religious fanatics

I recently heard a statistic that contrary to popular belief, only 10% of wars have been over religion.

That's one way to look at it. Another way is to say that in 90% of all wars, the State, its interests, and its values, became the religion.

People kill in self-defense, or for criminal reasons such as pleasure, profit, or rage. Any other time they kill, they believe they are doing good, that they are advancing a cause. A faith.

During Clinton's bombardment of Serbia, someone said to me, admiringly, that the USA isn't in this war for reasons of self-interest. But that, to me, made it all the more infuriating. People who kill in the name of ideals are religious fanatics. Just because the name of the religion in Liberty or Democracy doesn't make it any more justifiable.

Anyone who would suspend their judgment on when and whom to kill, and transfer that to the President of the United States, is the equivalent of a religious fanatic willing to take orders from a mullah, high priest, or cult leader.

Between the common criminal who kills, and someone who kills for ideals, the latter is far more dangerous. For the criminal, in the end, is a coward who would stop what he's doing before he gets caught. But the fanatic is willing to die for his cause/religion/country, and take dozens of civillians with him.