  J Krishnamurthy related a joke about a Soviet astronaut. There was this Soviet astronaut, he said, who had gone to the moon and returned to Moscow. The astronaut was feted by the Soviet people and the final reception before his world tour was held in the Kremlin.
The Kremlin reception rooms, with their high domes, huge chandeliers and plush red carpets were packed to capacity. The Soviet President, Brezhnev took the astronaut to a quiet corridor and asked: "Tell me, when you went up there, did you see God?". The astronaut, looked around cautiously and replied in a whisper "Yes, I did. " Brezhnev said: "I thought as much, but make certain that you do not tell anybody else about this. " The astronaut left on his world tour and he was given grand receptions in Germany, in England and in the United States.
The final reception of the world tour was in the Vatican in Rome. The reception rooms in the Vatican with their high domes, huge chandeliers and plush red carpets were packed to capacity. The Pope invited the astronaut to a secluded corridor and asked: " Tell me, when you went up there, did you see God? " The astronaut looked around cautiously, and remembering Brezhnev's command, replied: "No, I did not see God. " The Pope said: "I thought as much, but please do not tell anybody else about this. " :)) 
