Readers, you’re about to read a liberal write something positive about one of the Republican presidential candidates. For those who are Democratic partisans, this may come as a shock. For those who understand that liberalism is a set of political principles, not an asset owned by one political party, it won’t be as big of a deal.

Fred Thompson has admitted that he doesn’t go to church much. For those of us who live in the modern, secular world, that’s not a big deal. As a Republican politician, however, Fred Thompson depends upon the support of millions of Americans who have yet to embrace the modern, secular world. So, it takes some political courage for Thompson to admit that he doesn’t bother much with churches.

It also took a bit of bravery for Fred Thompson to turn down a request to indulge in gratuitous talking about God. While on a campaign stop in South Carolina, Thompson was asked if he would commit to talking about God during all his campaign appearances across the USA, and not just while in the South. Thompson said that he it just didn’t feel right to him to campaign by standing up in front of a bunch of people, talking about what a great person he is. Thompson is right to make the link between conspicuous discussion of religion and pompous political self-promotion, and he’s also right to try to refrain from the shameless ploy.

Don’t misunderstand me. I do not endorsement the presidential campaign of Fred Thompson in 2008. On the contrary, I think that Fred Thompson would make a lousy President. His positions on the most important issues are ill-informed and too closely aligned with the failures of George W. Bush to be worthy of support. Fred Thompson has also demonstrated a disturbing ability to make unethical deals for the sake of his career, as a lobbyist and as a Washington D.C. political operator, starting out with his decision to help Richard Nixon obstruct justice during Watergate.

Still, for his step back from the mixture of politics and self-serving religious posturing, I’ll give Fred Thompson the bit of credit that he is due. I’d love to do the same for other presidential candidates.