The goal is to spread awareness and education regarding the spiritual concerns and needs of abuse victims from a Christian perspective. Abuse is often the root cause for many of the destructive behaviors in our society - alcoholism, drug addiction, sexual promiscuity, eating disorders, and cutting, to name a few. And the root cause of a lifelong cycle of self-hatred for many abuse victims is their inability to reconcile their shame and guilt before God.

Victims of abuse sometimes seek spiritual help from their religious leaders, who, in many cases, are not adequately trained to understand victims' spiritual needs. And too often, abuse victims feel judged and rejected by their clergy and congregations, which increases their feelings of worthlessness. Yet spiritual help for abuse victims is a vital component in the recovery process.

What victims need to hear from their religious leaders more than anything else is that they are innocent in the eyes of God regarding their abuse. Not that they are forgiven, but that they are innocent. When someone is told they are forgiven, it implies that they had some responsibility for the act and have something for which they need to be forgiven. Victims look at God and Scripture through the filter of believing that the abuse is their fault. They need to hear of their innocence before God regarding the acts done to them in order for them to fully heal spiritually and to move from victim to survivor.

Our religious institutions should be places of sanctuary, safe havens where people suffering from the effects of abuse in their lives, whether they are victims or perpetrators, can step forward and receive help so that they can heal. Therefore, we all need to become educated about abuse in order to make the necessary changes in our religious institutions to bring hope to both victims and abusers and to remove the fear and stigma associated with this issue.