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According to the common view, conscientious objection is grounded in autonomy and is tolerated out of respect for the objector's autonomy. Emphasising autonomy as a central concept within the issue of conscientious objection implies that the conscientious objector has an independent choice among alternative beliefs, positions or values. In this paper, it is argued that: (a) it is not true that the typical conscientious objector has such a choice when they decide to act upon their conscience and (b) it is not true that the typical conscientious objector exercises autonomy when developing or acquiring their conscience. Therefore, tolerating conscientious objection does not reflect respect for the conscientious objector's right to choose but rather acknowledges their lack of real ability to choose their conscience and to refrain from acting upon their conscience. This has both normative and analytical implications for the treatment of conscientious objectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skeptical theism (ST) may undercut the key inference in the evidential argument from evil, but it does so at a cost. If ST is true, then we lose our ability to assess the all things considered (ATC) value of natural events and states of affairs. And if we lose that ability, a whole slew of undesirable consequences follow. So goes a common consequential critique of ST. In a recent article, Anderson has argued that this consequential critique is flawed. Anderson claims that ST only has the consequence that we lack epistemic access to potentially God-justifying reasons for permitting a prima facie 'bad' (or 'evil') event. But this is very different from lacking epistemic access to the ATC value of such events. God could have an (unknowable) reason for not intervening to prevent E and yet E could still be (knowably) ATC-bad. Ingenious though it is, this article argues that Anderson's attempted defence of ST is flawed. This is for two reasons. First, and most importantly, the consequential critique does not rely on the questionable assumption he identifies. Indeed, the argument can be made quite easily by relying purely on Anderson's distinction between God-justifying reasons for permitting E and the ATC value of E. And second, Anderson's defence of his position, if correct, would serve to undermine the foundations of ST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]