Cockermouth, Hooker, Morehead and Climax

Some towns have names that come with an explanation. For instance, the outskirts of Hooker Oklahoma says; “Welcome to Hooker. It’s a place, not a profession”. Others just let it ride, but if your from Bumpass, Virginia, you know the history came from the French “bon pas” meaning good step. It evolved over time to what it is today. Throw in some slang and accent, and you can kind of picture the process.

Cockermouth, England is famous today for sheep and the annual woolfest. The name comes from being at the mouth of the Cocker river. It’s an ancient market town with a name that can, in today’s slang, raise an eyebrow, especially if it were in Montana. Baaa!

Most towns are just towns and don’t need much explaining when you pass through. Religion, on the other hand, has a lot of explaining to do—It has to. Virtually every verse, every catch phrase, and every doctrine has to be explained ad nauseum in order to understand – relinquish accept the obvious pitfalls in the story. From the Red Sea to the shining star in the east, or the contradictions of all points in between, nothing in reality matches the stories. It has to be propped up on every single point.

If only one part of it were true, I think most of us would give another serious inquiry. But reality doesn’t match with even one. Morehead and Climax and Cummings may have strange names in today’s language, but they are real places with real history, but you only have to explain it once. So, next time you’re in Morehead, stop at the booth for a Dickens’ cider. At least you may get a chuckle, which is more than you’ll get from religion. And yes, I went there, but I’ve never been there.

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