Terrorism is nothing new, but emerging militant religious movements differ from traditional terrorist groups in terms of methods and mentality. Militant religious groups like World Church of the Creator (WCOTC) use the rally cry RaHoWa which stands for racial holy war. Sponsored by skinheads, the group is militant and determined to win the upcoming racial holy war that will occur during the modern apocalypse. Groups like WCOTC are different from religious terrorist groups in the past, who were often sponsored by individual states. Today’s religious terrorists usually are under the auspices of a “holy” leader, one who remains unconcerned about exposure to retaliation—what used to act as a check on state sponsored religious terrorism. This is not the case with modern militant religious movements “No so the exotic terrorists, who fervently embrace ruthless violence to achieve their goals” (Mackubin 1).
Most of the modern militant religious groups are apocalyptic, new religion like the Mormons, Shakers the Texas Branch Davidians. These groups often believe a cosmic battle between good and evil will occur “With evil concentrated in the present center of earthly power, the government of the United States” (Pfaff 2). The Waco debacle proved to militias across the nation that the government is waging a war on American liberties. However, experts on militant religious groups say the new breed of militias is composed of traditional and modern elements that create a powerful threat when mixed. Today’s religious militants can gain access to powerful weapons of mass destruction, in addition to a mentality that is suicidal for the “cause”, the cause of religious ideology “Their enthusiasm mobilizes individual terrorists who are willing to die for a favorable place in Heaven” (Perlmutter 2).
The militant religious groups of today share a good deal in common with their traditional counterparts, but they also co...