What drives a Muslim to commit mass murder in the name of Allah?

The Quran contains 109 verses that require war against unbelievers.

The San Bernardino terrorist attack was staged by a married couple, that by all outward appearances seemed normal. What is it that drives seemingly ordinary folks to commit mayhem and mass murder?

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - He was a stable, middle-class guy with a great job and a loving family. She had passed an FBI background check with flying colors and was a mother to a six-month-old daughter. But somehow, Sayed Farook and Tashfeen Malik shed all of that to go on a bloody rampage that killed 14 people and wounded 22 others. And evidence suggests they planned a lot more violence than they managed.

What drives people to act out in this way? Everybody is upset about something, nobody agrees with everything. But what's the difference between being simply being opposed to something and actually killing to oppose it? What causes people to pick up weapons and strap on suicide belts?

On a basic level, it starts with the Quran. Like the Bible, some people actually read it and believe what is written. The Quran has 109 verses that call Muslims to war against unbelievers. While similar sounding verses in the Old Testament are bound by historical context -the verses apply to the people of that time and are historical, rather than prescriptive, the Quran has no such context.

Not equal are those of the believers who sit, except those who are disabled, and those who strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has preferred in grades those who strive hard and fight with their wealth and their lives above those who sit. Unto each, Allah has promised good, but Allah has preferred those who strive hard and fight, above those who sit by a huge reward.  (Quaran 4:95)

As seen in the verse above, all good Muslims fight. The moderate, peaceful Muslims who strive to insist they are the mainstream, are actually the apostates.

Verse 4:76 says, "Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah."

We can already hear the apologetics now, the fight is allegorical. You're fighting against the devil, yourself, sin, and so on. But the Quran is actually quite clear, you are supposed to fight against the unbelievers, the skeptics, the apostates.

And kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out. And Al-Fitnah [disbelief or unrest] is worse than killing... but if they desist, then lo! Allah is forgiving and merciful.   And fight them until there is no more Fitnah [disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allah] and worship is for Allah alone. (Quran 2:191-193)

It should be clear. Good Muslims fight unbelievers. And in case you think this means you fight with prayer or charity, consider this:

Those who disbelieve follow falsehood, while those who believe follow the truth from their Lord... So, when you meet, those who disbelieve smite at their necks till when you have killed and wounded many of them, then bind a bond firmly... If it had been Allah's Will, He Himself could certainly have punished them. But, in order to test you, some with others. But those who are killed in the Way of Allah, He will never let their deeds be lost. (Quran 47:3-4)

Smite at their necks. Enslave them. There's nothing ambiguous about those verses. There's no other rational way to interpret them.

And this continues, for hundreds of verses.

Most Muslims reject this interpretation, and thank God they do, for if every Muslim obeyed these instructions, the fate of billions would be thrown into question. But all these Muslims are simply apostates. Just as many Christians read the Bible, profess belief, then promptly disregard many of its scriptures and commandments, Muslims are no different.

Just as Christians disregard Leviticus, and get tattoos, dress as they please, and eat pork, most Muslims ignore the part about beheading unbelievers. But the ones that don't ignore it are tearing up the world.

So, the way a Muslim becomes radicalized is they read the Quran and believe it enough to act upon it.