DR. PETER BOGHOSSIAN is a full-time faculty member in Portland State University’s philosophy department who is well known around campus for directly challenging his student’s faith-based beliefs. He’s also had his fair share of criticism for such recent public lectures as “Jesus, the Easter Bunny, and Other Delusions: Just Say No!” and “Faith as a Cognitive Sickness,” which drew hundreds of attendees.

MERCURY: You often speak out against faith, calling it a delusion and a cognitive sickness. How come?

PETER BOGHOSSIAN: Because enough is enough. A lot of people are sick and tired of being held hostage to the delusions of others, and I’m one of those people. I think that people are hungry for a frank, honest discussion about things—particularly about faith. To profess things you don’t know for certain, and then claim the reason for your justification is faith? That doesn’t contribute to the conversation. That’s the end of the conversation. . . .

. . . That is outside the bounds of reason. The only thing you can say is “go to the children’s table.” Those are the sorts of things that come up when we as a society don’t value critical rationality. . . .

. . . A colleague told me one of my talks offended him. I said, “Your offense means nothing to me.” Nor should it. If you want to provide reasons and evidence then you can sit at the adult table and we can talk about that. But just “I’m offended” carries no legitimacy. . . I think maybe part of the solution to making these cultural changes is to treat faith-based claims like racist claims. To stigmatize those claims. “That’s not cool, we don’t let that into the discussion.” It’s not about a right to believe—believe whatever you want. It’s about the truth or falsity of a belief and about a process that will lead you to the truth or not. Clutch your Bible? Sit at the children’s table.

. . . Not pretending to know things that you don’t know is a virtue.

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