Pentagon Revises Religious Affiliation Codes After Lawmaker Criticism

The Pentagon has issued a revised list of 31 religious affiliation codes used in its human-resources systems, eliminating the "Christian" designation for certain faiths after criticism that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was not classified as Christian. The original list, released last week, identified 21 categories as variations of Christianity, prompting remarks from Utah Senator Mike Lee, who said the designation was "offensive" and inappropriate for the government to make. Another Utah representative, Mike Kennedy, called the list "wrong" and urged correction. In response, the Pentagon’s rapid-response account on X stated that its role is not to settle theological disputes but to respect sincerely held faiths. Lee later expressed gratitude to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for correcting the error. Hegseth has been overseeing a broader overhaul of the military chaplain corps, noting that the previous system had expanded to over 200 codes, which he described as impractical, and that the streamlined set of 31 codes will better support chaplains in providing appropriate religious support to service members.