The opposition Coalition has dis-endorsed its election candidate for the NSW seat of Chifley.

“He’s gone. He’s finished,” says party leader, Mr Abbott.

What did he do?

The candidate, David Barker, said that Labor’s endorsement of a Muslim, Ed Husic, for the seat was “moving Australia closer to becoming a Muslim country”.

In another statement DB alluded also to Julia Gillard, querying whether “we want at this stage a Muslim in parliament and an atheist running the country”.

As he booted Mr Barker into political oblivion, Mr Abbott commented, “Attacks on people based on their religion have no place in this election campaign.”

* * *

Perhaps Mr Barker made a mistake standing for a party machine.

He might have been more free to express his opinions by standing as an Independent.

Party machines aren’t into questions of right and wrong. They are strait-jacketed by an obsession to go better in the polls.

As an Independent, Mr Barker might not get elected, but could perhaps influence the result by his preferences.

At least he could speak as his conscience dictates, without being ideologically mauled.

* * *

Mother Mary MacKillop’s attitude to politics was that one should support candidates prepared to stand up for Catholic principles. She told her Sisters, “Vote for those considered friendly to the Church and Religion. Every so-called Catholic is not the best man.”

True enough. When political parties trot out “all people should be free to worship as they choose”, they are hoodwinking us.

Real religion involves not only one’s worship, but one’s daily life.

Modern politics  – dominated by parties and hacks — tries to restrict religious freedom to what goes on between church walls on Sundays.

Practising one’s faith in ways that challenge the thought-fashions of the day . . . that we are NOT free to do as we choose.

It  will be punished ruthlessly.

Some words of Vladimir Soloviev:

“Jesus did not send his apostles into the solitude of the desert, but into the world – to conquer it and subject it to the Kingdom which is not of this world. He enjoined upon them, not only the innocence of doves, but also the wisdom of serpents.”