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Kingston upon Hull, UK: Hull (word play on Hell) on EarthMoss Side, Manchester, UK: Baby Beirut (refers to Lebanon)Stevenage, UK: Silkingrad (Soviet reference)Sheffield, UK: People’s Republic of South Yorkshire (Soviet reference)USCalifornia: Land of fruits and nuts (referring to its denizens as such, meaning "homosexual" and "mentally ill")Berkeley: The People's Republic of BerkeleyDavis: People's Republic of DavisSanta Monica: People's Republic of Santa MonicaBoulder, Colorado: The People's Republic of BoulderChicago, Illinois: Beirut by the Lake, Chiberia, Chi-raqTakoma Park, Maryland: The People's Republic of Takoma ParkCambridge, Massachusetts: The People's Republic of CambridgeDetroit, Michigan: Somalia in the snowUtica, New York: The City That God ForgotPortland, Oregon: Little BeirutHouston, Texas: Baghdad on the BayouBurlington, Vermont: The People's Republic of BurlingtonSpokane, Washington state: SpokanistanGod's Own Country, is a phrase meaning an area, region or country supposedly favored by God, that was first used to describe the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland, and has subsequently been used to refer to various places, including Yorkshire.The expression was first used to describe the Wicklow Mountains of Ireland by the Georgian British writer Edward du Bois, writing under the pseudonym "A Knight Errant" in 1807.Kerala is a state in south India; the phrase was adopted by the tourism department of the state's government in the 1980s. Kerala is famous for its Ayurvedic treatments, high mountains, gorges, and deep-cut valleys, lush and evergreen rain forests, coconut palms, backwaters, and food items. According to Hindu mythology, Kerala was created by Lord Parashurama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu by throwing his axe across the sea to create new land for his devotees to live peacefully, hence the expression.When used in reference to England, "God's own country" refers to the legend that as a boy Jesus of Nazareth visited England with his great uncle, Joseph of Arimathea. The event itself inspiring the musical prelude to William Blake's "Milton", the piece And did those feet in ancient time also known as 'Jerusalem' which has become an unofficial anthem of England. The poem asks did Jesus visit England in ancient times, and in so doing created the New Jerusalem, or heaven in England.Another first usage of the term by Edward du Bois was in a poem describing the English county of Surrey in 1839. The phrase was also used in its more literal meaning to refer to Heaven, in a poem by Elizabeth Harcourt Rolls Mitchell in 1857.The phrase is also used to describe Yorkshire, England's largest county. This is used interchangeably with God's Own County.The phrase later found sporadic use to describe several American regions. Most known is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It was also used by the Confederate army to describe parts of Tennessee in the 1860s. The phrase was also used to describe California in the 1860s, and by Clement Laird Vallandigham to describe the land of the Mississippi plains. None of these remain widely used to describe a region, though it is still occasionally used to describe the United States overall.During World War II, German Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels sarcastically mocked the US as "Aus Gottes eigenem Land" (From God's Own Country) in an essay that appeared in the German newspaper Das Reich on August 9, 1942. Goebbels ridiculed America as a young land that lacked culture, education and history in contrast with Germany. In 1943, the Nazis published an anti-American, anti-Semitic propaganda book written by Erwin Berghaus called "USA - nackt!: Bilddokumente aus Gottes eigenem Land" (USA naked! Photo documents from God's own country) which also mockingly characterized the US with the phrase. Several modern German newspapers such as Die Welt, Der Tagesspiegel and Die Zeit have also used the phrase "Gottes eigenes Land" (God's own country) to criticize American culture and society.The earliest recorded use of the phrase as applied to New Zealand was as the title of a poem about New Zealand written by Thomas Bracken. It was published in a book of his poems in 1890, and again in 1893 in a book entitled Lays and Lyrics: God's Own Country and Other Poems. God's Own Country as a phrase was often used and popularized by New Zealand's longest serving prime minister, Richard John Seddon. He last quoted it on 10 June 1906 when he sent a telegram to the Victorian premier, Thomas Bent, the day before leaving Sydney to return home to New Zealand. "Just leaving for God's own country," he wrote. He never made it, dying the next day on the ship Oswestry Grange.Bracken's God's Own Country is less well known internationally than God Defend New Zealand which he published in 1876. The latter poem, set to music by John Joseph Woods, was declared the country's national hymn in 1940, and made the second national anthem of New Zealand along with God Save the Queen in 1977.In Australia, the phrase "God's own country" was often used to describe the country in the early 1900s, but it appears to have gradually fallen out of favor. The phrase "God's Country" is often used to describe Queensland and the Sutherland Shire in southern Sydney.The phrase "God's own country" was heard during the 1970s in Rhodesia (formerly: Southern Rhodesia, now: Zimbabwe), where most people perceived the land as beautiful despite the ongoing Bush War of the time. Evidence of the phrase being used earlier in reference to Rhodesia is found in Chartered Millions: Rhodesia and the Challenge to the British Commonwealth by John Hobbis Harris, published 1920 by Swarthmore Press (refer to page 27). The phrase "Godzone" is distinctly different and was not used in Rhodesia.Sin City is an urban area (a city or part of) that caters to various vices. These vices may be legal (depending on area) or illegal activities which are tolerated.Examples of vices include sex-related services (prostitution, strip clubs, sex shops, etc.), gambling (casinos, betting shops, etc.), or drug use (alcohol, marijuana, etc. consumption), and even excessive organized crime and gang activity. If the city is known for prostitution, it is often called a red-light district, as in Amsterdam, Netherlands. 1 Sin Cities in the worldCities or areas that have this reputation include:Marrakesh, Morocco (prostitution, gambling, drinking, clubbing)Baku, Azerbaijan (political corruption, clubbing, drinking, organized crime, bribery, police corruption, prostitution)Manama, Bahrain (drinking, clubs, prostitution)ChinaDongguan (prostitution)Macau (gambling, organized crime, clubbing, prostitution, drinking)Tel Aviv, Israel (strip clubs, drinking, clubbing, parties)Beirut, Lebanon (prostitution, strip clubs, cabarets, drugs, drinking, clubbing).Angeles City, Philippines (prostitution, gambling, drinking, clubbing)ThailandBangkok (prostitution, strip clubs, sex shows, scams, BDSM, brothels, massage parlors, cabarets, go-go bars, drugs, drinking, clubbing, muay thai boxing)Pattaya (prostitution, strip clubs, sex shows, BDSM, brothels, massage parlors, cabarets, go-go bars, drugs, drinking, clubbing, muay thai boxing)Ayia Napa, Cyprus (drugs, drinking, clubbing)Prague, Czech Republic (prostitution, organized crime, police corruption, clubbing, strip clubs, brothels)Amsterdam, Netherlands (prostitution, brothels, strip clubs, sex shops, sex shows, marijuana consumption)Moscow, Russia (organized crime, gangs, clubbing, drinking, drugs, police corruption, political corruption, prostitution, strip clubs)Ibiza, Spain (clubbing, drugs)United KingdomLiverpool, EnglandSoho, London, EnglandTijuana, Mexico (drugs, prostitution, drinking, police corruption, strip-clubs)United StatesCaliforniaLos Angeles and its Hollywood district (bank robberies, porn industry, sex-publishing industries, tabloids, prostitution (Sunset & Vine); also includes police corruption, nightclubs, drugs, drinking, strip clubs, gangs.)San Francisco (organized crime, gangs, drugs, and prostitution)Miami, Florida (gangs, organised crime, drug trafficking, prostitution, drinking, political and police corruption, scams, strip clubs)Newport, Kentucky is the first city within North America to be coined the title due to its role in prostitution, gambling, gangs, gunplay, racketeering, and many others.NevadaLas Vegas (gambling, bookmaking, easy marriage, easy divorce, organized crime, prostitution [however, prostitution is illegal in Las Vegas and Clark County], strip clubs, cabarets, clubbing, 24-hour liquor sales [as in all of Nevada]; quote: "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."). In former days it was known also for organized crime and police and political corruption.Reno (gambling, drinking, strip clubs, clubbing, easy marriage, easy divorce, prostitution [however, prostitution is illegal in Reno and Washoe County] 24-hour liquor sales [as in all of Nevada]).Atlantic, New Jersey (gambling, bookmaking, organized crime, drinking, prostitution, clubbling, and strip clubs) (Known as the World Famous Playground) (In the old days it was known also for organized crime, police corruption, and political corruption).New York City, New York formerly known for out of control crime, Times Square's sex shops and prostitution and barely hidden drug trade and citywide gangs, including many Mob families and police and political corruption.Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (male & female prostitution, scams, notorious prison system, police corruption, political corruption, drinking, drugs, favelas, gangs, clubbing)Medellin, Colombia (police corruption, prostitution, drinking, drugs, gangs, clubbing)Caracas, Venezuela (scams, prison system corruption, police corruption, political corruption, prostitution, organized crime, drinking, drugs, slums, gangs, robbery, clubbing, drug trafficking, violence)AustraliaKings Cross, New South Wales A historically notorious inner-city of Sydney, although this reputation is outdated with the imposition of new lockout laws in February 2014 changing the character of the area dramatically, and arguably eliminating the only "sin city" in Australia. (Prostitution, brothels, gambling (illegal and legal), organized crime, bikie gangs (to an extent), police corruption, drugs, strip clubs, drinking, excessive, drunken and random violence.)Auckland, New ZealandShanghai, China 1920s and 1930s. (organized crime, opium dens, gambling, police corruption, political corruption, prostitution)Berlin, Weimar Republic - 1920s and early 1930s (Prostitution, numerous cabarets, decadence in general)Montreal, Quebec, Canada, which earned a reputation for vice through American tourists fleeing the prohibition laws.United StatesPhenix City, Alabama, was notorious during the 1940s and 1950s for being a haven for organized crime, prostitution, and gambling. Many of its customers came from the United States Army training center at Fort Benning, Georgia.Miami, Florida during the 1970s and 1980s (organized crime, drug trafficking, gangs, strip clubs, clubbing, drinking, police corruption, prostitution, brothels and political corruption)Chicago, Illinois in the 1920s to 1930s (prostitution, bootlegging, cabarets, speakeasies, illegal gambling, bank robberies, police corruption, political corruption, organized crime, and gang activity)IndianaMichigan City was considered Sin City in the 1980-1990s, with the proliferation of massage parlors.Terre Haute was labeled Sin City by the monthly magazine Stag in 1955. (reputation for being "wide open", with gambling and a well-developed "red light district").Now the federal death row is in Terre Haute at the Terre Haute Federal Correctional Complex.KentuckyCovington, Kentucky (brothels, gambling, organized crime)Newport, Kentucky (brothels, gambling, organized crime)New Orleans, Louisiana from 1897 through 1917, Storyville district (prostitution, brothels, gambling, and speakeasies)New YorkNew York City in the mid to late 19th Century and 20th century (prostitution, brothels, illegal gambling, notorious slums, pickpocketing, police corruption, political corruption, drugs, gangs, organized crime), Times Square from the mid-1960s until circa 1990 (prostitution, pornography, go-go bars, sex shops, sex shows, squeegee men, strip clubs, clubbing, drugs, organized crime)Utica, in the 1930s through the 1950s for the extent of its corruption and control from political machines, presence of organized crime.Galveston, Texas in the 1920s to 1957 (prostitution, organized crime, gambling, speakeasies, drinking, police corruption, political corruption)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 of a given religion or to refer to them in a derogatory (critical or disrespectful), pejorative (disapproving or contemptuous), or insulting manner.Bible beater (also "Bible basher" in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand): 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 force their faith upon others.Bible thumper (mainly US): 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 emphasis 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: 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.Fundie (US): Shortening of fundamentalist. Usually used to mean a Christian fundamentalist.God botherer (Australia, UK, New Zealand): Predominantly tagged to a Christian, usually one who openly declares their faith, especially when unwelcome.Rice Christian (primarily from East Asian countries): Someone who has formally declared himself/herself a Christian for material benefits rather than for religious reasons.Historically, Catholics would label members of certain Christian churches (also certain non-Christian religions) by the names of their founders, either actual or purported. Such supposed founders were referred to as heresiarchs. This was done even when the party thus labeled viewed itself as belonging to the one true church. This allowed the Catholic party to claim that the other church was founded by the founder, while the Catholic Church was founded by Christ. This was done intentionally in order to "produce the appearance of the fragmentation within Christianity"–a problem which the Catholic side would then attempt to remedy on its own terms.Ecclesial community: This term is used in place of the word "church" by Catholics to label Protestant churches which they do not want to regard as fitting the definition of "church", but is considered offensive by some Protestants. In 2001, several leaders from the Church of Denmark released a public statement, saying in part,However, it has a destructive effect on ecumenical relations if one church deprives another church of the right to be called a church. It is just as destructive as if one Christian denies another Christian the right to be called a Christian.Holy Roller (US): an enthusiastic 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.Jaffa (Ireland/UK): a Protestant (see Orangie); named after a common orange-flavored cake/biscuit in the ROI and UK.Orangie (Ireland/UK): a pro-British Ulster Protestant, referring to supporters of the Orange Order.Prod, proddy dog (Australian Catholics; Scottish and Irish Catholics, particularly school children): a Protestant, particularly a rival child 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.Shaker (US): a 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): 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.Left-Footer (especially Ireland and Scotland): an informal phrase for a Roman Catholic.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) distinguishes Catholics from other Christians, especially in North America.Mick (Australia; Canada; UK; US): a Roman Catholic — usually Irish Catholic (a reference to the common "Mc'" patronymic of Irish surnames, or a hypocorism of Michael)Papist (Northern Ireland and Scottish Protestants): a Roman Catholic person — usually Irish Catholic.Redneck (Northern English): a Roman Catholic person, nowadays somewhat dated.Roman Catholic: a 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.Shaveling (archaic): Usually disparaging: a tonsured clergyman, priest.Taig (Northern Ireland Protestants): a Catholic; from tadhg, Irish for "Timothy".Molly Mormon: a term for the stereotype of a "perfect" female member of LDS Church.Carrot-Snapper: a person from Utah, used primarily by southern Idahoans.Jello-Eater: a Mormon, derived from Utah's state snackJack Mormon: 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.Abbie, Abe, and Abie (North America): a Jewish male. From the proper name Abraham. Originated before the 1950s.Heeb, Hebe (US): a Jew, derived from the word "Hebrew".Hymie:a Jew, from the Hebrew Chaim ("life"). Also used in the term "Hymietown," a reference to New York, and in particular, Brooklyn, popularized by Jesse Jackson.Ikey, ike, ik: a Jew [from Isaac]Ikey-mo, ikeymo: a Jew [from Isaac and Moses]Jewboy: a young Jewish male, originally young Jewish boys who sold counterfeit coins in 18th century LondonKike: the Yiddish word for "circle" is kikel (/ˈkaɪkəl/ KY-kəl)—Illiterate 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, moky, moxy, mockey, mockie, mocky (U.S.): a Jew. First used in the 1930s, possibly from the Yiddish word makeh meaning "plague".Moch (U.S.): a Jew [first used in the 1960s as an abbreviated form of mocky (q.v.)]Red Sea pedestrian (mainly Australian): a Jew, from the story of Moses leading the Jewish people out of Egypt.Sheeny: from Yiddish sheyn or German schön meaning 'beautiful'.Shylock: Jewish people as shrewd and money-loving; named after the famous character from Shakespeare's play "Merchant of Venice".Yakubian (Nation of Islam): Jewish people; it is often mistaken as describing white people, as the Nation of Islam believes all white people are descended from Yakub, the biblical Jacob. Therefore white people and Jewish people are considered one and the same.Yid: Yiddish word for Jew.Mussie: Corruption of the word "Muslim".Quran thumper: an excessively zealous Muslim.Hajji, Haji or Hodgie: Originated as military slang, now commonly used by non-military personnel to refer to Muslims or Middle Easterners in general. Originating from the word Hajji, an honorific title for Muslims who successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca.Mohammedan: a term once frequently used in English in a non-pejorative sense, but nowadays considered by Muslims to be offensive because of the suggestion that they worship Mohammed rather than Allah.Raghead, Towelhead: from Islamic wearing of turbans.Osama: from Osama bin Laden.Towelhead, Raghead: in reference to Sikh headgear (usually turbans), often used in the mistaken belief Sikhs are connected to Islamic terrorism. Also used against anyone wearing turbans or keffiyehs.Clam: a Scientologist, referring to a passage about clam engrams in L. Ron Hubbard's 1952 book, What To Audit, later renamed Scientology: A History of Man.Infidel: a term used generally for non-believers.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.Pagan: a person who holds religious beliefs that differ from main world religions. Synonymous with heathen.Cult, Cultist: used as an ad hominem attack against groups with differing doctrines or practices.Throughout history, various groups of people have considered themselves to be chosen people by a deity for a purpose, such as to act as the deity's agent on earth. In monotheistic faiths references to God are used in constructs such as "God's Chosen People". The phenomenon of a "chosen people" is particularly common in the Israelite tradition, where it originally referred to the Israelites—in fact Jews refer to this as a burden to spread the message of one God. Some claims of chosenness are based on parallel claims of Israelite ancestry, as is the case for the Christian Identity and Black Hebrew sects—both which claim themselves (and not Jews) to be the "true Israel". Others claim a "spiritual" chosenness, including most Christian denominations, who traditionally believe the church has replaced Israel as the People of God.Anthropologists commonly regard claims of chosenness as a form of ethnocentrism.In Judaism, "chosenness" is the belief that the Jews, via descent from the ancient Israelites, are the chosen people, i.e. chosen to be in a covenant with God. The idea of the Israelites being chosen by God is found most directly in the Book of Deuteronomy as the verb bahar (בָּחַ֣ר(Hebrew)), and is alluded to elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible using other terms such as "holy people". Much is written about these topics in rabbinic literature. The three largest Jewish denominations—Orthodox Judaism, Conservative Judaism and Reform Judaism—maintain the belief that the Jews have been chosen by God for a purpose. Sometimes this choice is seen as charging the Jewish people with a specific mission—to be a light unto the nations, and to exemplify the covenant with God as described in the Torah.In Mormonism, all Latter Day Saints are viewed as covenant, or chosen, people because they have accepted the name of Jesus Christ through the ordinance of baptism. In contrast to supersessionism, Latter Day Saints do not dispute the "chosen" status of the Jewish people. Most practicing Mormons receive a patriarchal blessing that reveals their lineage in the House of Israel. This lineage may be blood related or through "adoption;" therefore, a child may not necessarily share the lineage of her parents (but will still be a member of the tribes of Israel). It is a widely held belief that most members of the faith are in the tribe of Ephraim or the tribe of Manasseh.The Christian Identity movement sees the Anglo-Saxon, Germanic, Nordic and kindred peoples of the world as both the descendants of the ancient Israelites and the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Christian Identity, though not organized as a religion, comprises certain individuals, churches and some prison gangs such as the Aryan Brotherhood with a white supremacist theology that promotes a racial interpretation of Christianity. Christian Identity can be traced back to 1886 with the publication of the book Lost Israel Found in the Anglo-Saxon Race by E.P. Ingersoll. This was followed in the 1920s by the writings of Howard Rand (1889–1991) who regarded Europeans as the "chosen people" and Jews as the cursed offspring of Cain. White supremacist sects and gangs later adopted many of these teachings.Based on Jewish biblical tradition and Ethiopian legend via Kebra Nagast, Rastas believe that Israel's King Solomon, together with Ethiopian Queen of Sheba, conceived a child which began the Solomonic line of kings in Ethiopia, rendering the Ethiopian people as the true children of Israel, and thereby chosen. Reinforcement of this belief occurred when Beta Israel, Ethiopia's ancient Israelite First Temple community, were rescued from Sudanese famine and brought to Israel during Operation Moses in 1985.Sun Myung Moon taught that Korea is the chosen nation, selected to serve a divine mission and was "chosen by God to be the birthplace of the leading figure of the age"and was the birthplace of "Heavenly Tradition", ushering in God's kingdom.The NOI teaches that black people constitute a nation and that through the institution of the Atlantic slave trade they were systematically denied knowledge of their history, language, culture, and religion and, in effect, lost control of their lives. Founder Elijah Muhammad called for the establishment of a separate nation for black Americans and the adoption of a religion based on the worship of Allah and on the belief that blacks were his chosen people.