Retired Army Chaplain Brad Lewis (Col.-R) got emotional this week when he heard War Sec. Pete Hegseth’s order to return the Chaplain Corps to religious ministry. Hegseth said the Chaplain Corps role has been “degraded” in recent decades, and he gave the example of the 2025 “Army Spiritual Fitness Guide” that mentions “God” once, but “playfulness” nine times in 112 pages. Although most people in the military, 82 percent, are religious according to the guide, God has been nearly replaced by secular humanism. Hegseth eliminated the use of the guide this week and announced he is simplifying the faith coding system.
