Reply #58: Nationalism and patriotism also create that type of motivation. [View All]

[GliderGuider]

"They no longer feared death, and moreover, they also thought their actions were right." That applies to a lot of the descriptions of heroic acts in wartime. They are often done with no thought of God, but plenty of quasi-religious belief in cause and country.

Humans need to believe in something beyond themselves in order to make the ultimate sacrifice. Sometimes it's God, often it's not. Sometimes it's as simple as giving your life to protect your children.