Ed Brayton and I had some contentious disagreements back in the day, but we managed to put all that behind us and set up the Freethoughtblogs network with a mutual understanding that we needed something beyond the atheist movement, some kind of organization that would support diversity and social justice and not just tearing down religion. He named the network - we agreed that we didn't want "atheist" anywhere in our label, even if we were effectively an atheist group, because even then the word was getting tainted - and he and I together made the initial investment in the site. We owe a lot to Ed.
Unfortunately, he's also suffered from serious health problems over the years, and left the network he built to run a blog on Patheos. This was an amicable decision with zero drama behind the scenes or in front of it - he just decided that he couldn't cope with the day-to-day chores of management, and just wanted a space where he could write with no pressure.
His health has worsened. He's been in and out of hospitals for a while. People have been asking me how he's doing, since his postings have become intermittent, and I don't know either! Unfortunately, he just posted this to Facebook:
I'm giving up and calling in hospice. I just can't do this anymore. To those who know me in real life I love you and I'm sorry. I did my best.
He always has done his best, and he will be missed.
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