About my title

I declared myself to be the Atheist Messiah in May of 1999. I saw in my dictionary that the word "messiah" could mean "any leader and liberator of any oppressed people", and the word "oppress" means "to treat with unjust harshness or to cause to feel mentally or spiritually burdened". I recognized that atheists were hiding in closets afraid to speak out that they did not believe. I knew that individuals who do believe are oppressed and harmed by their religion. So I coined the term "atheist messiah" and stepped into the roll. Note that I am not claiming to be a deity.

Since then other people have taken a liking to the shock value of the term and are using it to describe other well known, outspoken antitheists such as Richard Dawkins, James Randi, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens. I'm sure these people don't even want the title. There are certainly many others that deserve the title more than I for getting the word out that religions are both false and harmful. I suppose there can be more than one atheist messiah, but at least I was first to use the term and to try to live up to it.

Why the term "Supreme Antitheist"

In order to deserve the title "Atheist Messiah" one would also have to be a very effective outspoken antitheist--so effective that the effort would be called supreme. The word "antitheist" is used rather than "atheist" because it would not be enough for an atheist messiah to be a passive atheist. An antitheist is one who opposes theology. A "supreme antitheist" would therefore be one who opposes theology so supremely that numbers of theists are reduced substantially.

What's an "Ambassador of Reason"

An "ambassador" is "a person who acts as a representative or promoter of a specified activity". In this case the specified activity is the promotion of reason. The word "reason" is used here to mean "the power of the mind to think, understand, and form judgments by a process of logic". If believers used reason they would no longer believe. For example, how can a father ghost create a son in flesh for the purpose of being sacrificed, and still have him considered to be his only son? Let's not go there.

About the term "Destroyer of Faith"

"Faith" in the context of the title refers to "religious faith" with the meaning "strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof". So in this case the act of "destroying" is a good thing. As you may already have surmised, I make heavy use of the shock element. Deeply religious people need to be shocked so that they are forced to think for themselves a little. A destroyer is something that has enough power to destroy. I have "faith" that I will succeed at being the Atheist Messiah--but, this is not religious faith--it is with the meaning "complete trust or confidence in someone or something".

Why I also have to be a "Spiritual Reality Therapist"

People that rely on religious faith to guide themselves through life need therapy. They are not living their life consistent with reality and this could have disasterous effects. They are living their life with a spiritual entity that shares control of their lives. They need to be convinced that "ghosts" are not really "hosts" of once living spirits--only in literature and our imaginations.

Also, therapy may be required for those who suddenly find themselves left without a God after they have lost their house and family during a tornado.

Recent and Previous Articles by Darwin Bedford

Email: darwin@atheists.net