Following a March announcement by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth regarding changes to the U.S. military Chaplain Corps, the Department of Defense (DOD) revealed on June 4 that it would reduce the number of faith systems it recognizes from 211 to 31. Those that are no longer recognized will either be eliminated altogether from the faith codes or come under the umbrella of another.
In a memo, Under Secretary of War Anthony Tata, at the direction of Hegseth, cited the need to streamline the department’s religious collection systems “to enhance the delivery of targeted religious support from the [military] Chaplaincy.”
The new list includes Agnostic, Baha’i, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikh and 22 distinct Christian groups, including Mormons. The final two categories are “No Religion” and “Other Religion.”
According to Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, CEO of Interfaith Alliance and a Baptist minister, the changes have nothing to do with streamlining or efficiency, but with “elevating one narrow religious worldview from the top of the chain of command.” He added that “if the Trump administration truly wanted to strengthen our military, it would protect the rights and freedoms of every service member. Instead, it is using DOD as another front in its campaign to impose authoritarian theocracy on all Americans.”
Raushenbush’s comments reflect a growing concern among observers that Hegseth is working to center Christianity as the de facto religion of the military, at the expense of soldiers’ First Amendment rights. The Army Chaplain Corps mission statement notes that “Chaplains advise commanders to ensure the ‘free exercise’ rights for all Soldiers are upheld—including those who hold no faith.” Other branches have similar statements.
Although some may interpret the phrase “including those who hold no faith” as implicit support for the Establishment Clause, observers like Raushenbush suggest it is being set aside in favor of an officially established military religion.
“Stripping away status from many religious traditions escalates the Trump administration’s Christian nationalist takeover of the Department of Defense,” Raushenbush said. “Religious freedom in the military must mean religious freedom for everyone who serves, not just those this administration finds politically useful.”
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Senior Editor at Good Faith Media.