If anyone asks, and it doesn't happen often, I say I'm pagan. Not sure that shuts down any further questions.

I think that we as human beings are stuck in a reincarnation cycle till we have mastered life in every possible way here on this earth. When this has been accomplished we will be ready to become citizens of the universe and no restricted to this penal colony!

I believe in the force that created the universe. I just don't know whether it is sentient or not (laws of probability in a flat, infinite universe would be an adequate description for non sentient god)... or, I believe in god, not religion, is my response... but that's my beliefs and might not work for you.

If I may ask, what is your profession?

To stop existing. I get that.

Was checking in to a hospital for surgery , and a woman was filling in paperwork and asked , if I drink ( no ) , if I smoke (no) , if I do drugs (no) , did I have someone at home to help me after the surgery (no) , what's my religion ( atheist ) , She stopped writing , looked at me , then asked , " Well , what do you use for a crutch , when you need help ? " Lady , I just stand on my own two feet .

You give a response to that question FAR more importance than most people and you have good manners. In a professional situation, I'd smile sweetly, shake my head and say "Please, I never speak of my religion."

My fave response so far is to shrug and say I'm really nothing, but sort of Christian-ish, Buddhist-ish.
Since most supposed Christians barely know anything about their own religion yet also do yoga, most seem taken aback, and just nod.

An aware worm would be a strange, but wonderfully short, life.

I don't have to deal with it professionally, but my response is to say I don't know what it means to be reborn. What gets reborn? Your soul? What is that? Your memories? Even people who claim to have been reborn have only the vaguest recollection of past lives. Some essential self stripped of memories? I don't ask these things to be clever. I really don't know. I suspect the whole concept of reincarnation is poorly thought out, but I don't entirely discount its possibility given that the very concept of self is confusing and even mysterious.

I'd rather be a star - a small mass one at that. Maybe a brown dwarf or just a little bit more so I could fuse H in my core and eventually graduate to being Helium Dwarf star when I died after living for 100's of billions of years.

I'm as general as I can be. I try to take into consideration the listener & find a common denominator to carry the subject & um absolutely as brief as possible.