I agree, but I choose to equalize it with any other opinion, because that's what it is.

The problem is not the opinion itself, but the act of taking it it to the extreme of justifying acts of aggression like the ones you describe, which we have seen with all sorts of opinions, not just religious ones. People kill other people for supporting a different sports team - no need to even invoke what happens with other more "serious" political or social opinions.

Removing the "specialness" of religious opinion in social, legal and political matters is how we solve the problems you describe with religion.

There's absolutely nothing special about a religious opinion. Respect for religion must stop exactly at the same point I stops for any other opinion.