CT Wong's assertion in Secularism quells zealotry that attribute wars and armed conflicts solely to religions, especially Judaism, Christianity and Islam must not go unchallenged. It is childishly simplistic and misleading.

While it is undeniable that many wars and armed conflicts in the world have been fought in the name of religions, there are equally many, if not more, wars and armed conflicts conducted by secular states in the name of 'national security' and 'national interests' articulated by secular elites.

For example, there was no religious elements or passions involved at all in the outbreak of the First and Second World War. All the major belligerents were secular. The wars between Vietnam and French and America from 1945 to 1975 were not religious at all. In fact, both liberal democracies and socialism are secular in doctrine. Yet, they slaughtered each other. (American army also committed terrorism in My Lai village in 1968 intentionally killing hundreds of Vietnamese civilians).

Early in 1936, Republicans and Fascists in Spain fought a bitter civil war. In 1960s, China and India also fought ferocious wars on their borders. It was followed by armed conflicts between China and the Soviet Union in the late 1960s. In 1979, China attacked northern Vietnam. China, India, Soviet Union and Vietnam are all secular states, although some communist and other, capitalist.

The United States itself too first fought a secular war of independence against Great Britain, and then a secular civil war between the north and the south. In China, communists and nationalists also fought bloody civil war between 1946 and 1949. All the belligerents and combatants were secularists.

Going back into ancient history, before the rise of Judaism, ferocious wars had already been fought among Greek city-states such as Athens and Sparta, and between Greek city-states and Persia. The pre-Christian (therefore pre-Islamic) Romans also fought great wars with peoples of North Africa (Carthage) and Germany (Gaul). Alexander the Great and Julius Ceasar were not believers in Judaism, Christianity or Islam.

In China, Sun Tzu in the 5th century BC was also certainly not believers of Judaism, Christianity or Islam. There was no such religions in ancient China, yet the Warring States then raised and maintained huge armies and fought incessant wars.

CT Wong has therefore the urgent and pressing need to understand the history, natures and causes of wars. John Keegan's A History of Warfare (London, Pimlico, 1994) should be a good point of departure. John Keegan is one of the most well-known military historians associated with Sandhurst, the British Royal Military Academy.