I was sitting next to a Yid at a simcha, a man in his 70's. He has been Orthodox his whole life but he explained to me that he doesn't believe anything. He only believes what he can see, touch or feel. He doesn't believe any stories that people tell him and that is religion so he doesn't believe in any religion or anything spiritual. I didn't attempt to argue because I wanted to be polite and saw that his mind was already looooong made up.
In addition, there is actually a Gemara relating to just such an episode:
גמרא סנהדרין ל"ח:
תנן התם ר"א אומר הוי שקוד ללמוד תורה ודע מה שתשיב לאפיקורוס אמר ר' יוחנן ל"ש אלא אפיקורוס נכרי אבל אפיקורוס ישראל כ"ש דפקר טפי.
We learned in a mishna there (Avot 4:4): Rabbi Eliezer says: Be persistent to learn Torah, and know what to respond to the heretic [la’apikoros]. Rabbi Yochanan says: This was taught only with regard to a gentile heretic, but not with regard to a Jewish heretic, as one should not respond to him. All the more so, if one does respond he will become more heretical. His heresy is assumed to be intentional, and any attempt to rebut it will only cause him to reinforce his position.
רש"י - כל שכן דפקר טפי – שהרי הכיר וכפר ומתוך כך מדקדק ולא תוכל להשיבו דבר המקובל לו.
I love Jews but we have to call a spade a spade. We are a stiff-necked people. We are also sometimes too smart for our own good. We often think that OUR intellect can decide things well beyond the ken of our intellect. So no chance. Look at the Neviim. They gave shtark Mussar right and left - but to no avail.
But this person [and all of those who make this specious claim] should know that the reality is that he constantly believes things that he doesn't see, touch and feel. He believes in the history of George Washington. He believes in the history of Napoleon. He believes in Herzl and the entire story of the Zionist movement. He believes that his parents were really his biological parents. He believes that his doctor is really trained and that the medicine he is being prescribed is good for him. He gets on a plane and believes that the pilot is not drunk or a Muslim Jihad-nik. He CHOOSES what to believe and what not to believe.
What are the ramifications of his decision not to believe? His life has no meaning. Nothing he does really matters to him. In his words about his life: "I am ready to check out". He is cynical, angry and bitter. He keeps mitzvos just "to hedge his bets". Ya know - just in case. Like they say that Elvis used to wear a Magen David around his neck b/c he doesn't want to be excluded from Heaven "on a technicality". That is not a recipe for a life of meaning and passion.
Just like he decided to keep mitzvos, he can also decide to believe. "Maybe" it is not all just fairytales? "Maybe" we haven't been purposely mislead by our ancestors? There is no "proof" that G-d doesn't exist. Not one. Unless there is a compelling reason not to believe - why go there?? There is so much literature on this topic of which he is unaware.
This man's expertise is business. How sad that people make decisions on matters they no almost nothing about such as theology and philosophy. Much much much much smarter and more knowledgeable people than him have believed in our history. Our tradition is in our memory. Not necessarily in our personal memory but in our collective national memory.
There is so much to say but I will stop here and recommend the sfarim לנבוכי התקופה, לנבוכי הדור and many many other contemporary books written in both English and Hebrew. Rav Kook ztz"l writes what for me has been a foundational line in my Emunah journey which is worthwhile keeping in mind:
