After delivering an Easter message in Ukraine, Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, has touched on some of the most critical issues facing Americans today. From education to crime and violence, Franklin is encouraging the nation to turn back to God for restoration.

“People have turned their backs on God,” Franklin told Fox News.

“Our educators have taken God out of schools. Our politicians have taken God out of politics. Our national is not better [for it]. Our nation is worse,” he said.

On June 25, the nation will commemorate 60 years since the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Engel v. Vitale, which made school-sponsored prayer unconstitutional. The case focused on a 22-word nondenominational prayer that called on students to recognize the authority and supremacy of God in their lives. It read: “Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our prayers, our teachers and our Country.”

Over the years, schools have exchanged prayer for critical race theory, a social justice theory which divides and claims that American society is systemically racist.

To help combat this problem, Franklin is advocating for Christians to run for school boards across the country.

“We need Christian men and women on school boards who can take control of their communities,” he said. 

“All of this trash and all of this filth that the left is pushing on our students—that can be turned around if Christian men and women ran for school boards.”

This includes the violence that is now pervasive throughout movies, television shows, music and video games.

“We have become so violent,” Franklin said. “Our entertainment is so violent. God judged this world with a flood. He flooded the entire earth—and one of the reasons is because mankind had become so wicked and the world so violent. And look at how violent we are today.”

“Our entertainment industry pushes violence. It pushes sex. And the Hollywood people come out against guns—yet they take guns and they glorify them.”

The only answer, Franklin says, is to turn back to God and embrace Him and His Word.

“I believe God is going to judge America at some point,” he said. “He has given us so much, and we’re so wasteful and so disobedient, and so wicked in what we’re doing as a nation.

“We just need to repent and turn from our sins. And maybe God will hear and forgive us.”

Franklin also said, “The only hope for this country is God. And I would encourage people to pray. 

“Just examine your heart, and if there’s something that’s not right in your life, confess it to God and ask for His forgiveness.”

Photo: Ron Nickel/©2017 BGEA