Pentagon Revises Religious Affiliation List

The United States — United States Department of Defense initially revised its list of recognized religious affiliations, reducing it from over 200 to 31. This initial list controversially excluded The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Christian denominations, despite the Church's self-identification as Christian. This sparked significant backlash from Mormon lawmakers, including U.S. Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis, who deemed the exclusion offensive and unacceptable. In response to the widespread criticism, the Pentagon issued a second revision, removing the 'Christian' designation from all faiths, including Catholic, Lutheran, and Pentecostal, to avoid adjudicating theological debates. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who initiated the overhaul to streamline the chaplain corps, acknowledged the 'mistake' in the initial labeling. The Unitarian Universalist Association also expressed concern after being cut from the list. The revised policy aims to provide chaplains with clear, usable information for supporting service members of all faith groups without making claims on the legitimacy of any belief.