiritual Guides

And Pagan/Natural Spirituality is the fastest growing tradition in America

[lonely bird]

29. Interesting phrase

Enhance the delivery of “targeted” religious support…

This list is ok. Everyone else can fuck off.

[2na fisherman]

30. Put A Hex on Hegseth

Maybe some Wiccans would be willing to put a curse on him or some with a faith in Voodoo can stick pins in dolls with his likeness. Maybe everyone who wants him gone can focus attention on him to direct lots of bad vibes toward him. If you can petition the lord with prayers, why not send lots of negative psychic energy to Hegseth and his false piety.

[obamanut2012]

36. That goes against Wicca beliefs, and is actually really insulting to them

Just an FYI.

[LeftInTX]

31. Mine simply said, "Prot" for Protestant

It also had the wrong blood type. I had the wrong blood type until I got pregnant and found out I was rh negative

[OnlinePoker]

33. This was announced in March. Why is it in LBN?

https://www.christianpost.com/news/military-reduces-faith-codes-to-address-political-correctness.html

[obamanut2012]

35. Wow, all Pagans/Wicca and UNITARIANS?!