Pentagon Recasts 200-Plus Faith Codes After LDS Backlash From 3 Utah Republicans
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jun 8
Pentagon Recasts 200-Plus Faith Codes After LDS Backlash From 3 Utah Republicans
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jun 8
Summary
New Pentagon guidance dropped broad “Christian” groupings and now lists denominations by name, reversing an update that had left The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints outside the Christian label.
Three Utah Republicans — Sens. Mike Lee and John Curtis and Rep. Mike Kennedy — blasted the earlier coding, arguing the government should not decide doctrinal questions for a faith followed by tens of thousands of service members.
Monday’s change came after Lee said he spoke with President Donald Trump about the issue; the Pentagon said faith codes are meant to help chaplains assess unit demographics, not determine which religions are legitimate.
The reversal follows a wider Pentagon effort to shrink more than 200 religious affiliation codes, a streamlining push that had already drawn scrutiny after roughly 180 denominations were cut.