Articles by Dave Smith

1) 'Boys Will Be Boys' (Or 'Why Men Love To Fight')
I had twenty-five boys at the fight club tonight - twenty-five boys and one girl, and she certainly did stand out. It's amazing how starkly obvious the gender differences are in a ring environment. In the general flow of life in an industrialised society men and women are mixed and merged together in their daily routines, doing the same sorts of work, taking on the same sorts of responsibilities, etc. -... » read more

2) Sheikh Hilaly Had A Point!
In October 2006, Sheikh Al-Hilaly, the mufti of Australia, got himself in a lot of trouble over comments made in a sermon, where he allegedly said that if a woman dresses provokatively and gets sexually assaulted, it's her own fault! Whether he really said this or not, the question of public dress-codes and their effect on society at large is a subject worthy of serious discussion. He did have a point,... » read more

3) Are All Divorcees Adulterers? Part 2
The church has too often been quick to condemn. Jesus though rarely condemned anybody. Indeed, to be quite blunt about it, the only people we see Jesus condemn in the New Testament are not weak and sinful people who have failed, but pompous, self-righteous religious people who think the sun shines out of them. In line with that, let me suggest to you that this verse about, "Whoever divorces his wife and... » read more

4) The Hanging Of Ray Williams, Part 2: The Decision
Ray re-appeared exactly one week later. This in itself was no surprise. Every Tuesday the staff and volunteers of the church have lunch together and Ray would often join us. What surprised me was what he said to me as soon as lunch was over: 'Dave, I'm going to take the guilty plea.' 'Um... great! I think that's good', I said. 'This means you won't go to gaol, right?' 'Well, we don't know for... » read more

5) 'Burn The Witch! Burn The Witch!'
"Burn the Witch! Burn the Witch!" These words have come to mind lately, as I've watched a number of Pakistani friends of mine get deported, for reasons nobody is quite clear about. It might not be immediately obvious to everyone - the connection between Australian Immigration policy and the time-honoured tradition of witch burning, but I'm thinking of a scene out of that archetypal Britsih comedy, Monty... » read more

6) There's Nothing Quite So Glorious As A Good Fight With Your Fists!
'Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.' Psalm 144 'Do you do sparring here?' he asked. 'Yes' I said, wishing I had another answer to give him. Normally I'm mad keen when new guys wander into the gym looking to do some training, but this was different. This was a group of four, and only three of them were teenagers. The guy talking to me was an older... » read more

7) Moslems Are NOT Our Enemies!
We live in dark times, my friends, and the recent tragic violence in Lebanon is an indication of just how dark things have become! It is hard for us to conceive, from this distance, what it must have been like for our sisters and brothers in Southern Lebanon, who endured a month-long military bombardment! The carnage, the destruction, the misery and the inhumanity have left none of us untouched, and yet... » read more

8) Why More Priests Need To Train As Fighters (And Why We Don't See Many Boxers In Church): Part 1
"Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." -- (1cCorinthiansc9:26-27) St Paul was a fighter. I don't think he ever competed in the ring, but that wasn't because he lacked the discipline or was afraid of the pain. I always... » read more

9) Who Is My Brother?
It's been a few months now since I started my 'Christians and Moslems can be friends' campaign and the results thus far have been... well... surprising. Some of the surprises have been very pleasant. I've made new friends - most of them warm-hearted Moslems from Turkey and elsewhere, along with some enthusiastic Aussies who are keen to stand with me in battling prejudice against Moslems and Arabic... » read more

10) The Ancient Welsh Art Of Lap Gochand The American Presidency
Once upon a time the Lap Gochi would patrol the streets of the Welsh highlands like gayly-dressed Samurai - their colourful costumes belieing the terrible carnage that could be unleashed with a simple flick of their brochfael (the preferred weapon of the Lap Goch masters that resembles an innocuous oversized handkerchief). Even then, practitioners who shared the deadly techniques with outsiders were... » read more

11) Why More Priests Need To Train As Fighters (And Why We Don't See Many Boxers In Church) Part 2
Is it just me, or does every man need to go through something like this at some time in his life - to know the joy of falling into your bed aching with the wounds that your sparring partner has inflicted on you that evening, and sleeping soundly in the knowledge that your ring brother is likewise doing his best to sleep off the impression that you made on him? I had many a glorious sparring session during... » read more

12) Are All Divorcees Adulterers? Part 1
It seems like we've been covering most of my least favourite Bible passages of late, so perhaps I should have expected this one to come along - "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her". Another winner! And what a good passage to have on the day of a baptism! Certainly it serves as a subtle way of informing any divorced parents who may be visiting us today, and who may... » read more

13) The Horoscope Of Jesus: Part 2
I've read through my copy of the Women's Weekly (January 2007) as part of my preparation for today's sermon. Anyway, I went straight to the Magi page - the 2007 Horoscope by Jessica Adams (senior astrologer in the Women's Weekly's court of the magi). My stars looked quite enticing at first glance this year. Apparently all my personal struggles are due to come to an end! "If you've had ongoing... » read more

14) The Horoscope Of Jesus: Part 1
The Xmas season is over! We've wished each other a Merry Xmas AND a Happy New Year, and now the festive season is PAST. The time for singing carols and wishing peace and goodwill to all is finished. The champagne has been consumed. The New Year resolutions have all been made. The decorations are all coming down. The trees have been dismantled. The checkout chicks are no longer wearing the plush red hats as... » read more

15) The Most Important Things I Learned In Life, I Learned In The Boxing Ring - Part 1
It feels a little strange talking about my illustrious fighting career, as I'm no longer fighting. I have retired. My excuse is that I've turned 35, which is rather a good excuse, as you're not legally allowed to fight in NSW once you turn 35. I could complain about the 'ageism' involved in this, but to tell you the truth I'm quite glad. It's not only escaping the trial of having to get up at the crack of... » read more

16) The Hanging Of Ray Williams, Part 3: The Hearing
Ray didn't want me to come to his hearing. He told me he didn't want anybody there. Ray said that none of his family or friends would be there - only himself and the legal people. That's the way he wanted it. I struggled with this for weeks. Ray is a very private man, and I wanted to respect his wishes. At the same time though, I couldn't stand the thought of him being there alone. I eventually... » read more

17) The Hanging Of Ray Williams - Part 1: The Dilemma
September 28, 2004 was a historic day for me. Ray Williams came to me for advice! Ray never comes to me for advice. Why would he? The former CEO of HIH insurance - once one of the largest insurance companies in the Southern hemisphere. What possible wisdom could I have to pass on to him? Me asking Ray for advice - that happened all the time! Every time I needed to know how to manage our church or how... » read more

18) Father Dave's Review Of 'The Passion Of The Christ'
Here we are at the end of Holy week, and I must admit that the only pilgrimage I've made this Lent was to the theatre to see Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" again. I am serious about this though. For me the movie was a religious experience, though it did leave me with one grave concern. It wasn't the alleged anti-Semitism that bothered me. Certainly 'The Passion' depicted Jews as being... » read more

19) An Open Letter From The President Of The United States
Still I find it hard to accept the terrible reality of the events of Tuesday 11th September, 2001. The days go by, but the pain does not go away. Nor does the passing of the days in any way diminish the enormity of the human tragedy that has befallen us. As a man I find myself shocked, stricken, angry and grieving. As an American I find myself affronted, indignant, defiant, and very much focused on... » read more

20) Love And Marriage (And Why The Former Is Not Enough For The Latter)
"To the unmarried and to the widows I say that it is well for them to remain single as I do."? (1 Corinthians 7:8) The immortal words of St. Paul, who quite possibly had experienced the pain of separation and divorce first hand prior to penning these words, and who certainly dealt with relationship breakdowns in every church he pastored. I seem to be at that stage of life now where all my friends... » read more

21) The Real Problem With Today's Teenagers (And Why Most Parents Just Don't Get It) Part 2
It's this loss of idealism that I see as the greatest scourge afflicting our young people today, and my response to this situation is to teach these young people to fight, which might not seem like the most obvious solution to the dilemma to everybody. The relevance of fighting to an individual's value system might not be immediately obvious to everyone, but I do seriously believe that pugilism and... » read more

22) Forgotten Secrets of the Ancient Greeks Show Us How To Keep Teenagers Out Of Trouble!
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up (Ecclesiastes 3:1-3)-- Four of the boys at training tonight are preparing themselves for their first fight at our forthcoming... » read more

23) Taming The Email Monster - How To Take Control Of Your Inbox And Your Life!
People ask me all the time how I manage to do so much. I tell them I've learnt not to sleep. In truth, having an overloaded schedule is nothing to be proud of, but there's no getting around the fact that I do have multiple responsibilities: I pastor a church I run a sports club I help manage a campsite I am webmaster of around 50 sites I am a father of three Of course some of these... » read more

24) The Real Problem With Today's Teenagers (And Why Most Parents Just Don't Get It!) Part 1
"The inspiration of a noble cause involving human interests wide and far, enables men to do things they did not dream themselves capable of before, and which they were not capable of alone. The consciousness of belonging, vitally, to something beyond individuality; of being part of a personality that reaches we know not where, in space and time, greatens the heart to the limit of the soul's ideal, and... » read more

25) Are Cartoons Of The Prophet Really A Form Of 'Free Speech'?
In September 2005, twelve cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad were published in Denmark's Jyllands-Posten daily and then reprinted in a Norwegian magazine in January 2006. The cartoons included a portrayal of the prophet wearing a time-bomb-shaped turban and show him as a wild-eyed, knife-wielding bedouin flanked by two women shrouded in black. The cartoons sparked an uproar in the Muslim world,... » read more

26) JV With The Devil, Why Not? You Get A Hell Of A Payout!
'Think about money, make money' - maybe that is the way it works. The other side of the equation though has to be, 'think about money, serve money'. How do you make a living while maintaining integrity? Is there an alternative? 'You cannot serve God and Mammon' Q: Who said it? A: You got it! Jesus said it. (in Matthew 6:24) Q: What is Mammon? A: Money Now hang on, isn't it 'money obtained... » read more

27) Marketing The Gospel - Is It A Contradiction In Terms?
"If any man comes after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will find it." (Mark 8:34) 'Marketing the Gospel' - is it a contradiction in terms? The concept sounds sort of self-defeating, like trying to get the church to run a protection racket or to set up a brothel as a form... » read more

28) Drugs & the Juvenille Justice System
I've often said that if it were possible for me to accomplish just one thing in this area, I think that I would most like to make a difference to the whole problem of drug abuse in Dulwich Hill. That's not because I necessarily consider it to be a bigger problem than the gambling, materialism, or general godlessness I see around me, but I do consider myself to have a particular calling in this area. I do... » read more

29) A Cheap Holiday in Other People's Misery (catching up with Mordechai Vanunu in Israel)
One of my favourite pieces of music is the Sex Pistols' classic 'Holidays in the Sun' - a song that begins with the line, 'a cheap holiday in other people's misery'. This would have made a fitting epitaph for my holiday in Israel, except that the $3000 air ticket meant that it wasn't exactly cheap. I went to Israel full of apprehension. Just knowing what we all know of the backdrop of paranoia and pain... » read more