CHARLOTTE, N.C. – As public schools continue to capitulate to threats of legal action from atheist legal organizations, renowned evangelist Billy Graham offered his insight to parents concerned about the erosion of faith in education.

Over the last year, atheist groups like the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation have worked to shut down voluntary lunchtime religions discussions, prevent high school football players and coaches from expressing their faith, eradicate creationism from classrooms, and end other school traditions associated with religion, EAGnews has reported.

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Graham offered his take on the current war to rid public schools of all signs of God in a recent question and answer blog on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association website.

“Do you think we’ll ever get back to the days when they allowed prayer in our public schools?” the question read. “When I was young, we used to pray and read the Bible in school every day, but my grandchildren aren’t able to experience this, and it upsets me a great deal.”

Graham acknowledged the current crisis of faith in public education, and provided a reference to the Old Testament.

“I know this is a complicated political and legal issue, and I have no way of knowing if we will ever return to the patterns of the past. Unfortunately, the general trend in our society is certainly away from God and against any public expressions of faith,” he answered.

“I hope you will keep several things in mind, however. First, no one can banish God from our hearts. If we truly know Christ, we know we can turn to Him in silent prayer no matter where we are. Do you remember Nehemiah in the Old Testament? He was an official in the palace of the pagan king of Persia, but when God gave him an opportunity to speak to the king on behalf of the Jewish people, Nehemiah prayed silently and then spoke: ‘I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king’ (Nehemiah 2:4-5).”

Graham also put the issue in proper perspective.

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“Second, never forget the important place of our families in helping our children come to believe in God and rely on Him. No school or other institution can take the place of a family where God is honored and served,” he wrote.

“Finally, we need to remember to pray for our country. The issue you mention here is only one sign of our nation’s increasing drift away from God. Pray for our nation and its leaders every day. The Bible says, ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord’ (Psalm 33:12).”