Conscription

A government may force citizens to fight in war. Or it may let them volunteer. But if people were conscripted, the nation would be less keen on going to war.

That much religion has no official view on conscription serves only to expose it as perhaps totally unimportant for it has nothing to say in most important problems. Many religions, particularly Islam and Christianity do agree with people being forced to fight and they pretend to be religions of peace!!

The state makes laws for everybody - everybody must get the same treatment under law. But should people who would normally be forced to defend the country in wartime get an exemption on the grounds that it is against their religious faith? No. The conscientious objection of the atheist or the individual is ignored even if the objection is based on research and evidence. It is unfair for a religious person to be absolved of duty who has not done the homework and who probably has superstitious objections to war.

Those who do not fight end up helping the war anyway. Often they are forced to make weapons or something instead of fighting.

Sadly and predictably the clergy are able to get out of their responsibilities totally!  That is unacceptable in a secular nation.