- Feb 5, 2002
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The Department of War recently dropped approximately 180 belief systems from its list of recognized religions for U.S. military personnel, including Wicca and other neo-pagan faiths.
A May 20 memo issued by the Undersecretary of War Elbridge A. Colby and signed by Anthony Tata, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, trimmed the list from 211 faiths to 31, according to Military.com.
The move intends to "streamline the DoW collection of religious preferences for service members to enhance the delivery of targeted religious support from the Chaplaincy," said the memo, which ordered the revision of the "religious affiliation codes" to go into effect within 60 days.
"The new list will provide chaplains with clear, readily available information that will better enable them to anticipate the religious support needs of service members and to provide religious support activities that align with service members’ personal faith and practices," the memo added.
Some of the belief systems that have been removed from the list include atheism, which was replaced by a general "no religion" or "agnostic" designation; pagan or Earth-based faiths such as Wicca, Druidism, Heathenism and members of The Troth; New Age beliefs such as Eckankar, Rosicrucianism, shamanism and spiritualism; as well as other alternative belief systems, including Deism, Unitarian Universalism and practitioners of "magick."
Continued below.
www.christianpost.com
A May 20 memo issued by the Undersecretary of War Elbridge A. Colby and signed by Anthony Tata, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, trimmed the list from 211 faiths to 31, according to Military.com.
The move intends to "streamline the DoW collection of religious preferences for service members to enhance the delivery of targeted religious support from the Chaplaincy," said the memo, which ordered the revision of the "religious affiliation codes" to go into effect within 60 days.
"The new list will provide chaplains with clear, readily available information that will better enable them to anticipate the religious support needs of service members and to provide religious support activities that align with service members’ personal faith and practices," the memo added.
Some of the belief systems that have been removed from the list include atheism, which was replaced by a general "no religion" or "agnostic" designation; pagan or Earth-based faiths such as Wicca, Druidism, Heathenism and members of The Troth; New Age beliefs such as Eckankar, Rosicrucianism, shamanism and spiritualism; as well as other alternative belief systems, including Deism, Unitarian Universalism and practitioners of "magick."
Continued below.
Dept. of War removes Wicca, about 180 other belief systems as recognized religions
The Department of War recently dropped approximately 180 belief systems from its list of recognized religions for U S military personnel, including Wicca and other neo-pagan faiths
www.christianpost.com
