Utah Lawmakers Criticize Pentagon After LDS Religious Designation Removed
Summary
Two Utah Republican Senators, Mike Lee and John Curtis, are criticizing the Pentagon for removing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) from its list of recognized Christian faiths. The Pentagon says it reduced religious categories to simplify tracking and better support troops’ spiritual needs.Key Facts
- The Pentagon cut its official religious affiliation codes from over 200 to 31 to simplify data tracking.
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is no longer listed separately as a Christian faith.
- The change aims to help military chaplains provide spiritual support based on unit demographics.
- Other smaller groups like Atheism, Humanism, Wicca, Paganism, and Unitarian Universalism were also removed or combined under broader categories.
- Utah Senators Lee and Curtis, both LDS members, say the change conflicts with the religion’s beliefs and is unacceptable.
- The Pentagon states the change does not judge the legitimacy of any faith and emphasizes First Amendment rights.
- Critics say the consolidation may hide the true numbers and identities of minority faith groups in the military.
- The issue is important to Utah because it is home to the LDS church’s global headquarters.
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