Schmedlap,

I agree to a large extent, with the caveat that there are religious leaders who enter into politics or political movements with their religious ideal as the political aim. Often, these are radicals or revolutionaries who meet with little success, but sometimes they are relatively successful. Populism, with its appeal to the people's passions IMO is the main driving force of introducing religion into politics, and on some occasions as developments radicalize the followers, religious zeal trumpeting political pragmatism.