List of Religious Slurs

The following is a list of religious slurs that are, or have been, used as insinuations or allegations about adherents of a given religion or to refer to them in a derogatory (critical or disrespectful), pejorative (disapproving or contemptuous), or insulting manner.

Bible basher

(UK, Australia & New Zealand) a Protestant, particularly one from a Pentecostal or fundamentalist denomination, who believes in the fundamentalist authority of the Bible; also commonly used universally against Christians who are perceived to go out of their way to force their faith upon others.

Bible thumper

(U.S.) someone perceived as aggressively imposing their Christian beliefs upon others. The term derives from preachers thumping their hands down on the Bible 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.

Christ Stain

a Christian.

Clam, clamhead

a Scientologist, referring to a passage about clam engrams in L. Ron Hubbard's 1952 book, What To Audit, later renamed The History Of Man.

Gerudo

a Muslim female. Probably formed from the name of the Gerudo people, a fantasy race created in the Legend of Zelda series.

Giaour

(Turkey) a non-Muslim, especially a Christian.

Holy Roller

(US) a ritualistic Protestant prone to rolling on the floor, suffering from fits or "speaking in tongues" (Pentecostals during worship or prayer). The term holy roller, however, is applied to some Evangelical Protestants, especially charismatics, if they are vocal about their own religious views or critical of individuals who do not meet their moral standards. Similar to Bible thumper.

Jack Mormon

(Western U.S.) either a non-faithful LDS person or a non-Mormon altogether.

Mackerel Snapper or Mackerel Snapper,

a Roman Catholic; 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) distinguished Catholics from other Christians, especially in North America.

Marrano

(Spain) a Jewish convert to Christianity, usually for social and not spiritual reasons; derives from the Inquisition; today, can refer to a Jew who marries a Catholic. Marrano is also a Latin American slang term for "dirty pig" or swine.

Orangie

(Ireland/UK) a pro-British Ulster Protestant, referring to supporters of the Orange Order.

Papist

(Northern Ireland and Scottish Protestants) a Roman Catholic person — usually Irish Catholic.

Prod, proddy dog

(AUS Catholics (particularly school kids)) a Protestant, particularly a rival kid from a Protestant school. "Proddywhoddy" and "proddywoddy" are used in children's school rhymes in Cork.

Russellite

a Jehovah's Witness, from American religious leader Charles Taze Russell.

Soup-taker

(Ireland) a person who has sold out their beliefs, referring to the Irish Potato famine when some Catholics converted to a Protestant faith in order to gain access to a free meal.

Spike

a very High Church Anglican or Anglo-Catholic.

Taig

(Northern Ireland Protestants) a Catholic; from tadhg, Irish for "Timothy."