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I've found that people who are vocal about their beliefs tend to fall into one of two categories:
1. those who are so uncertain about their own position that they have to scream loudly about it to convince themselves that they are okay
2. those who are so unable to deal with others having different opinions that they feel they must convince everyone around them
Really two variations on a theme, IMHO.
It's not just religion and politics that brings out this tendency in some people. I was a vegetarian for three years, and not even one of the militant ones. I just didn't want to eat meat. Didn't matter to me if someone else did. But I'd go to a cookout - with FRIENDS, even - and say "could I have a veggie burger?" and you should have heard the vegetarian-bashing. I'm sure some of it was just in reaction to the judgment they assumed they were suffering at my hands (they were wrong) and they felt they needed to defend their meat-eating ways. But difference of opinion is often interpreted as judgment, and I think people have a natural desire for unity and agreement.
There are many paths to wisdom, and it makes so little sense to try to drag people who are on a path that suits them onto your own path just so you can pretend you've found the One and Only True Path.
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"If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."
- Anatole France
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