On 5 April 2010, we reported on ‘Religion in the Armed Forces’, based on an annual census of religious profession carried out by the Defence Analytical Services and Advice section of the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The religious groupings used in the MoD’s published reports are relatively broad, not least when it comes to the category of ‘other religions’, which is said to cover ‘Druid, Pagan, Rastafarian, Spiritualist, Zoroastrian (Parsee), Wicca and Baha’i, among others’.
630 persons were included in this category as at 1 April 2009, the most recent year for which figures are available.
Now the Daily Mail has published a partial breakdown of their number, from data supplied by the MoD in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act.
The tally of other religions in the armed forces apparently includes: 100 Pagans, 30 followers of Wicca, 60 Spiritualists and 50 Rastafarians.
See:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1284449/100-UK-servicemen-class-pagans-MoD-reveals.html
