A few days ago after taking in a play ("Three Sisters" by Anton Checkov in Russian) I had this interesting short discussion with a typical theatre fan who himself seemed to believe in absolutely everything except G-d.

In a pub after the play, he and my Russian teacher started talking about "healers", people who are not medical doctors but "heal" people. Both seemed to be somewhat convinced that they are indeed "healers" and that their methods work.

My teacher's husband smiled and they asked him if he didn't believe in "healing" like that. And he said he didn't. Then they looked at me and I said that I only believe in G-d and things I can see.

So they asked me why I believed in G-d since I cannot see Him.

And I told him that, simply, my father told me that G-d exists.

The theatre fan then asked why I wouldn't believe him when he tells me that those "healers" are legitimate and whether I would believe anything that anybody could tell me.

And I said yes I would believe anything anybody told me if the person in question pays for my college education and feeds me for 20 years.

I guess that's when he realised not, unfortunately, the difference between fact and fantasy but at least the difference between belief based on a solid foundation and belief based on a trend.