The term "Mormon" used as an invective or slur

The catch-all forum for general topics and debates. Minimal moderation. Rated PG to PG-13.
Post Reply
_Mercury
_Emeritus
Posts: 5545
Joined: Tue Oct 24, 2006 2:14 pm

The term "Mormon" used as an invective or slur

Post by _Mercury »

What if I were to call a non-mormon who is familiar with the church a Mormon or any other slur, racial or class based invective. What would one imply by calling another "Mormon"?
If one were to insult another by implying that they act as a Mormon...what would that mean?

- One who practices polygamy?
- A goody-goody
- Gullible
- family

Each one of these characteristics are stereotypes the non Mormon associates with Mormonism.

This is a thought experiment, nothing more.
And crawling on the planet's face
Some insects called the human race
Lost in time
And lost in space...and meaning
_barrelomonkeys
_Emeritus
Posts: 3004
Joined: Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:00 pm

Re: The term "Mormon" used as an invective or slur

Post by _barrelomonkeys »

Mercury wrote:What if I were to call a non-mormon who is familiar with the church a Mormon or any other slur, racial or class based invective. What would one imply by calling another "Mormon"?
If one were to insult another by implying that they act as a Mormon...what would that mean?

- One who practices polygamy?
- A goody-goody
- Gullible
- family

Each one of these characteristics are stereotypes the non Mormon associates with Mormonism.

This is a thought experiment, nothing more.


I actually never attributed polygamy as a characteristic when I thought of LDS. Never did. Perhaps I just didn't know enough about Joseph Smith or the history of LDS, but it never was a thought for me.

I did think goody-goody which was juxtaposed against a hellion I knew when I was a teenager. So, my thought always was that there was repression from her parents and her wildcat ways that were even a bit much for me. :)

The only thing I knew about LDS is that they had dances (went to one with my friend), didn't like some pop-culture, they didn't drink coffee or smoke, that they believed in prophets, and that there was a great deal of charitable works that they were involved in.

Anyway, I try not to use the term "Mormon" because apparently LDS don't like that term. Sometimes I do when I'm not thinking about what my fingers are typing.

Did I miss your point? Probably so. :)
_Mercury
_Emeritus
Posts: 5545
Joined: Tue Oct 24, 2006 2:14 pm

Re: The term "Mormon" used as an invective or slur

Post by _Mercury »

barrelomonkeys wrote:Did I miss your point? Probably so. :)


Nope, fairly close. to call someone a "Mormon" if used as an invective would be very selective I think. Like calling someone Amish or (with apologies to my mom) Jewish.
And crawling on the planet's face
Some insects called the human race
Lost in time
And lost in space...and meaning
_harmony
_Emeritus
Posts: 18195
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:35 am

Post by _harmony »

Many terms have a nasty side to them.

Call someone a Jew, and it's usually a smear about money and greed. Call someone a Greaser and it's a smear against their ethnicity (and by extension, their diet). Call someone a Mormon and in my community, at least, it's an arrogant overachiever with a snotty attitude about how great they are.
Post Reply