I have to disagree here.
Race is, of course, something at the core of one's being, as you described. It's inborn, is generally immutable (though here you run into the question: is race really a state of mind, rather than an inborn trait), and tends to provide a strong component of one's sense of identity.
However, is religion really so different? Generally, it is chosen (as opposed to inborn), and can be changed (though this is never an easy thing). But among religious persons, it plays at least as strong a part of that person's sense of identity as race does, and may in fact be stronger in some cases. It certainly tends to form another aspect at the core of one's being.
So by hating one thing at the core of one's being (in the case of race), you automatically hate the person, but hatred of a different thing (in the case of religion) does not make you automatically hate the person? Tread very carefully when you get to that line, because you're stepping dangerously close to hypocrisy. Those statements can't both be true, anymore than the statement "2 equals 3" can. My point: hating a thing which comprises the very core of many peoples' identity is just as bad, no matter what that thing is, be it race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or whatever. Or, more simply put, hate is hate.
Elwood: Judging from what you're saying, though, you don't seem to actually hate the religions you describe. You may find certain aspects of them distasteful, but you don't seem to posess the desire to eradicate that religion from the face of the planet. Certain other noders, by contrast, have shown this desire in their posting histories, with rationalization only slightly more grounded than that of your average racist.