Googling the definition of 'atheist' i got: "a person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods."

From there, a lack of belief don't seem to be an assertion. Although i agree that to assert there is none is not a position a person can make an informed declaration of.

But ya gotta understand how it sounds to a non-religious person to hear 'until Jesus Christ destroys it at Armageddon.' Just think of how it would sound for another person to say the same sort of thing about their religion's Armageddon being the only way out of these tough times. Just gotta do some extrapolation.