'Don't give up on your quest for God,' says Singapore Cardinal

Cardinal William Goh Seng Chye, Archbishop of Singapore, says that no one should ever give up searching for God.

Recently, he participated in a heart-to-heart conversation about "I'm a Christian, Now What?" He said most people, especially the younger generation and intellectuals, tend to reduce faith to reason. 

“They need logical and scientific explanations to believe in God's existence. It is not wrong, of course, to seek rational proof. That is also part of our faith formation.”

According to him, faith and reason are not contradictory. Nevertheless, reason alone is insufficient and cannot bring one to faith. 

Faith requires reason, but trust transcends reason. Faith is therefore reasonable, but not reasoned. Reason establishes faith's credibility.

“We take human relationships as an analogy. Why do we fall in love with someone when there might be other, more eligible suitors? Even before entering marriage, we need to have some basic convictions that the relationship is authentic and that the person is sincere.”

“However, no one can prove for certain the other’s sincerity. Still, we must have reasons to believe in the person’s profession of love. The relationship grows, deepens, and strengthens over time, thereby ‘proving’ this love. The same applies to our relationship with God,” the Cardinal said. 

Faith also requires the grace of God, who is at work in all those who are open and sincere in trying to seek Him. 

“Don't give up on your quest for God. Continue to seek Him, but most importantly, ask for the gift of faith so that you may encounter Him in a way that transcends reason,” he said.