List of religious slurs
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.
Christians
Non-denominational
Term | Location of origin | Targeted demographic | Meaning origin and notes | References |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bible beater, Bible basher | North America | Pentecostals | A dysphemism for people who believe in the fundamentalist authority of the Bible, particularly those from a Pentecostal or fundamentalist denomination. 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. | |
Bible thumper | United States | Christian people | 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 most commonly used in English-speaking countries. | |
Cafeteria Christian | United States | Selection of Christian doctrines | 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. | |
Chuhra | Punjab, Pakistan | 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. | |
Fundie | United States | Christian fundamentalists | Shortening of fundamentalist. Usually used to mean a Christian fundamentalist. | |
God botherer | Australia | Christian people | Similar to Bible basher, a person who is very vocal about their religion and prayer. | |
Isai, Saai | Pakistan | Christian people | 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'. | |
Rice Christian, Rice bag | United Kingdom, India | Materially benefiting Christians
In India: Christians (especially those from the Kerala) |
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. |
Protestants
Term | Location of origin | Targeted demographic | Meaning origin and notes | References |
---|---|---|---|---|
Campbellite | United States | Followers of Church of Christ | 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. | |
Holy Roller | United States | Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians | Named after Church services involving rolling on the floor in an uncontrolled manner. | |
Hun | United Kingdom, Ireland | Christian Protestants, especially Glasgow Rangers supporters | Used by Irish republicans against Protestant unionists, especially by Glasgow Celtic supporters against those of Glasgow Rangers | |
Jaffa | United Kingdom | Christian Protestants | Named after a common orange-flavoured cake/biscuit in Ireland and UK. | |
Prod, Proddy | United Kingdom, Ireland | Christian Protestants | 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. | |
Orangie | Ireland | Ulster Protestants | Referring to the Orange Order | |
Russellite | United States | Jehovah's Witnesses | Jehovah's Witnesses, from American religious leader Charles Taze Russell. | |
Shaker | United States | Christian people | 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. | |
Soup-taker | Ireland | Christian who has sold out their beliefs | 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. |
Catholics
Term | Location of origin | Targeted demographic | Meaning origin and notes | References |
---|---|---|---|---|
Left-footer | United Kingdom | Roman Catholics | An informal phrase for a Roman Catholic particularly amongst the armed forces in the UK. | |
Fenian | United Kingdom | Irish Catholics | A term which was originally used to refer to the Fenian Brotherhood and the Irish Republican Brotherhood, organizations which supported a united Ireland. Today the term is used as a sectarian slur by Protestants, especially in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Australia. | |
Mackerel Snapper | North America | Roman Catholics | 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. | |
Mick | United Kingdom | Irish Catholic | Usually an Irish Catholic (a reference to the common "Mc" patronymic of Irish surnames, or a hypocorism of Michael). | |
Papist | Northern Ireland, North America | Roman Catholic | Usually Irish Catholic; online often used generically for any Catholic. | |
Red letter tribe | North America | Roman Catholics | A name given to Catholics for their keeping so many holy days marked in their almanacks with red letters. | |
Redneck | Ireland | Roman Catholics | Roman Catholic person, now considered archaic due to its association with the better known American term. | |
Roman Catholic | England | Roman Catholics | Term brought into use by adherents of the Church of England in regard to Branch Theory as well as distaste to the Catholic Church's association with the term Catholic. | |
Romanist | England | Roman Catholics | Term as used when anti-Catholicism was more common in the United States as well as in Northern Ireland by Ulster Protestants | |
Shaveling | Unknown | Roman Catholics | Usually disparaging: a tonsured clergyman, priest. | |
Taig | Northern Ireland | Irish Catholics | From tadhg, Irish for "Timothy". |
Latter Day Saint movement
Term | Location of origin | Targeted demographic | Meaning origin and notes | References |
---|---|---|---|---|
Molly Mormon | United States | Latter Day Saint | Term for the stereotype of a "perfect" female member of LDS Church. | |
Peter Priesthood | United States | Latter Day Saint | Term for the stereotype of a "perfect" male member of LDS Church. | |
Jack Mormon | United States | Latter Day Saint | 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. |
Jews
Term | Location of origin | Targeted demographic | Meaning, origin and notes | References |
---|---|---|---|---|
Abbie, Abie | North America | Jewish male | A Jewish male. From the proper name Abraham. Originated before the 1950s. | |
Christ-killer | Jews | In reference to Jewish deicide. | ||
Feuj (verlan for juif) | France | Jews | A corruption of the French word for Jewish, juif. Originating from the French argot Verlan. | |
Heeb, Hebe | United States | Jews | Derived from the word Hebrew. | |
Hymie | United States | Jews | Derived from the Hebrew Chaim ('life'). Also used in the term Hymietown, a nickname for Brooklyn, New York, and as a first name. | |
Ikey, Ike | United States | Jews | Derived from Isaac, an important figure in Judaism and common Hebrew given name. | |
Itzig | Nazi Germany | Jews | 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. | |
Jewboy | United States | Young Jewish boys | For a young Jewish male, originally young Jewish boys who sold counterfeit coins in 18th century London. | |
Jidan | Romania | Jews | From jid, Romanian equivalent of yid. | |
Kike | United States | Jews | 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. | |
Mocky | United States | Jews | First used in the 1930s, possibly from the Yiddish word makeh meaning 'plague'. | |
Red Sea pedestrian | Australia | Jews | A Jew, from the story of Moses leading the Jewish people out of Egypt in the Book of Exodus. | |
Rootless cosmopolitan (Russian: безродный космополит) |
Russia | Jews | Soviet epithet as an accusation of lack of full allegiance to the Soviet Union. | |
Sheeny | Europe | Jews | From Yiddish sheyn or German schön meaning 'beautiful'. | |
Shylock | England | Jews | Jewish people as shrewd and money-loving; derived from the character in Shakespeare's play "Merchant of Venice". | |
Yid | Europe | Jews | Yiddish word for 'Jew'. | |
Zhyd | Russia | Jews | 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. |
Muslims
Term | Location of origin | Targeted demographic | Meaning origin and notes | References |
---|---|---|---|---|
Abdul, Abdool | India | Muslims | Derives from the common Muslim name Abdul. | |
Chuslim | India | Muslims | Portmanteau of the words Chutiya+Muslim, chutiya being a common swear word in Hindi/Urdu. | |
Jihadi | India | Muslims, especially fundamentalists | Derives from jihad. | |
Kadrun | Indonesia | Islamic fundamentalists and reactionaries | 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. | |
Kala | Myanmar | Rohingya Muslims | Term meaning 'black' in various Indo-Aryan languages, referring to the dark skin colour of South Asians. Term originally used to mean 'foreigner', especially one from South Asia, but more recently used as a slur against Rohingyas due to their perceived Bangladeshi origin, and occasionally against Muslims in general. | |
Katwa, Katwe, Katuve, Katua, K2a, K2o, k2wa, kto | India | Muslim men | Derives from the Hindi/Urdu for 'cut' referring to circumcision, a common practice among Muslim men. | |
Muzzie | Australia | Muslims | A shortened version of the word Muslim. | |
Mulla, Mullah, Katmulle, Sulla, Bulla | India | Muslims | Derives from mullah, a common title for Islamic religious scholars. | |
Miya | India (Assam) | Bengali Muslims | Derives from the honorific Mian. | |
Namazi, Namaji, Andhnamazi | India | religious Muslims | Derives from namaz, the Persian word for obligatory daily prayers usually used instead of salah in the Indian subcontinent. | |
Peaceful, peacefools, pissful | India | Muslims | Derives from the common statement that Islam is a "religion of peace". Sometimes the Hindi equivalent 'Shantidoot' is used. | |
Osama | North America | Islamic men | From Osama bin Laden. | |
Qadiani | Pakistan | Ahmadiyya | 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. | |
Rafida, Rawafid | Arab peninsula | Shīʿi Muslims (regardless of race) | 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". | |
Raghead | North America | Islamic turban wearers | From Islamic wearing of turbans. | |
Safavid | Iraq | Feyli Kurds | Mainly used by higher class Sunni Arabs during Ba'athist Iraq to insult Feyli Kurds for their belief in Shia Islam | |
Terrorist | United States | Muslims | Used by radical anti-Islamists, due to anti-Muslim sentiments following September 11 attacks and subsequently ISIS attacks. | |
Arabush / Aravush (ערבוש) | Israel | Muslims and Palestinians | Used by Israeli people, derived from Hebrew "Aravi" (Arab). | |
Palestinazim
(פלסטינאצים) |
Israel | Palestinians | Used by Israeli people, a combination of Palestinian and Nazi |
Hindus
Term | Location of origin | Targeted demographic | Meaning origin and notes | References |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cow piss drinker, piss drinker | Western countries | Hindus | Referring to the practice of drinking gomutra, or cow urine, as a folk medicine advocated by some Hindu groups. | |
Dothead | Western countries | Hindus, especially women | 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. | |
Malaun | Bangladesh | Hindus, especially those from Bangladesh | Derived from Bengali মালাউন (maalaaun), which in turn was derived from Arabic ملعون (mal'un), which means 'cursed' or deprived from God's mercy. | |
Pajeet | Western Countries | Indian Hindus | Derived from 'paji' a word for brother in Punjabi and 'jeet' which means conqueror in Sanskrit. Originated from the meme “Pajeet, my son”, which circulated on the 4chan message boards /int/ and /pol/ in late 2013 and early 2015, mocking Indian Hindus for the open-defecation problem. The term has since acquired wider online usage. |
Sikhs
Term | Location of origin | Targeted demographic | Meaning origin and notes | References |
---|---|---|---|---|
Raghead, Towelhead | North America | Sikh turban wearers | In reference to Sikh headgear (usually turbans), often used in the belief that Sikhs are connected to terrorism. Also used against anyone wearing turbans or keffiyehs. |
Scientologists
Term | Location of
origin |
Targeted
demographic |
Meaning origin and notes | References |
---|---|---|---|---|
Clam | United States | Scientologists | Referring to a passage about clam engrams in L. Ron Hubbard's 1952 book, What To Audit, later renamed Scientology: A History of Man. |
General non-believers
- Giaour
- 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.
- Heathen
- A person who does not belong to a widely held religion (especially one who is not a Christian, Jewish, or Muslim) as regarded by those who do.
- Infidel
- A term used generally for non-believers.
- Kafir
- A person who is a non believer. Used by some Muslims. Not to be confused with the South-African slur Kaffir.
- Murtad
- A word meaning people who left Islam, mainly critics of Islam.
- Pagan
- A person who holds religious beliefs that differ from main world religions. Synonymous with heathen.
- Shiksa (female), shegetz (male)
- (Yiddish) A non-Jewish girl or boy or one who is of Jewish descent, but does not practice Orthodox Judaism. Also used to refer to non-Jews.
Religious practitioners in general
- Cult, cultist
- Used as an ad hominem attack against groups with differing doctrines or practices.