Two weeks ago, Jordan Manalastas attempted to shake the foundations of faith with his article “Don’t hesitate to question faith” (Oct. 8).
Manalastas’ claim that everyone should be a skeptic, although convincing at first, should leave readers skeptical.
Let us take a deeper look into skepticism and faith.
Manalastas encourages us to be skeptics while constantly asking questions. This is a contradiction.
A skeptic believes that it is impossible to find the truth. The purpose of asking questions is to come closer to the truth.
It is unreasonable to try to find and avoid the truth at the same time.
We agree that asking questions is a good thing, including those pertaining to our faith. St. Paul reaffirms this: “Test everything; hold fast to what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
This, however, is not skepticism. It is quite the opposite. It is asking in order to find an answer.
Skeptics, in contrast, ask with a preconceived conclusion: There is no conclusion. If you only like questions but not answers, you are not being honest with yourself.
Manalastas asserted that faith is almost ignorance, an “ugly, sickly substitute for thought,” a “suspension of disbelief.”
Manalastas does not realize that everyone, even nonbelievers, exercises faith every day.
For example, how does one know that his parents are really his parents? Does he remember his birth? DNA tests? We hope not.
He has trusted his parents for many years. He trusts them because they are real. He trusts them because what they say is reasonable. He also trusts those who have witnessed the facts.
It is the same with Christians.
We trust God and we trust Jesus Christ because they are real, and because what they tell us is reasonable. And we also trust those who witnessed the facts and passed them onto us.
Manalastas relies on people and books that convincingly transmit the facts. So even for him, it makes sense to believe.
It is reasonable to have faith.
The same applies to what we know about God. Faith and reason are two ways of getting to know God.
If God is who Christians claim he is ““ the source of all truth ““ then there cannot be any contradiction between faith and reason.
There are some truths that can be reached by reason alone (the existence of God), while others cannot (the mystery of the Holy Trinity).
But the key point is, they will never be contradictory.
We will not completely understand such mysteries, but neither will they insult our reason.
The fact that God cannot completely fit into our reason should be comforting. Otherwise, how could he be a superior being? Mystery is such a beautiful thing.
Mark Murata is a second-year undeclared student. Inigo Gallo is a graduate student at the Anderson School of Management.