What Is the Proper Reaction to a Personal Statement of Religious Belief? [View all]

When someone volunteers information about their own religious beliefs, I'm generally nonplussed. I'm never sure how I should react to such an announcement. Is that person looking for congratulations? An argument? A discussion of theology? Is the information supposed to be of interest to anyone other than that person? Am I about to be proselytized?

I'm afraid my reaction is to just shrug and say, OK. Then I attempt to change the subject. For me, such beliefs are an individual, personal response to life and its vagaries. I would never volunteer my atheistic philosophy without being asked directly about religion, and I would consider the question, itself, as an unwelcome intrusion into my personal life.

And yet, people not infrequently volunteer statements about their own beliefs, even if the topic of religion is not on the table. Now, in a place like the Religion Forum on DU, religion is obviously and seriously on the table, so sharing such information about oneself is appropriate here. But that's not the case in most social situations.

For me, a stated religious identity rarely seems to correlate with a person's behavior and demeanor. It seems unrelated to how I should expect that person to behave in any given situation. So, I'm at a loss to understand why some people are so eager to volunteer that personal information. It's puzzling.