Reply #8: I'd disagree with Prof. Dawkins on that point for the following reason

[TheBaldyMan]

If you are a philosophy major and you claimed CO status you would probably be well placed to be recognized as such. If the argument went, you are an anarchist manual worker who refused to take up arms on moral grounds you would be denied that status the argument might be stronger but I would still doubt that the Army would take your determination any less seriously than a Quaker, however devout that Quaker was.

I'd say it would be fairer to say that any bias towards faith would tend to be in the eye of the beholder.