Pentagon updates religious categories after pushback from Church of Jesus Christ, senators
Curtis objected to the initial faith codes, and his office spoke with the Pentagon before the correction.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates East Idaho News, where this article appeared. The other scores rate the article itself.
The page attributes the reporting to KSL, an established regional news organization, and East Idaho News is an identifiable local publisher. The attribution supports transparency, though the article provides limited independent sourcing beyond official statements and lawmakers.
- Source type — Local-news publisher carrying reporting attributed to an established regional outlet.
- Author attribution — The page identifies KSL and names its reporter in the article credit.
- Transparency — The article distinguishes Pentagon statements and lawmakers’ comments from its own reporting.
- Source diversity — Most evidence comes from the Pentagon and elected officials; no church representative is quoted.
The article gives a clear account of the change and attributes statements to the Pentagon and lawmakers. It offers limited context and does not include a response from the Church or an independent explanation of the faith-code system.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article includes the Pentagon’s rationale and lawmakers’ objections and praise, but relies mainly on official statements and does not include a church representative or independent expert.
- Counterarguments presented — The Pentagon explains the revision while lawmakers’ concerns about the first list are reported.
- Source diversity — Sources are primarily government officials and members of Congress; affected religious representatives are absent.
- Loaded language — Strong judgments appear as attributed quotations rather than the article’s own language.
- Omitted context — The article provides little explanation of the faith-code system or the Church’s view.
The report uses neutral language and attributes the Pentagon’s explanation and lawmakers’ views without endorsing either side.
- Language tone — Mostly descriptive wording, with evaluative terms presented as quotations.
- Source selection — Includes the Pentagon’s explanation and statements from lawmakers who objected to the initial list.
- Framing — Frames the revision as a response to pushback and reports what changed without an editorial verdict.
Original publisher not identified
This article credits another publisher, which ChamberLight has not identified, so the scores are East Idaho News's own.
The Pentagon revised military chaplain faith codes after Latter-day Saints and Utah lawmakers objected that the initial list did not classify the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as Christian. The revised list removed Christian labels from other groups as well, but did not explicitly identify the Church as Christian.
The Pentagon updated its faith codes after an initial list of military chaplain categories left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints off its Christian classifications. The department said the earlier list included redundant labels and that the mistake had been fixed; the new list also removed Christian classifications from Catholic, Baptist and evangelical groups. The update did not explicitly identify the Church as Christian.
Sen. John Curtis called the initial classification unacceptable, and his spokesman said conversations between Curtis’s office and the Pentagon preceded the change. Sen. Mike Lee said he had spoken with President Donald Trump about the list and later welcomed the correction. Sen. Mike Crapo had called for an immediate correction, and Rep. Burgess Owens also thanked the Pentagon for making the change.
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SWIPE →Senator who objected to the initial faith codes and whose office spoke with the Pentagon
Senator who criticized the initial list and welcomed the Pentagon’s correction
Lee's version of this story ↗
Idaho senator who called for an immediate correction
President whom Lee said he had spoken with about the list
Secretary of War referred to by Lee in connection with the correction
Representative who thanked the Pentagon for making the change
Part of a bigger story
3 OUTLETSThe Pentagon’s initial chaplain faith categories listed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints separately from Christian categories, prompting John Curtis and other Utah lawmakers to object. The Pentagon later revised the categories. Center outlets pair Curtis’s objections with the Pentagon’s explanation of the categories; later coverage also notes that revisions changed labels for other faith groups.
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