And well he should have. We still don’t know what gave him the bright idea to compile all religions down into a nice, neat little package with apparently no thought put into it. Of course, Hegseth can’t think much, so that might have been part of it. He certainly didn’t think about a plan for the illegal war on Iran. Well, he got his hair blown back by a whole bunch of people, so backtracking was a “Very Good Idea”. My respect goes to Raw Story:
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reversed course Monday on a Pentagon religious classification policy that had enraged Republican allies — after Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) called it “repugnant,” phoned President Donald Trump directly, and demanded an immediate fix. The controversy stemmed from a May 20 memo, The overhaul was designed to help chaplains better track and serve troops’ beliefs — but the initial redone list left The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints out of the Christian category entirely, classifying it separately from every other faith that professes belief in Jesus Christ.
Yesterday we mentioned that religion is a touchy concept for everyone, for any number of reasons we won’t go into. This is one of the subjects that should be completely avoided. It’s better that way. Don’t proselytize. Your belief system is what it is, and no one’s is any better or worse than yours. Let it go.
The backlash was swift and bipartisan. Lee, a Utah Republican and Latter-day Saint himself, posted a video Sunday calling the policy an affront to “tens of thousands” of LDS service members. “It’s just repugnant to any sense of decency, any sense of our common heritage,” he said. Sen. John Curtis (R-UT) called it “unacceptable.” Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ) insisted Hegseth explain the exclusion to “hundreds of thousands of Latter-day Saints veterans.” Lee then posted that he had spoken with Trump by phone. “I won’t speak for him, but I’m thrilled about where this is heading,” he wrote.
It’s quite something to have a bipartisan group of people jumping on him. We weren’t yet aware of that when we spoke yesterday. And yes, this is a one-trick pony, but Hegseth had to step back and think, when we know how challenging it can be for him. He didn’t exactly think when he called in military leaders from all over the world to Quantico, where he postured and strutted on a stage to yell at them. But back on topic, he apparently is not aware of anything for anyone in terms of their religion
By Monday afternoon, the Pentagon’s rapid response account announced the reversal, framing the original list as containing “redundant and unnecessary labeling” — and an updated Religious Affiliation Codes list now includes “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” as a standalone entry. Capitol Hill correspondent Jamie Dupree described the move plainly: the Pentagon had “backtracked.”
Backtracked indeed. As long as it’s done. That’s what really matters. If it helps military chaplains, that’s something. Maybe all the calls to the hotline, where military service members are calling in anonymously, are worried about practicing their religion. As long as they are taken care of. That’s what truly matters. And Hegseth can go jump.
See you soon!
Friends, I know everybody begs you for money. I promise you that, of all the outlets bugging you for spare change, we are the smallest and the hardest-working. We’re a bunch of old, disabled people, except one writer in his mid-50s. But the rest of us are in our sixties and seventies, and this is a labor of love. All we’re asking for is the ability to continue our quest to tell the truth about Trump and help ensure democracy survives. If you can help, please do. Thank you. Ursula
