Department of Defense Revision of Religious Affiliation Classifications
美國國防部修訂宗教信仰分類
Introduction
The United States Department of Defense recently modified its internal catalog of religious affiliations following disputes regarding the classification of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
美國國防部最近在耶穌基督後期聖徒教會的分類引起爭議後，修改了內部的宗教信仰目錄。
Main Body
The administrative impetus for this revision originated from a directive by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to streamline a 2017 system of over 200 faith codes, which was deemed impractical for chaplaincy resource management. An initial proposed iteration of the truncated list, consisting of 31 categories, omitted the 'Christian' designation for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while retaining it for 21 other denominations. This omission precipitated formal objections from Utah Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis, as well as Representative Mike Kennedy, who contended that the government's characterization contradicted the faith's self-identification and historical commitment to military service.
此次修訂的行政動力源於國防部長 Pete Hegseth 的指令，旨在簡化 2017 年一套擁有超過 200 個信仰代碼的系統，因為該系統被認為在軍牧資源管理上並不切實際。最初擬定的簡化清單僅包含 31 個類別，其中刪除了耶穌基督後期聖徒教會的「基督教」標記，但保留了其他 21 個教派的標記。這一缺失引起了猶他州參議員 Mike Lee 和 John Curtis，以及眾議員 Mike Kennedy 的正式抗議，他們認為政府的定性與該信仰的自我認同及其對軍事服務的歷史承諾相矛盾。
This administrative friction reflects a long-standing theological divergence. While the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asserts its status as a restoration of the original New Testament church, various academic and ecclesiastical authorities maintain a contrary position. Specifically, scholars such as Matthew Bowman note that the faith's rejection of the Nicene Creed and its distinct conceptualization of the Trinity—viewing the Godhead as three separate beings rather than a single divine essence—diverge from orthodox Christian tenets. Similarly, the Vatican indicated in 2012 that these doctrinal variances preclude the recognition of Latter-day Saint baptismal rites as Christian. Despite these theological schisms, the faith maintains a political alignment with the religious right on conservative social issues.
這種行政摩擦反映了長期的神學分歧。雖然耶穌基督後期聖徒教會主張其身分是原初新約教會的恢復，但多位學術與教會權威持有相反立場。具體而言，如 Matthew Bowman 等學者指出，該信仰拒絕《尼西亞信經》，且對三位一體有獨特的構想——將神格視為三個獨立個體而非單一的神聖本質——這與正統基督教教義相悖。同樣地，梵蒂岡在 2012 年指出，這些教義差異使得後期聖徒的洗禮儀式無法被認可為基督教。儘管存在這些神學分歧，該信仰在保守社會議題上與宗教右翼保持政治一致。
In response to the legislative backlash, the Department of Defense implemented a secondary revision. This updated rubric excised the 'Christian' label from all 20 other traditions, including Catholicism and Lutheranism, thereby neutralizing the specific exclusion of the Latter-day Saint faith. The Department characterized the previous version as a proposed list containing redundant labeling and asserted that the current framework is intended solely for operational efficiency rather than as a determination of theological legitimacy.
為了回應立法部門的反對，國防部實施了第二次修訂。此更新後的準則刪除了所有其他 20 個傳統（包括天主教和路德教）的「基督教」標記，從而抵消了對後期聖徒信仰的特定排除。國防部將之前的版本描述為一份包含冗餘標記的建議清單，並聲明目前的框架僅用於提高運作效率，而非判定神學合法性。
Conclusion
The Pentagon has removed all denominational labels of 'Christian' from its revised religious affiliation list to resolve a dispute over the classification of the Latter-day Saint faith.
五角大廈在其修訂後的宗教信仰清單中，刪除了所有教派的「基督教」標記，以解決關於後期聖徒信仰分類的爭議。
Vocabulary Learning
The Architecture of Administrative Neutrality: Nominalization and Distancing
To transition from B2 to C2, a student must move beyond describing an event to framing an event. This text is a masterclass in Administrative Euphemism and Nominalization—the process of turning actions into nouns to strip away emotional charge and personal agency.
⚡ The Pivot: From 'Action' to 'Concept'
Observe how the author transforms a political conflict into a sterile, bureaucratic process:
- B2 Approach: "The Department of Defense changed the list because people were arguing."
- C2 Reality: "The administrative impetus for this revision originated from a directive..."
By using impetus (a driving force) and directive (an official instruction) instead of reason and order, the writer creates a layer of professional detachment. This is the hallmark of C2 academic and legal English: the ability to describe volatile human conflict as a series of systemic movements.
🔍 Linguistic Surgical Tools
1. The 'Neutralizing' Verb Notice the verb "precipitated."
"This omission precipitated formal objections..."
In lower levels, you might use caused. However, precipitate suggests a chemical reaction—a sudden onset triggered by a specific catalyst. It removes the "blame" and replaces it with "causality."
2. Precision through Latinate Abstraction Look at the phrase "theological schisms."
- Difference Divergence Schism
A schism isn't just a disagreement; it is a formal, structural split. Using this word elevates the discourse from a social dispute to a historical and ecclesiastical analysis.
🛠️ Advanced Synthesis: The Logic of 'Excising'
Consider the phrase: *"This updated rubric excised the 'Christian' label..."
To cut is B1. To remove is B2. To excise is C2. Excise is a medical term (to surgically remove). By applying a medical metaphor to a list of words, the author implies that the "Christian" label was a growth or an error that needed to be precisely removed to heal the administrative friction.
C2 Takeaway: To master this level, stop using verbs of action and start using verbs of process and precision. Replace cause/effect with precipitate/originate and replace change with revision/iteration.