Cal Thomas is a former winner of the Amy Writing Awards. I typically like what he writes when he is “outside the Beltway.” This week’s syndicated article is just such an opinion.

We find Cal’s piece, titled, “Patriotism is not solely the province of American conservatives," online in the Salt Lake Tribune. His by-line tells us he’s writing from Washington, Indiana.

He writes:

... Last week, senator and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said that religion is not the exclusive property of conservative Christians. He is right. Neither is patriotism a trademark of the Republican Party.

As with religion, some people on the right have used patriotism, which should be a unifying theme, to divide Americans. My liberal friends love America as much as I do. They might disagree on some, or all, of my political and religious beliefs, but that does not make them less in love with America, much less un-American.

Many political and religious liberals have family members who have served or are serving their country in war and in peace. They have spilled their blood and given their lives to guarantee our freedom to disagree and to still live together.
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I was drawn to the piece because it calls a truce in the war over religion in politics and patriotism in politics. Cal calls for a stoppage of accusations against personal faith and commitment to country. A message I hope all parties and presidential candidates heed as we head into the 2008 election year.

Unfortunately, Cal’s opinion doesn’t include scripture (or a call to live a life of Freedom in Christ), so it doesn’t qualify for the Amy Writing Awards this time. Even so, the Christian undertones are clear and his message of faith unmistakable.