Protecting Religious Freedom

On Hegseth's Removal of 180 Faiths from the Military Codes

In a May 20 memorandum, Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the Department of Defense will no longer recognize codes for 180 religions, lumping them all together as ‘other’. Along with various traditions of Paganism and Wicca, they also rendered invisible Native American traditions, Unitarian Universalists and Congregationalists.

This new policy might seem like a mere bureaucratic adjustment. It doesn’t mean that practicing Wicca or Paganism or Native American spiritual traditions is not allowed. But being allowed is not the same as being supported, with services, chaplains, meeting spaces and accomodations for religious holidays. Being a recognized religion allows members to request spaces to meet and use of chapels. Volunteer clergy can come on base to lead services. If a service member dies in the course of duty, it expedites the process of getting their own religious symbol on their headstone—a right Pagans fought a decades-long campaign to secure.

To Wiccans and Pagans, this rings loud warning bells! Given Hegseth’s allegiance to Christian Nationalism, which endeavors to make Christianity—and not all Christianity, but their preferred sects—the official religion of the U.S., this action looks like a first step toward limiting the religious freedom our service members signed on to fight for. Authoritarians rarely cancel rights abruptly. They do it in increments, chipping away at freedoms little by little, hoping no one will notice or object too much. It’s vitally important that we stand up and stop this erosion of religious rights before it gains increased momentum.

And this is not primarily a Pagan issue, but an issue that affects all of us, regardless of your religion. If they can do this to minority religions, they can do it to anyone. In fact, even the Disciples of Christ and the United Church of Christ lost their codes. Universalists, before they merged with Unitarians, were some of the earliest chaplains in George Washington’s army. John and Samuel Adams were Congregationalists. If their faith can be erased, yours could be next.

So we are asking for your support today. Here’s three things we can do:

1. Congress can stop this. Call or write, or better yet, do both, your representatives and tell them, in your own words:

“I am deeply concerned about Secretary Hegseth’s decision to remove 180 faiths from the military codes that recognize various religions, including Pagans, Wiccans, Native Americans, the United Church of Christ, Unitarian Universalists and Congregationalists. This decision will render these faiths invisible to Department of Defense, encourage delegitimization, make it more difficult for members of minority faiths to receive chaplaincy services, to meet and celebrate their religious holidays and traditions, and to be honored in life and death for the faiths they choose. It violates the separation of Church and State, and is an erosion of First Amendment rights. Please intervene to investigate and reverse this unAmerican attack on the very freedoms our servicemembers signed up to protect. Thank you!”

2. Share this post and spread the word to others.

3. If you are a Pagan, consider joining the Pagan Solidarity Alliance. We formed in January of 2025 to band together and protect our rights under the new administration, and it is a great opportunity to connect with other Pagan groups across traditions, strategize, and organize. https://pagansolidarity.us/

Thanks! This is a moment to stand together to protect our freedoms!

Here’s how to contact your representatives:

https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

Congressional Switchboard: call them and they’ll connect you to your Representatives and Senators.

202-224-3121

Some Background and Resources:

Military Freedom Foundation

https://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/

Associated Press Report

https://apnews.com/article/us-military-religious-affiliations-pete-hegseth-christian-002a610344189f4f456291d76b910d52

Cara Schulz. “I Was A Pagan In The Military Before We Had Rights”

https://religionnews.com/2026/06/08/i-was-a-pagan-in-the-military-before-we-had-rights-were-going-back/

Statement from the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS)

https://cuups.org/CUUPS-Response-to-Defense-Department-Policy/

Response from the Interfaith Alliance:

https://www.interfaithalliance.org/post/dod-faith-list-cuts-are-latest-escalation-in-trump-administrations-christian-nationalist-crusade

Statement from the Covenant of the Goddess

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1420617700094290&set=a.463272785828791&type=3

• Subscribe to get all my posts and podcasts in my inbox. I keep them free for all to enjoy, but if you can afford a paid subscription, you’ll be supporting my writing and activism, and gain access to special perks, like a monthly Community Conversation.

• Buy me a coffee (a one-off contribution)

  If you like this post but have too many monthly subscriptions already, here’s where you can make a one-time gift!