What Is the Proper Reaction to a Personal Statement of Religious Belief?

[malchickiwick]

11. You are better than I; I find it hard not to roll my eyes and guffaw mockingly.

Then again, as one who was raised in a VERY strict, religious home and subject to all the sorts of childhood emotional manipulations that that entailed, I believe it is something of a defensive mechanism I have.

Extricating myself from that religious morass was difficult, to say the least, and seeing my entire family still fully trapped has been a source of endless frustration and sadness. Thus, whenever I hear somebody spout their faith unsolicited I immediately want to throw down the gauntlet of reason and have a "come to Jesus moment" (so to speak), so maybe a silent smirk is the best I can hope to achieve by way of common human decency in such a situation.

Thanks for the interesting question, and I agree, that anyone would do so is more than a little "puzzling".