Yes, history demonstrates that religions are often co-opted for justifying military and governmental control and acquisition.
There is that side to it, but often the religion does affect the way the nation works and it's military success.
Judaism arose because the shepherding people did not need the agricultural aspects of the pagan religion, and therefore left it and their religion had the role of binding the nation into an effective fighting force.
To defeat that a Roman living in Egypt evidently, wrote a gospel and possibly sent a few improved versions, and totally took the wind out of the sails of the Jewish revolt.
But a pacifist religion is not going to succeed and I think the Roman author expected it to die out. But along comes Paul from Tarsus and the two got blended together.
It is hard to imagine a Buddhist society attacking and conquering it's way across the World.
What the most successful strands of Christianity have is the correct balance between construction and destruction. American Christian Fundamentalism for example favours the use of violence against pretty well any person or nation that thinks differently, but would never produce the level of intellect required to carry through the Manhattan Project for example.
The Jews, atheists, liberals and such who succeeded in producing the first nuclear weapons did so to fight Hitler who was at the time a threat to them. It is no surprise the Manhattan Project consisted almost entirely of foreigners.
The most successful conquering society has the optimal blend of constructive peaceful pro education beliefs with other people who like to go to war.
The problem is that could eventually result in the extinction of the human race. As for those beliefs being true in any sense, it's very unlikely.
