Interesting--- the difference between "die for a belief" and "risk your life for a cause".

Many of us would 'risk'.... anyone who has served in he military or police force or even rescue teams does so knowing there is danger and potential death, but sees the benefits to country, home and humanity.

Martyrs seem to 'usually' be religiously inclined, and that, to me, seems to be the only genuine concept of dying for a belief... either because god 'demands' it or 'approves' of it. In almost ALL such cases there seems to be the underlying idea that one will be rewarded in the 'afterlife'. I do note that in many cases, those who do the recruiting and justifying of martyrdom are not the ones doing the dying.