Religion in the Military
The Pentagon trimmed its religious affiliation codes from over 200 to 31 to improve administrative efficiency. In the new list, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints was not labeled as Christian, leading to objections from the LDS community. The Pentagon’s subsequent removal of the word “Christian” from the entire list underscores the difficulty of creating neutral religious classifications in a pluralist society.
- ▪The Pentagon reduced its religious affiliation codes to 31 entries, citing administrative streamlining.
- ▪The revised list placed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints in a separate category without the “Christian” label, prompting LDS objections.
- ▪In response, the Pentagon eliminated the term “Christian” from all categories, attempting a neutral solution.
- ▪The article highlights similar classification challenges for groups such as Orthodox Christians, Anglicans, Jews, and Muslims, illustrating broader issues of religious categorization in government contexts.
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| Original publisher | Reason.com |
| Canonical URL | https://reason.com/volokh/2026/06/13/religion-in-the-military/ |
| Publication time | Sat, 13 Jun 2026 12:20:35 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-06-13T12:33:54.534Z |
| Last seen | 2026-06-13T12:45:35.730Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Religion in the Military On the impossibility of neutral classifications Mark Movsesian | 6.13.2026 8:20 AM The Pentagon recently caused a controversy by revising its list of religious affiliation codes for service members and failing to designate the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as Christian. The Pentagon found a clever way out, but the controversy reveals a deep question for liberalism: are neutral religious classifications ever possible in a deeply pluralist society? The controversy began when the Pentagon reduced its list of religious affiliation codes from more than 200 entries to 31. The purpose, it explained, was administrative.
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