2007-03-22 08:29:46 · 18 answers · asked by phelps 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
In Christs time, anyone who wasn't jewish. Now, it's anyone who doesn't know or won't accept the word of God.
To us "mormons" people are saying it's anyone who isn't mormon. That isn't true. To us it's anyone who either hasn't heard of Christ, or isn't a believer in Christ, no matter what sect of Christianity you follow. You can be Catholic, protestant, whatever other sect of Christian and not be a gentile. Just to clear that up!!!!
2007-03-22 08:35:47 · answer #1 · answered by odd duck 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Both Jews and Mormons use the word. It is inherently offensive, because it caries unavoidable implications of assumption of superiority.
A worse word no longer used by emancipated Jews is "goyim".
The division of humanity into "us and them" is destructive and dangerous. When you dehumanize others by giving them a label, it becomes easier to murder them without any qualms. Thus, Americans in Vietnam learned to call the Vietnamese "gooks", In World War 1, the Germans were called "Huns." and we all know the sorry history of the way the "n" word was used in America.
The most offensive use of the word "gentile" is in the phrase "righteous gentile," which some Jews use with good intention but nevertheless patronizingly defining others by the way they treat Jews.
Both Jews and Mormons have a culture of defensiveness because they both endured persecution by the "others". Inevitably, they developed an "us versus them" mentality.
2007-03-22 15:42:12 · answer #2 · answered by fra59e 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
To a Jewish person such as myself, a Gentile is simply a person who is not Jewish. It is not a derogatory term in any way.
I noticed that a person above stated that "goy" is a derogatory term for a Christian; this is incorrect. "Goy" is the Hebrew word for "nation" (the plural is "goyim"); while some will incorrectly use it disparagingly, it has nothing to do with Christianity, and is effectively the Hebrew equivalent of the word Gentile. The Jewish people themselves are referred to as a "goy" - a nation - in the Torah when God promises Abraham that his descendants will be a "goy gadol" - a "great nation."
2007-03-22 15:36:52 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The word "gentile" means different things to differing people.
`Gentile' denotes a Christian as contrasted with a Jew; `goy' is a derogatory word for Christians used by Jews
A person who is not a member of one's own religion; used in this sense by Mormons and Hindus
A person who does not acknowledge your God
Belonging to or characteristic of non-Jewish peoples
2007-03-22 15:34:00 · answer #4 · answered by BARROWMAN 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
From my research, the Gentiles were the Romans.
2007-03-22 15:33:18 · answer #5 · answered by MoPleasure4U 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
One who is not of the Jewish faith or is of a non-Jewish nation.
A Christian.
Archaic. A pagan or heathen.
Mormon Church. A non-Mormon.
adj.
often Gentile Of or relating to a Gentile.
Of or relating to a gens, tribe, or people.
Grammar. Expressing national or local origins.
2007-03-22 15:32:53 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
Gentile refers to any person who is not Jewish.
2007-03-22 15:33:13 · answer #7 · answered by bumblecherry 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
It is a mistranslation of gentes, and gentes means nations, and it implies of Israel.
The word, in the orginal, refers to Jews that aren't present in Roman Judea at the time of Christ.
But Christians aren't interested in what the Bible actually says, just what they've been told it means.
2007-03-22 15:40:22 · answer #8 · answered by LabGrrl 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Non-Hebrew/Israelite
2007-03-22 15:32:10 · answer #9 · answered by Royal Racer Hell=Grave © 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Anyone who is not a Jew
2007-03-22 15:32:15 · answer #10 · answered by Bye Bye 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋