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To a degree without modern precedent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has used his powerful office to advance a Christian nationalist agenda. In recent months, Americans have seen him lead Christian prayer services in the Pentagon’s auditorium, invite radical Christian nationalist figures to speak at official prayer services, use social media to promote messages that suggest his faith should dominate other religious traditions and even argue during an official press briefing that Americans should take a knee and pray “in the name of Jesus Christ.”....

This week, however, a related problem emerged, though in an unexpected way: Instead of seeing Hegseth’s Defense Department take steps to elevate one faith tradition, Americans are seeing the Pentagon demote other faith traditions. The Religion News Service reported:

The Department of Defense is substantially reducing the number of religions it officially recognizes, reportedly excluding atheists, pagans, humanists and New Age faiths, an independent military-focused news website reports.

The reduction of recognized faith groups represents the first time the military has revised the list since 2017, when it vastly expanded the list of recognized faith groups to about 211. The new list includes 31 recognized faiths, as first reported by Military.com on Thursday (June 4).

The Military.com report was based on a memorandum issued by Anthony Tata on May 20. (Tata, the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, is perhaps best known for his record of anti-Muslim rhetoric and bonkers condemnations of Barack Obama, whom Tata described as a “terrorist leader.” Last year, Senate Republicans confirmed him anyway.).....

The secretary has spent most of his tenure drifting from one culture war priority to another. The list, evidently, continues to grow.