Religious exemptions bother me quite a bit as a non-religious person. Why can people demand special treatment because of "religion" but my beliefs don't count u

Religious exemptions bother me quite a bit as a non-religious person. Why can people demand special treatment because of "religion" but my beliefs don't count unless I an hiding behind religion. I don't think the beliefs of religious people are more valid or deserve more respect than mine. Either everybody should follow a rule or nobody.