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Pentagon updates US military's list of recognized religions following backlash from Mormons

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The Pentagon updated its list of recognized religions for US service members, initially classifying the Mormon church separately from broader Christian categories.
  • This decision sparked outrage, with Senator Mike Lee calling it offensive and a government overreach into theological disputes.
  • Following backlash, the Pentagon revised the list, removing the specific classification of "Christian" for any group.

The Pentagon has revised its list of recognized religious affiliations for US service members after facing significant backlash. Initially, the updated list classified the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon church, as separate from the broader "Christian" category. This move drew sharp criticism from Utah Senator Mike Lee, who identified with the faith.

I think it’s very unfortunate that the Pentagon has chosen to identify basically every faith group in America that professes faith in Jesus Christ as Christian, with one exception: that is those belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

— Senator Mike LeeSenator Mike Lee's criticism of the Pentagon's initial list of recognized religions.

Senator Lee expressed his dismay in a video posted on X, calling the Pentagon's decision "very unfortunate" and "offensive." He argued that the government should not be weighing in on doctrinal disputes between religious denominations. "I find this offensive, not just because that happens to be my faith... but it’s also just repugnant to any sense of decency, any sense of our common heritage and our common belief that the government needs to not weigh in on doctrinal disputes between various religious denominations," Lee stated.

I find this offensive, not just because that happens to be my faith and not just because it happens to be the faith of tens of thousands of US military personnel, but it’s also just repugnant to any sense of decency, any sense of our common heritage and our common belief that the government needs to not weigh in on doctrinal disputes between various religious denominations.

— Senator Mike LeeSenator Mike Lee's further explanation of his objection to the Pentagon's religious classification.

The Defense Department had initially reduced its list of formalized religious categories to 31, with over 20 of those designated as Christian. However, in response to the outcry, the Pentagon released a revised list on Monday where no religious group was classified as Christian. A Pentagon spokesperson stated that the goal was not to adjudicate theological debates but to ensure that "sincerely-held faith is respected and encouraged in our ranks."

The Pentagon’s job is not to adjudicate theological debates, but instead to ensure sincerely-held faith is respected and encouraged in our ranks.

— Pentagon's rapid response accountThe Pentagon's official statement on its revised religious affiliation list.
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Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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