The following is a list of religious slurs or religious insults in the English language that are, or have been, used as insinuations or allegations about adherents or non-believers of a given religion or irreligion, or to refer to them in a derogatory (critical or disrespectful), pejorative (disapproving or contemptuous), or insulting manner.
A dysphemism for people who believe in the fundamentalist authority of the Bible, particularly those from a Pentecostal or fundamentalist denomination.[1] It is also a slang term for an evangelising Christian. Commonly used universally against Christians who are perceived to go out of their way to energetically preach their faith to others.
Someone perceived as aggressively imposing their Christian beliefs upon others. The term derives from preachers thumping their hands down on the Bible, or thumping the Bible itself, to emphasize a point during a sermon. The term's target domain is broad and can often extend to anyone engaged in a public show of religion, fundamentalist or not. The term is frequently used in English-speaking countries.
Used by some Christians, and others, to accuse other Christian individuals or denominations of selecting which Christian doctrines they will follow, and which they will not.
Lower-class Christians and menial workers; later used against Christians in general. Also used against Pakistani Hindu people.
Derived from the name of the Chuhra caste, historically a Dalit caste whose traditional occupation was sweeping and cleaning. Most Christians in Punjab are from this community, and still they are the majority of street sweepers in Punjab province. The term became an abuse for all Christians.
From Isa, the name of Jesus Christ from the Qur'an as a prophet of Islam. The term literally means '[person/people] of Jesus', but it later meant 'street sweeper' or 'labourer'.
In India: Christians (especially lower caste converts)
Someone who has formally declared themself a Christian for material benefits rather than for religious reasons. In India, the term has been extended to refer to any Christian convert.
Followers of the Church of Christ, from American Restoration Movement leaders Thomas Campbell and Alexander Campbell, the latter being one of two key people considered the founders of the movement.
Particularly used by bullies to disparage a child who attends a Protestant school. Proddywhoddy and proddywoddy are used in children's school rhymes in Cork.
Member of the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing. Originated as "Shaking Quakers", in reference to their similarity to Quakers as well as their charismatic worship practices, which involved dancing, shouting, and speaking in tongues. The term was originally derogatory, but very early on was embraced and used by the Shakers themselves.
Person who has sold out their beliefs, referring to the Great Famine of Ireland when some Catholics converted to a Protestant faith in order to gain access to a free meal.
An informal phrase for a Roman Catholic, particularly in the armed forces. Derived from a belief that Irish laborers kick their shovels into the ground with their left foot.
The term originated in the U.S. in the 1850s and refers to the custom of Friday abstinence. The Friday abstinence from meat (red meat and poultry) distinguishes Catholics from other Christians, especially in North America.
The term is named after Jacob Baradeus who liberated the Oriental Orthodox from persecution in the mid-6th century. This title is rejected by the Syriac Orthodox as it assumes that the Church had been started by Jacob.
A non-faithful LDS person or a non-Mormon altogether. Jack Mormon is usually used by non-Mormons to describe Mormons that do not follow the Word of Wisdom (dietary and health practices that exclude the use of tobacco or alcohol) and by Mormons to describe members that do not sufficiently follow practices. It is also used by Mormons to describe those who were Mormon but remain friendly to the church. It may be applied to ex-Mormons who have repudiated the church and its teachings but that is a rare usage.
From Yiddish איציק (itsik), a variant or pet form of the name Isaak (alternatively Isaac). The Nazis before World War II (but after taking power in 1933–1934) started persecution and imprisonment of Jews before escalating to genocide, resulting in the Holocaust.
Possibly from the Yiddish word for 'circle', kikel, It was suggested by Leo Rosten that the term originates from Jews who entered the United States at Ellis Island signed their names with a circle instead of a cross because they associated the cross with Christianity.
From Russian and other Slavic languages, originally neutral, but became pejorative during debate over the Jewish question in the 1800s. Its use was banned by the Soviet authorities in the 1930s.
Portmanteau of kadal gurun meaning 'desert lizard'. Originated as a social media political insult, the term is used for closed-minded Muslims influenced by Islamic extremism and fundamentalism from the Middle East.
Term meaning 'black' in various Indo-Aryan languages, referring to the dark skin colour of South Asian Muslims. The term originally was targeted at all Muslims of South Asia, but more recently is used as a slur directly against Rohingyas due to their perceived Bangladeshi origin.
The term originates from Qadian, a small town in present-day Indian Punjab, the birthplace of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement. The use of Qadiani is primarily in Pakistan. The term has even been used in official Pakistani documents. It is also known as the Q-word.
Term originally denoting extremist Shīʿites who reject (rafḍ) the caliphates of Abu Bakr and ʿUmar; often employed by critics as a slur against those Shīʿi Muslims who do not criticize the first three Caliphs, but only believe in "Alī’s right to the caliphate over Muʿāwiyah".
Referring to the practice of applying bindis, a dot-like marking used by married women. Also the namesake of a terrorist group from New Jersey that murdered Indians known as the Dotbusters.
In reference to the famous Punjabi beverage Lassi which is a term used to denigrate Sikhs and Punjabis in general. This slur is mostly used by people from the Bihar region
Used against people practicing any indigenous African religions to imply they are fraudulent and dangerous, with racialized connotations of curses and primitive superstitions. Used to justify Afrophobic legislation.
Used against practicioners of Obeah as well as people who receive services from Obeah priests. Connotation of being fraudulent, deceptive, vengeful, and uncivilized. Originally used by colonial authorities to suppress slave rebellions that were organized by Obeah spiritual leaders. Laws still exist in Jamaica criminalizing Obeah.
Word for a person who is not Muslim, but especially for a Christian. Adapted from the Turkish gâvur. In the Ottoman Empire, it was usually applied to Orthodox Christians.[93][94]
A member of a people the speaker regards as primitive and uncivilized. The term has also been applied to non-adherents of Christianity.[101][102]
Shiksa (female), shegetz (male)
(Yiddish) A non-Jewish girl (generally still single) or boy, or one who is of Jewish descent but does not practise Orthodox Judaism.[103][104] Primarily used to refer to non-Jews. See also "goy".
^Gilbert, Robert E. (1 October 2008). "Ronald Reagan's Presidency: The Impact of an Alcoholic Parent". Political Psychology. 29 (5): 737–765. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9221.2008.00662.x.
^Odermann, Valerian (February 2002). "Pass it on: Encouraging the heart". The American Monastic Newsletter. 32 (1). Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2018. Yet a danger does still remain. It is the danger of "cafeteria Christianity," which lets people mix and match traditions any way they want, without discipline and without accountability. Unless we transcend cafeteria Christianity, our practices will be more sarabaite or gyrovague than Benedictine. - "Archbishop calls on Costa Ricans to abandon "cafeteria Christianity" and defend life". San Jose: Catholic News Agency. 29 March 2005. Archbishop Hugo Barrantes Urena of San Jose, Costa Rica, told Costa Ricans in his Easter message to embrace the faith without conditions or short-cuts and to defend the life of the unborn against efforts to legalize abortion. The archbishop warned that "based on a relativistic understanding of the Christian faith and a conditional adherence to the Church, some Catholics seek to construct a Christianity and, consequently, a Church to their own liking, unilateral and outside the identity and mission that Jesus Christ has fundamentally given us."
^The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary describes the term as "sometimes offensive". Merriam-Webster, I. (2003). Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary. (Eleventh ed.). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc. Entry on "Cambellite."
^"Russellite - Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias". enacademic.com. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015. Russellite /rus"euh luyt'/, n. Offensive. a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses. [1875-80, Amer.; after C. T. Russell; see -ITE1]
^"russellite - Useful English Dictionary". enacademic.com. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015. russellite ˈrəsəˌlīt noun (-s) Usage: usually capitalized Etymology: Charles Taze Russell died 1916 American religious leader + English -ite : one of the Jehovah's Witnesses — often taken to be offensive
^Pollock, Frederick; Stone, Arthur Paul, eds. (1902). "Wise v Dunning 1901 KB 169". The Law Reports. 1902. Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. At the meeting the appellant called Roman Catholics "rednecks," a name most insulting to them, and challenged them to get up.{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |people= ignored (help)
^Encyclopedia of Swearing: Social History of Oaths, Profanity, Foul Language, and Ethnic Slurs in the English Speaking World/ Geoffrey Hughes. Armonk, N.Y. : M.E. Sharpe, c2006
^Stevenson, Angus (2010). Oxford Dictionary of English. Oxford University Press. p. 1137. ISBN9780199571123. Archived from the original on 13 February 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015. ORIGIN 1930S: perhaps from Yiddish makeh, 'a plague'.
^"English contemporary dictionary - Mocky". enacademic.com. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015. mocky adj. (Offensive slang) Jewish, of or pertaining to the Jewish religion or race in a derogatory manner
^Rothman, Lily (17 September 2014). "When Did 'Shylock' Become a Slur?". time.com. TIME Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015. The word "shylock," [...] is an eponym from a Jewish character in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. [...] Today, "shylock" is considered an antisemitic slur.
^Compare: T.L. Brink (2008) Psychology: A Student Friendly Approach. "Unit 13: Social Psychology". pp 320 [2]Archived 26 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine - "Cult is a somewhat derogatory term for a new religious movement, especially one with unusual theological doctrine or one that is abusive of its membership."