The following Christmas wishes were authored and provided to Breitbart Texas by Texas State Senator Charles Perry.
It seems every year Christmas decorations appear earlier and earlier. Unfortunately, this increased focus on this joyous season has extended only commercially, not spiritually.
Christmas is a time set aside to acknowledge the blessings granted to us as individuals and as a nation. It is important for us to remember that to those who are given much, much is to be expected.
As a legislator, there are many in Austin who would prefer me to sideline my Christian faith in the name of “separation of church and state.” This phrase is popularly misquoted as originating in the Constitution, but was really simply a metaphor against the establishment of a national religion.
I do not understand how as a Christian legislator I could possibly sideline my faith — I use it everyday as a moral compass and to consult with God over the important decisions I must make.
As a nation, we have been granted the gift of self-governance. The success in this endeavor is dependent on moral and informed people being engaged in the process year-round, not just during campaign season.
We must stand together and not allow a vocal minority to strip us of our right to express our Judeo-Christian values in the name of political correctness.
The First Amendment guarantees us our right to say Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah without fear of retribution. The government should have no authority to require business owners to pay for birth control or force them to provide services that celebrate lifestyles they are morally opposed to.
We must not allow our government to strip us of our economic independence through excessive tax burdens and regulatory inconsistencies. On that same note, we cannot bind future generations to the shackles of trillions in unsustainable national debt.
American exceptionalism should be celebrated, not be seen as a source of shame. The world should view America as what Reagan described “a shining city on a hill,” not as a timid society who shrinks from conflict.
Liberty is worth fighting for, Americans shouldn’t have to ask big brother government for permission every time they make a decision. We must give more trust to individuals to make their own choices and not prohibit them from doing everything under the sun in the name of public safety.
We must get our priorities straight as a nation. It is a sad state of affairs, when our courts are more interested in changing the definition of marriage than striking down the unconstitutionality of Obamacare and “executive amnesty.”
In 2015, I pray that we take our responsibility to protect and promote these blessings based on our conviction in the truth and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Senator Charles Perry was elected to the Texas Senate earlier this year in a Special Election. Previously, Perry served in the Texas House of Representatives, where he earned the reputation of being a principle-driven conservative leader. Perry is married with two children and owns a successful CPA practice in Lubbock, Texas. Follow Senator Perry on Twitter @electcharles.