# Hegseth's Pentagon is drastically reducing the number of religions recognized by the military **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 5, 2026, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649 "2026-06-05T19:42:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/81 "2026-06-06T15:38:39Z")
Having all the sects of Christianity broken out and then not breaking out any other religions is pretty dumb, but if they’re still tracking the wider list for things like gravestone markers, and this just impacts the dog tags as @What_Exit says, it does seem fairly minor compared to many of the other ways Hegseth is gutting the military. I don’t think I follow the distinction between “atheist” and “nonreligious”. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/82 "2026-06-06T15:45:43Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Not sure of the year Agnostic was added, but it appears to have been after 2011. Atheist vs Agnostic seems to be about an individual’s personal relationship (or lack thereof) with the idea of divinity; from the perspective of the military figuring out “which religious services and accomodations do we need to offer this individual”, the answer seems to me to be the same. Likewise, if I wanted to put down “Jewish” because I am connected to the culture and the people and would prefer talking to a rabbi than a priest and would like access to Kosher food, whether or not I personally believe in God or the story of the Exodus or whatever else doesn’t really come into play. Is there some factor about this that I’m missing? I guess I don’t see why the army would break down “no” on the religion chart into Atheist vs Agnostic vs Cultural Jew vs Lapsed Catholic etc to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/83 "2026-06-06T15:46:57Z")
Firing competent Generals & Admirals, especially those that are of Color or Women. At least 3 dozen so far. Includes the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff & the Army Chief of Staff. Stopping promotions of Women and Black Officers. Eliminated anonymous complaints. Authorized Drill sergeants to “physically interact” with recruits. Renaming the Defense Dept the War Dept. Conducting many very questionable military actions that have little or no precedence in US history. I’m sure I’m forgetting a few more. All of these are much bigger issues than that 2 letter code, that honestly maybe shouldn’t exist at all. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/84 "2026-06-06T15:51:37Z")
Whatever the motivation for the change, it has nothing to do with dog tags or gravestones. Jaysus, have we forgotten who these guys are?? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/85 "2026-06-06T15:55:26Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I’m sure I’m forgetting a few more. All of these are much bigger issues than that 2 letter code, that honestly maybe shouldn’t exist at all. There are plenty of threads about that. I’m not sure why you can’t wrap your head around why it’s very important to other people. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/86 "2026-06-06T17:33:41Z")
Yeah? No differences in terms of dietary, workday, or hair accommodations? ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/87 "2026-06-06T17:36:34Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Broken up into categories by whom? By whoever made the list of accepted religions above. Maybe someone can explain what accommodations Lutherans need that Methodists don’t. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/88 "2026-06-06T17:42:59Z")
I suspect that if Hegseth had his druthers about the list, it would be reduced to (in order of acceptable religions) - Real Christians - Other Christians - Jews - Heathens With maybe Papists added in either 3rd or 4th place. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/89 "2026-06-06T18:27:58Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Yeah? No differences in terms of dietary, workday, or hair accommodations? Yeah. There aren’t actually distinct groups for the most part. It’s a continuum. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/90 "2026-06-06T19:27:21Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Well, the previous list required them to stockpile 200+ faith leaders. Reducing the list makes the storage requirements easier. Not exactly. Having spoken to military chaplains _ideally_ that would be great but in _reality_ that doesn’t always happen, especially in combat situations. It’s not at all uncommon for a military chaplain to have to attend not only to the needs of his co-religionists but also the needs of others to the extent he or she is able to do so. Of course, being human, how well this is done varies from one person to another. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/91 "2026-06-06T19:41:22Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > > [@msmith537](#): > > > > my Jewishness is about as irrelevant as my wife’s presbelutheranism or most other religion, from an operational point of view. > > No one would force you to declare yourself Jewish. Just use No Religion if that suits you. Eh, I wouldn’t bet on that. When I started going to a local hospital system three years ago when some major health problems started I specifically stated “no religion” for the records. Somewhen along the line “Jewish” was appended to my records. I didn’t bother to kick up a fuss about it, but no one asked me if I wanted that changed, someone just did it. At other times in my life I have encountered people for whom ridged boxes are very, very important and yes, they’d be the sort to force people to declare yes or no on religious membership. And don’t forget the old Nuremberg Laws - any number of Germans who thought themselves Christians were suddenly declared “Jewish” by the state because of a grandparent’s faith. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/92 "2026-06-06T19:43:56Z")
No dispute with any of that generally but I was narrowly talking about being in the US Military at today. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/93 "2026-06-06T21:10:45Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > When I started going to a local hospital system three years ago when some major health problems started I specifically stated “no religion” for the records. Somewhen along the line “Jewish” was appended to my records. I didn’t bother to kick up a fuss about it, but no one asked me if I wanted that changed, someone just did it. Just curious, any speculation how that might have occurred? Did a hospital employee know you or something? ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2026, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/94 "2026-06-07T00:44:30Z")
Well, some members of the LDS are Republicans and they want answers. Whether they’ll get an updated list or not or just swallow the existing one remains to be seen. > **[GOP senators demand answers after Pentagon decision on LDS Church](https://www.newsweek.com/utah-lawmakers-criticize-pentagon-after-lds-religious-designation-removed-12040950)** > > According to defense officials, the shift is part of an administrative effort to streamline what the Pentagon characterized as an "unmanageable" system. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2026, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/95 "2026-06-07T00:58:54Z")
They are in a tizzy about how the LDS is categorized, yet appear to not give damn about their constituents who had their religions eliminated entirely from the list. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2026, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/96 "2026-06-07T01:10:56Z")
Isn’t the issue that fundamentalist Christians in particular have always considered LDS to be outside “their” religion? In polls, a majority of fundamentalists don’t rate it a denomination although Christians generally do. I take this as another sign that Hegseth and cronies are Christian Nationalists. Having the military think their preferred religion is congruent with America would be mighty handy in a civil war. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2026, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/97 "2026-06-07T01:48:45Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Isn’t the issue that fundamentalist Christians in particular have always considered LDS to be outside “their” religion? Hehe, ask them about Catholics! ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2026, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/98 "2026-06-07T05:39:07Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > I suspect that if Hegseth had his druthers about the list, it would be reduced to (in order of acceptable religions) > > - Real Christians > - Other Christians > - Jews > - Heathens > > With maybe Papists added in either 3rd or 4th place. He already has them right there as the fourth item. As to dog tags, here’s what the memo from ~~Reichskriegsminister~~ Secretary of Defense’s ~~Staatssekretär~~ undesecretary Anthony Tata, said. > [@](#): > > He added that members will not be limited to the list of “religious affiliation codes” when selecting information for their dog tags. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2026, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/99 "2026-06-07T05:43:08Z")
> [@](#): > > members will not be limited to the list of “religious affiliation codes” when selecting information for their dog tags. Did you intend to tell us that this is all about what we’d conclude it was and not some actual military reason? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2026, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649/100 "2026-06-07T05:44:35Z")
Has Hegseth actually advanced anything for some actual miltiary reason? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hegseths-pentagon-is-drastically-reducing-the-number-of-religions-recognized-by-the-military/1030649.md?page=6)