I tend to shy away from talking about big topics like politics and religion. I worry about there being animosity if someone finds that we differ philosophically too much. I get uncomfortable when conversation occasionally moves from small talk to big talk.

How do people here react? Do you embrace the topic and talk about your political/religious beliefs openly? Do you try to change the subject? What do you do if you find that there are significant differences between you and the person you're talking to?