Farewell to Joseph Hinman

It is with sadness and regret that I pass along news that my blog-brother Joseph Hinman (aka Metacrock) has passed away. He was not only one of the founding members of the Christian CADRE, but the unifier, the recruiter, the one who saw the potential for what we could be and brought us together. The CADRE was originally a group of Christians posting on religious-and-atheist discussion boards, sharing camaraderie and tips for working to spread faith on some boards that had been, previously, dominated by New Atheists (plus on some boards, one intensely polemical anti-Christian Jewish fellow). This was back in the days when major magazines had staff writers who prided themselves on increasing the intensity of their attacks on Christianity with each passing year, and major movie studios would coordinate anti-Christian pieces for public release to coincide with Christmas or the Resurrection. 

The CADRE formed late in the 1990's, seems like it was around 1998 or 1999. Though I left the CADRE back in 2005, I remember the CADRE days fondly as a formative time for both my ability to communicate my faith and my proficiency in addressing questions -- even trick questions / loaded questions -- in ways that could communicate God's grace. The CADRE'S work on message boards did see several active mockers come to faith, causing some shockwaves on those boards, and Joe was the one who organized and unified the CADRE. 

Not only was he dyslexic, but he had struggled for many years with poor health in his adult life, and had survived his twin brother by a number of years. Despite those challenges he ran several websites, published 2 books, and was continually looking for fresh ways to explain to scientific skeptics how the facts as he saw them did provide a rational warrant for belief. 

Joe, thank you for the friendship over the years, and for the joy and fellowship of working with you side-by-side for many years. I remember when your father and my father died within a few days of each other, and we shared a moment that they were meeting each other on the other side. Tell them Hi for me, and save me a seat! 

News was received through BK, another of the original CADRE members, via a post at the CADRE website.