Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell says the shorter list makes no claim on the legitimacy of any faith
Sean ParnellPentagon spokesperson, in a statement quoted by the Associated Press
Parnell says the reduced list of religious affiliation codes is not a judgment on any faith's legitimacy and is not a list of officially approved religions.
Responding to
Reducing the religious codes will make it impossible to accurately identify service members, assess their needs and ensure they receive equal access to support services.
“This decrease in religious affiliation codes is not designed to make any claims on the legitimacy of any faith or religious belief, nor is it intended to provide a list of 'officially approved' religions”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Hegseth cuts military religious affiliation codes from over 200 to 31; American Atheists and Interfaith Alliance object
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the military's more than 200 faith codes were impractical and has cut them to 31. Interfaith Alliance and American Atheists say the change elevates one worldview and leaves out minority beliefs; American Atheists has sued for the records.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Associated Press report, republished by WDIV ClickOnDetroit, on the new list of 31 religious affiliation codes. It quotes Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, the Unitarian Universalist Association and Interfaith Alliance's Paul Raushenbush.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
AP reports that the department's new list of 31 religious affiliation codes no longer includes atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans and Wiccans.
After the quotation
Parnell says the change is designed to let chaplains quickly look at the religious composition of their units and decide how to structure resources for service members of all faith groups.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Parnell defends the reduction, rejecting the reading that it ranks faiths and describing it as a tool for chaplains.
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More from this case
Read the full caseAmerican Atheists says service members swear an oath to the Constitution, not to Hegseth's religious views
American Atheists
“Our military members swear an oath to defend the Constitution, not to promote Pete Hegseth's religious views”Read statement
Interfaith Alliance says Hegseth is elevating one narrow religious worldview
Interfaith Alliance
“Secretary Hegseth is not 'streamlining' anything. He is elevating one narrow religious worldview from the top of the chain of command”Read statement
Hegseth says the military's 200-plus faith codes were impractical and unusable
“The previous system had ballooned to well over 200 faith codes. ... It was impractical and unusable, and many codes were never used at all”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell says the shorter list makes no claim on the legitimacy of any faith". First published: 2026-11-02. Last updated: 2026-11-02. https://disputeindex.com/events/7766-parnell-says-the-reduced-list-of-religious-affiliation