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I find your argument to be very realistic in its approach, I would disagree that religion as a form of justification for conflict in subsuming weak actors as a "new normal" might be a bit brash; e. g., you frequently mention that the U.S. government is not using religion to justify its conflicts. Isn't this contradictory to your assertions? I would argue that Americans who profess to be religious, believe that God, or whatever is considered to be their deity, is on our side in conflict. This faith perspective is evident considering the widespread support of the Military Chaplains in a Government agency. The U.S 2nd Court of Appeals argued for a need for chaplains by stating that the "morale of our Soldiers, their willingness to serve, and the efficiency of the Army as an instrument for our national defense rests in substantial part on the military chaplaincy" (Waggoner, 707).

According to your quoted sources, religion has "been a force of often dramatic social transformation and political influence, and, at times violence [..]” I interpret this to mean that religion is both a force for dramatic change and that violence is the exception - not the rule.  Religion has further been recognized as an agent of peace by the World Bank, which argues that religion is “an agent for globalization and for allowing dialogue for conflict resolution between actors, which has created "a global civil society capable challenging hegemonic discourses on a number of issues ranging from human rights to poverty alleviation" (Bradley, 267). So perhaps actors use religion to justify their casus belli for war? Can we really say that religion is the cause for this conflict? Should we be using “religion” to justify conflict?

Sources:

Bradley, Tamsin. "Religion and Globalisation: Bringing Anthropology and International Relations Together in The Study of Religious-Political Transnational Movements." Globalizations 6.2 (2009): 265-279. Academic Search Complete. Web. 24 Mar. 2016

Waggoner, Ed. "Taking Religion Seriously in The U.S. Military: The Chaplaincy as A National Strategic Asset." Journal of The American Academy of Religion 82.3 (2014): 702-735. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Mar. 2016.