Science does not need friends like Nathan Bond

He calls himself Nathan Bond. His “friends” – nowadays ex-friends – know him as Drewan Baird, a “businessman” from Oudtshoorn. His attacks on anything that smells like religion on the Kletskerk website and discussion forum have by now become infamous.  

As Nathan Bond, Baird is the publisher of Tart Remarks, an e-newsletter standing for Theological Anti-Retroviral Therapy (TART). In this he castigates the naive, the uncritical in society, those who accept the word of the Bible, the Koran, their minister/mullah/priest/etc as the final interpretation of what will happen to all of us once we die.  

Bond (Baird) uses the slogan Religion. Respect? Ridicule!

And it is a well chosen reflection of his style of dealing with religious believers. He is sharp, eloquent, well-read, and very much a thorn in the flesh of the faithful Christians, Muslims and other religiously naive followers of the unproven gods preached by the monotheistic religions.  

But is Bond real? Why hide behind the mask of a pseudonym?  Thanks to good friends I have recently become aware that Bond was using my name and that of Dr. Ben du Toit, communications director of the Western and Southern Cape Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church and winner of the Andrew Murray Prize for Religious Books a few years ago, to try to raise money for some vague institute to fight ignorance. Without my and Du Toit’s knowledge.  

What I have learnt since then, is that Bond/Baird is a person who acts holy in the name of scepticism but who is defrauding other people of their money. On 23 November 2002 the following report appeared in Die Burger:

Man eers vry ná getuie wegbly

KAAPSTAD. — ‘n Man van Oudtshoorn wat na bewering bedrog van meer as R1 miljoen in Kaapstad gepleeg het, is gister voorwaardelik in die landdroshof hier vrygespreek nadat staatsgetuies die soveelste keer nie vir die hofverrigtinge opgedaag het nie. Landdros Derek Winters het die saak teen mnr. Drewan Dwight Baird (42), wat twee B.A.-grade in teologie en sake-administrasie het, voorwaardelik teruggetrek nadat hy die staat se versoek om verdere uitstel geweier het. Die getuies is volgens Winters nooit gedagvaar om hofverrigtinge by te woon sedert die saak verlede jaar begin het.Volgens mnr. Sindile Gocini, die staatsaanklaer, is verskeie aanklagte teen Baird ondersoek. — (Llewellyn Prince)

Since then Bond has run away with the money of an unsuspected woman after he conned her out of more than R50 000. Read the whole saga at http://www.kletskerk.co.za/viewtopic.php?t=4619.

He has also raised funds for a book, Suffer the little children, which has not been published, and, I believe, will never be published, the money long gone.

Well, let me be honest: I was also fooled by the charm and eloquence of Bond. In a world where atheists and agnostics are scarce, it is easy to listen to people like Bond/Baird. His arguments against the influence of religion are mostly sound, although I feel they are far too vehement and personal in aggression against people who choose to believe in some god and/or everlasting life.

After many personal stories some of my friends, who also had a run-in with Bond/Baird, told me, I take this opportunity to warn people against him. My problem with Bond/Baird is that while he is castigating religious people for their dishonesty, naivety and basic ignorance, he is manipulating and defrauding innocent people, using their names to enrich himself.

While atheists are attacked and told, wrongly and without scientific basis, that society is better off with the moral example set by religious believers, Bond/Baird sits on his holy throne judging these people – with his record of deceit and abusing other people’s  confidence.

It’s a sad day for scepticism, atheism and agnosticism when the Nathan Bonds of the world are let loose upon the religious. It’s time Baird stops his TART Remarks newsletter. He has zero credibility left to comment on anything.

Be careful of this man. He will part you and your money.

Now I understand why he hides behind the pseudonym of Nathan Bond, why he did not want me to thank him as Drewan Baird in the Preface to my book, Geloof, Bygeloof en Ander Wensdenkery: Perspektiewe op Ontdekkings en Irrasionaliteite (Protea Boekhuis). He was afraid all the people who only know him as skelm Drewan Baird, will recognise him!

Religion. Respect? Ridicule!(?)

No, let’s rephrase it rather:

Nathan Bond. Respect? Ridicule!