- The Pentagon is reportedly reducing its officially recognized list of faiths and belief systems from approximately 211 to 31, according to a May memo obtained by Military.com.
- The change, signed by Anthony Tata, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, aims to provide chaplains with clearer information to better support service members' religious needs.
- A former U.S. Army chaplain sharply criticized the move as a “tragedy and travesty,” arguing it violates the First Amendment's guarantee of free exercise of religion.
- While faiths like Agnostics, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Jews, and various Christian denominations will remain recognized, systems such as Atheism, Paganism, Humanism and Wicca will reportedly be removed.
- Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth , who has advocated for incorporating Christian prayer in military settings, previously justified the reduction by stating the old system was “impractical and unusable.”
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