Lighter again makes a good point. Whether or not the leader thinks he is a god matters not. It is when the followers consider him a god that makes it a religion.

"your statement suggests that atheists in power would just naturally be less ambitious, less greedy, less paranoid, less violent, than their religious counterparts."

Which makes me wonder how and why they would gain power in the first place.

And blaming war on religion is a dog that won't hunt as well. Most wars have been about power, land or money.

Do you think that the Spanish would have killed the Inca for religion alone?