Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

A little clarification help from the Jewish friends?

I see the term "gentile" and was wondering if this applies strictly to Christians or does it apply to others as well such as Buddhists, or pantheists, etc. What I'm wondering is whether or not it is accurate anymore to label myself as a "gentile". Thank you! :)

Update:

Does this include atheists too? And what exactly does "gentile" mean? Thanks again!

11 Answers

Relevance
  • 10 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    In modern usage, the word can refer to any non-Jew. However, it did originally refer to Christians.

    "As in the King James Bible, from the 17th century onward Gentile was most commonly used to refer to non-Jews. This was in the context of European Christian societies with a Jewish minority. For this reason 'Gentile' commonly meant persons brought up in the Christian faith, as opposed to the adherents of Judaism, and was not typically used to refer to non-Jews in non-Western cultures."

  • If you're not a Jewish individual, then you're a Gentile. It's pretty much an "A or not-A" situation :-)

    So... if you're a Buddhist or a pantheist or a Wiccan or a follower of some other faith, then you're a Gentile. It's not only for Christians; it's just saying "Joe/Jane isn't a member of the tribe."

    The only other group I know of that uses it is the Mormon church; they consider anyone who is not Mormon to be a "gentile."

    Dictionary.com explains its origins:

    "1350–1400; Middle English < Latin gentīlis, equivalent to gent-, stem of gēns gens + -īlis -ile"

    Edit: An atheist is *probably* a Gentile, but not always; there ARE Jews (people born of a Jewish mother) who are atheists. Unless they actually adopt some other religion, we don't consider them to be Gentiles; they ARE still members of the tribe.

  • Anonymous
    10 years ago

    "Gentile" is a term that applies to anyone who is not Jewish, in the same sense how Muslims refer to anyone who is not Muslim a Infidel. It is Latin for someone outside of a specific tribe. So Gentiles are Christians, Muslims, Hindus etc.

    This also includes Messianic's as gentiles as well.

    Cheers!

    Source(s): Jewish
  • Anonymous
    10 years ago

    A Gentile is a non-Jew plain and simple.

    yes this includes atheists as well if you are not a Jew then you are a gentile.

    I seriously do not understand why anyone is giving a thumbs down for this.

    Source(s): my husband is a Jew
  • How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
  • 5 years ago

    it is of course a foul component. besides the undeniable fact that, i'm definitely thunderstruck at your positioned up!!! i'm aghast!! Did you no longer examine the object you appropriate to???? do no longer you recognize what it reported interior the object??? It responded your question very of course. the entire experience of the object is that all of us in contact is very plenty worried relating to the incident; they say it might desire to no longer be omitted; they say that it can't be appeared on as an remoted incident. in case you certainly examine the object, you will possibly truthfully have found out that Jews from each component have expressed horror and outrage, by using fact burning of sacred texts or any e book, for that rely, merely is in no way suitable. by using fact intolerance isn't suitable. by using fact ignoring it is not suitable. you won't comprehend plenty relating to the history of Judaism, yet once you probably did, you will possibly comprehend that Jews, far and away extra effective than Christians, have lived out a trend of tolerance and non violent coexistence. This experience grow to be a antagonistic reaction by utilising some Yeshiva scholars to a pair Christians utilising a gimmick as a manipulation to objective to get Jews to transform. Such strikes are foul and disgusting, of direction, yet nonetheless burning of books grow to be evidently no longer suitable to maximum Jews whilst they grew to become conscious of it.

  • 10 years ago

    Anyone who isn't Jewish is considered a gentile.

  • Anonymous
    10 years ago

    Means cattle. How the jews and the Zion master sees all non jews in particular whites. Said with contemption.

    Used by racist Jewish supremesists against Christian whites. Used to strike anger within and start up wars (like when an angry white calls a black a "******"). When used, it means that you are lower than the scum at the bottom of a well.

  • 10 years ago

    If you're not Jewish, than you're a gentile.

  • Anonymous
    10 years ago

    If you don't breed "selectively" then you are gentile.

    Source(s): Why do all Jewish celebrities look like that?
  • Anonymous
    10 years ago

    If you are not Jew, you are gentile.

    If you are not Muslim, you are Infidel.

    If you are not Christian, you're going to hell.

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.