great claim requires great evidence

Go see the movie , it is great, said my friend. 

I believe you , I'll go and see it. I answered. nothing strange in this conversations.

I didn't have to believed him.

He doesn't lie, and he does know something about movies.

so I have 2 reasons not to object his opinion.

In short: Somebody made a claim, not an important one, I believed it , and I'll act according to my belief.

So far so good. The movie might be good or bad, but after all, I didn't loose much if it is bad, few hours and some money. 

Little claim , little evidence, little action .. 

 after a while the same friend claims : 

One of my great grand fathers, who built the house I live in now, wrote in his diary, that he put number of diamonds worth of 300 Billion dollars in a hole in the garden. 

So I am very rich and can buy what I ever want. he continues: For now, I don't have time to dig out the gold, but I know I am very rich. 

I want you to work for me, do whatever I say .. put your time and energy in my service.. 

I'll pay you more then anybody else for your services when I dig out the gold. 

You have to convince everybody with that Idea . make it one of your priorities.. 

So.... you go and work for him for a while (assuming you trust him very much).. you convince your wife and kids, maybe some of your friends to do the same.. you put yourself as guardian .. 

somehow this people are working for you as much as for the golden friend. 

all of them will be rewarded when time comes and gold is out... few years later, nothing happen.. some of your family members and your friends started complaining, that they don't want to work for your or your golden friend unless there are some evidence about his claim of gold. you go to him and ask him to prove his claim.. and he shows you a paper , and it is written on it, that there is gold , claims that this paper is written by his great grand father and MUST be true.. 

You say: Well.. let's see if it is true . No.. 

I am not going to dig the gold out yet. Why? because it is not a good time. When is the good time? 

After your death. 

 AHA.. then I am not going to work for you anymore .. I doubt the whole story of then gold. 

 Well .. too late .. all town is working for me now, all of them do what I want .. do you think it is easy to get out.. be one of the herd or be out of society.. 

believe whatever you want .. but don't say it .. otherwise I'll order them to kill you.. 

 does that remind you something??