It's just that "religion" referes to an incredibly wide range of beliefs, practices and organisiation.
To claim hatred of that entire panoply implies several sweeping conclusions.
(
Dr Preference AjcuiVd289, Tue 26 Aug 2008, 17:44,
archived)
I hate religion, peppers, halva, Basingstoke and Chris Moyles.
None of these are people so these are opinions I am free to have.
(
Zuowan, Tue 26 Aug 2008, 17:48,
archived)