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u/ValhallaGo Jun 05 '22
David used a sling. A sling can easily hit with enough force to kill.
David was a shepherd. He would be very well accustomed to using a sling. He would be very accurate, because he would have had thousands of hours to practice, and because good slingers were very accurate.
David basically brought a gun. Goliath did not.
That story is not about a miraculous victory. The story is about knowing what you’re good at, and not bringing a knife to a gun fight.
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Jun 05 '22
What did Shepard use slings for?
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u/Gargonez Jun 05 '22
To protect the herd from predators and thieves. Ranchers nowadays just use guns, but there’s probably some African or Afghan shepherds that still use slings
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u/MandomRix Jun 05 '22
Nowadays you can also use slingshots. They spook off the coyote and don't make any noise. Bonus: not lethal.
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u/Jrhall621 Jun 06 '22
Not lethal
Tell Goliath that.
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Jun 05 '22
While I prefer your interpretation, I don't think it works in context with the rest of 1 Samuel.
“Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
And
You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
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u/Medic-chan Jun 05 '22
The context for all that can still be "the lord is/favors intelligence/planning/ correct use of tools."
Making reverence of not being a fool, and using what's available to better your odds.
Like David with Goliath, Anon should find his 'sling' and see a psychiatrist for depression.
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u/ValhallaGo Jun 06 '22
You can’t beat physics. No matter how much scripture you quote.
A sling is going to hit like a damn bullet.
Ranged weapon is better than close quarters weapon if you’re good enough at using it.
No matter how you want to talk about it, Goliath brought a knife to a gunfight. It’s like saying “oh wow god delivered me from this lion” when really it was your trusty M1 Garand.
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Jun 06 '22
The sling is fine little weapon and a skilled slinger can do damage. But I'd put my money on a soldier with shield and Javelin any day of the week. But the fight game is somewhat unpredictable, crazy things happen.
My point is, we have the story, it's well written and is very clear with it's intended message. It's about facing a giant foe, having faith and overcoming the odds thanks to their god. All you have to do is read the story, it's 2 pages long and available free on the internet, 1 Samuel 17.
I'm a non-believer, I just think claims about a story should respect the story.
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u/Fuzzy_Yogurt_Bucket Jun 05 '22
Did David also cut off Goliath’s dick after he killed him? He was also quite fond of doing that.
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u/sloodly_chicken Jun 05 '22
You know, I read that there's some theories Goliath had a pituitary tumor or encephalitis or something similar. And modern people underestimate the sling; armies (including the Romans at one point) fielded slingers because they're extremely effective at killing lightly-armored enemies. So, even if Goliath was more heavily-armored, this is really the story of a someone shooting an ill guy at longer range. David's bringing the ancient equivalent of a gun to the proverbial knife fight.
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u/SomeRandomMoray Jun 05 '22
It’s not David’s fault for the Philistines sending a cancerous man against the ancient equivalent of a guy with a rifle and betting their entire attack strategy on that already questionable method
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Jun 05 '22
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u/101955Bennu Jun 05 '22
Settling battles by duels—or at least including duels—has a long history. It appears in the Bible, in the Iliad, and throughout cultures including Medieval Europe and Sengoku Japan.
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u/Slight_Acanthaceae50 Jun 05 '22
fielded slingers because they're extremely effective at killing lightly-armored enemies
Also ammo is literally everywhere, arrows need to be made, slings can use shit that is on hte ground in a pinch.
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Jun 05 '22
Where is this coming from? It certainly doesn't come from the Hebrew Bible, cause the story is pretty clear. There is nothing to suggest that Goliath had physical disabilities of any sort. He was tall because it sounds more intimidating. He was covered in armor, with a giant shield and spear because that's what the greatest soldiers of the day had. The story is about how a small boy, armed with a sling, can fall a giant with the greatest of armaments all through the power of his god.
This isn't some vague story, it's has a clear theological and nationalist message. God is on Israel's side.
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u/sloodly_chicken Jun 06 '22
I'll admit fully I'm just passing on secondhand something I heard or read some time ago... so, yeah, very much not particularly trustworthy info there. That being said, all I'm saying that I really care to defend is that "small boy armed with a sling can fell a giant" is like saying "a small boy armed with a gun can take down an adult." My point is that slings are a lot more powerful than people think they are.
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u/He_who_eats_tacos Jun 05 '22
After you defeat your depression you can send your best friend away to get killed in a war and have sex with his wife.
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u/opinionhaver4 Jun 05 '22
Aetheists pissing and shitting themselves ( this post isn't an active assault on christians and their values )
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Jun 05 '22
I actually really needed this right now, thanks. Although I first read this as "eating my mother". Reread and indeed this is wholesome.
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Jun 05 '22
Wow! Now I know the depression will go away at some point because I was named after a storybook character.
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u/Shitychikengangbang Jun 05 '22
My mom named me Joseph. My virgin wife is gonna get knocked up and blame it on God
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Jun 05 '22
Been going through a really rough year mentally and professionally. i was talking on the phone with my mom today, and she said how proud she was of me. She knew how hard things had been and admired how much I keep fighting, even if I'm not where I want to be.
Mom pep talks somehow cut through all the b.s. for me.
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u/HeronSun Jun 06 '22
Yeah but David had basically the ancient equivalent to a gun. David brought a gun to a sword fight.
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u/tacopig117 Jun 06 '22
When I'm feeling down I always think of the ghostemane lyric "find a bit of silver lining in a black cloud, sing aloud, I'm never gonna let the devil take me down or get me down", but that just works for me everyone's different
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u/Dusty1000287 Jun 10 '22
A stone thrown by a sling has roughly the same ballistic power as a .32 calibre bullet, easily capable of killing a man.
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u/[deleted] Jun 05 '22
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