Guns vs Swords and the Deities Who Wield Them

[Kelly of the Phoenix]

While I suffer writer's block, I realized just how silly it is when movies and such have battles of gods and the majority of weapons used are from the bronze age. I mean, I get why they'd have those things back then, but why portray them like that now? Shouldn't they have divine machine guns or something? In the bible, God's armies can't defeat a human army with iron CHARIOTS. We're not even talking swords here, but simple vehicles. Does that mean a divine army can be taken down with little more than few bullets? Is there a more "modern" divine army story? Are they all swords and shields? Are the gods powerful or do they just have cool stuff?

 

[Mister Silver]

While I suffer writer's block, I realized just how silly it is when movies and such have battles of gods and the majority of weapons used are from the bronze age. I mean, I get why they'd have those things back then, but why portray them like that now? Shouldn't they have divine machine guns or something? In the bible, God's armies can't defeat a human army with iron CHARIOTS. We're not even talking swords here, but simple vehicles. Does that mean a divine army can be taken down with little more than few bullets? Is there a more "modern" divine army story? Are they all swords and shields? Are the gods powerful or do they just have cool stuff?

It's not the vehicles themselves that could not be defeated. In the bible, it is the iron itself that is the kryptonite of the gods.

However, I do agree that they would be served better with improved weaponry. Then, on the other hand, one would also have to question why the gods would even need sword and shield weaponry with the divine powers they have at their disposal.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Nothing can defeat the Kracken!

 

[BSM1]

Actually I believe God weapons are for show only; or the quickness and finality of fire arms would simply be boring to them. Being Gods they could probably defeat us with a loaf of day-old bread.

 

[Quintessence]

Depictions of the gods in pop culture are generally **** poor on the whole. There's little if any cultural sensitivity to those who still worship them, or even awareness that there are people who still worship them. Near as I can wager, things like this are simply adding insult to injury. In some cases it's because the writers are actually intending to be historical, but on the whole I chalk it up to general disrespectfulness and insensitivity to Pagan religions.

 

[Kemosloby]

Because God is patient and has all the time in this world to run us out of bullets before attacking.

 

[oldbadger]

While I suffer writer's block, I realized just how silly it is when movies and such have battles of gods and the majority of weapons used are from the bronze age. I mean, I get why they'd have those things back then, but why portray them like that now? Shouldn't they have divine machine guns or something? In the bible, God's armies can't defeat a human army with iron CHARIOTS. We're not even talking swords here, but simple vehicles. Does that mean a divine army can be taken down with little more than few bullets? Is there a more "modern" divine army story? Are they all swords and shields? Are the gods powerful or do they just have cool stuff?

Hello......

I don't mind the odd angel weilding a bronze sword...... beautiful things....... bronze swords, that is. I've never seen an angel.

But God really does press the buttons when the chips go down. Look at the description of Sodom and Gomorroh coming unstuck.

 

[Sanzbir]

Well according to some tales when you have a certain level of divine power you don't eve NEED proper weapons!! When you've got that level of power it's no difference if you're using a tank or a donkey's jawbone.

 

[allfoak]

While I suffer writer's block, I realized just how silly it is when movies and such have battles of gods and the majority of weapons used are from the bronze age. I mean, I get why they'd have those things back then, but why portray them like that now? Shouldn't they have divine machine guns or something? In the bible, God's armies can't defeat a human army with iron CHARIOTS. We're not even talking swords here, but simple vehicles. Does that mean a divine army can be taken down with little more than few bullets? Is there a more "modern" divine army story? Are they all swords and shields? Are the gods powerful or do they just have cool stuff?

The modern day stories are now called super hero's with all sorts of cool weapons.

 

[Father Heathen]

 

[Jainarayan]

Being Gods they could probably defeat us with a loaf of day-old bread.

My very first loaf of bread I baked could kill a god.

 

[ChristineM]

While I suffer writer's block, I realized just how silly it is when movies and such have battles of gods and the majority of weapons used are from the bronze age. I mean, I get why they'd have those things back then, but why portray them like that now? Shouldn't they have divine machine guns or something? In the bible, God's armies can't defeat a human army with iron CHARIOTS. We're not even talking swords here, but simple vehicles. Does that mean a divine army can be taken down with little more than few bullets? Is there a more "modern" divine army story? Are they all swords and shields? Are the gods powerful or do they just have cool stuff?

Why would gods have weapons at all? Seems to me people who wrote these stories didn't actually think them through before committing stylus to papyrus. Imagine if you will. My god is omnipotent, omniscient, omni everything. He can create universes and life as if by magic, my god needs a sword to fight with... Doh

 

[Brickjectivity]

I don't mind the odd angel weilding a bronze sword...... beautiful things....... bronze swords, that is. I've never seen an angel.

Fiery swords, my badger. Hot swords, always hot swords. Hold up....I could be wrong. Let me go check.

 

[Quintessence]

Why would gods have weapons at all? Seems to me people who wrote these stories didn't actually think them through before committing stylus to papyrus. Imagine if you will. My god is omnipotent, omniscient, omni everything. He can create universes and life as if by magic, my god needs a sword to fight with... Doh

Speaking of thinking things through, the gods of Pagan religions are not omnimax deities, nor are they creator deities in the style of the Abrahamic god. Anthropomorphic depictions and symbolic icons in Paganisms are basically narrative devices used to help present and convey the nature of the deity to people. Poseidon doesn't need a literal weapon... he is the ocean. Tridents are three-pronged spears used for spear fishing, and fish live in the ocean... so it makes sense to use a trident as a symbol for an ocean deity. It's a symbol.

 

[ChristineM]

Speaking of thinking things through, the gods of Pagan religions are not omnimax deities, nor are they creator deities in the style of the Abrahamic god. Anthropomorphic depictions and symbolic icons in Paganisms are basically narrative devices used to help present and convey the nature of the deity to people. Poseidon doesn't need a literal weapon... he is the ocean. Tridents are three-pronged spears used for spear fishing, and fish live in the ocean... so it makes sense to use a trident as a symbol for an ocean deity. It's a symbol.

A sharp and deadly symbol..

I was making the point for onmi gods, there are/were many gods based on the strength or beauty of nature

 

[Revoltingest]

Nothing can defeat the Kracken!

Pbbbbttttt!
Just expose it to Medusa's head.
That's how Perseus did it in the documentary, Clash Of The Titans.

 

[Enoch07]

While I suffer writer's block, I realized just how silly it is when movies and such have battles of gods and the majority of weapons used are from the bronze age. I mean, I get why they'd have those things back then, but why portray them like that now? Shouldn't they have divine machine guns or something? In the bible, God's armies can't defeat a human army with iron CHARIOTS. We're not even talking swords here, but simple vehicles. Does that mean a divine army can be taken down with little more than few bullets? Is there a more "modern" divine army story? Are they all swords and shields? Are the gods powerful or do they just have cool stuff?

As a writer I am sure you are familiar with similies and metaphors.

#notall but a lot of the imagery depicted by authors of religious text use these to describe either something they don't fully comprehend and/or just to spice it up and add a little excitement. I would not take all of it literally.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

My very first loaf of bread I baked could kill a god.

So, this has also made it's way into fantastical literature...

Rock-hard (and indeed contains various rocks such as gravel), never goes stale, and is terribly sustaining. A traveller can go for miles, just knowing there's dwarf bread in their pack. A traveller can think of just about anything to eat rather than dwarf bread including their own foot and even pumpkins.

Various forms of dwarf bread can be used as weapons, e.g. battle muffins and drop scones.

Source : Dwarf Bread - Discworld & Terry Pratchett Wiki

 

[oldbadger]

Fiery swords, my badger. Hot swords, always hot swords. Hold up....I could be wrong. Let me go check.

Now the Abrahamic God didn't mess about with letter openers, etc. And he didn't have to worry about what wheels his chariots ran on ......
2 Kings {2:11} And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, [there appeared] a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

....... yeah!

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

Depictions of the gods in pop culture are generally **** poor on the whole. There's little if any cultural sensitivity to those who still worship them, or even awareness that there are people who still worship them. Near as I can wager, things like this are simply adding insult to injury. In some cases it's because the writers are actually intending to be historical, but on the whole I chalk it up to general disrespectfulness and insensitivity to Pagan religions.

Looking at you, SMITE: Battleground of the Gods.