Manifesto of the DIVINE All Along Foundation
At the heart of every religious abuse lies flawed theology—a distortion of faith wielded to inflict harm. Religious abuse, in its many insidious forms, undermines the sanctity of individuals' beliefs and practices, leaving scars that endure long after the wounds have been inflicted. It robs people of their autonomy, identity, and trust, substituting these sacred qualities with shame and fear. Our LGBTQIA+ and queer family members, across all faiths and traditions, are particularly vulnerable to this systemic abuse, facing trauma and harm simply for being who they are.
But we declare: we are divine beings, each of us woven from the same cosmic fabric. This truth has been obscured by flawed theologies, used as weapons to disempower and deny us our birthright. It is time to reclaim our divinity and liberate ourselves from institutions that seek to oppress us.
We have been DIVINE all along.
And now, we are a movement.
The DIVINE All Along Foundation, Inc., established in November 2023 by Mark Dilcom, is a beacon of hope for those who have suffered religious abuse. Our mission is clear: to end the cycle of abuse and help our queer family members reclaim their inherent divinity. We envision a world where flawed theology no longer holds sway over power structures, and where all individuals are free to embrace their rights and wholeness without fear or discrimination.
At DIVINE All Along, we are guided by two core convictions:
First, to support our queer family members in their journey to heal from religious abuse and the associated trauma; providing resources and solidarity every step of the way. RECLAIM YOUR DIVINITY™ is our facilitator-led peer support network that provides free, safe and confidential support for religious abuse. The facilitators are carefully curated and vetted and the programs and resources have been reviewed by trauma-informed mental health professionals.
Second, we are part of the “Come to Jesus” moment American Christianity is having. Our role is to confront and challenge purveyors of flawed theology wherever it rears its head, exposing beliefs that dehumanize and harm others.
Mark Dilcom, our founder, a queer individual and post-Church person of faith, has walked the path of self-acceptance and spiritual restoration. Through years of sobriety work, personal exploration, and leadership training, he has emerged as a queer mystic and activist, dedicated to ending religious abuse.
Mark’s journey inspired the creation of the Divine Soul’s Bill of Rights™, a declaration of empowerment for all souls to assert their divine sovereignty and resist oppression. It is an empowerment statement for everyone in our human family to use against those who wish to strip them of their divine rights.
The Divine Soul’s Bill of Rights™ states: Each soul is equal in all aspects; divine, sovereign, unique; created with a birthright to explore, know our divinity directly without interference of any kind and flourish as we are created. You have the right to:
Live free from “being saved”, and being shamed for who you are.
Celebrate your sacral energy, free of condemnation and labels.
Express divine love your way, and what feels right for you.
Pursue your calling without fear, free of abuse or discrimination.
Assign god (or any name) pronouns that resonate with you, and your beliefs.
Liberate yourself from harmful power structures, where no one has authority over your soul.
Reject systems that monetize despair, and make redemption transactional.
Create your own Framework of Faith, free to evolve as your faith evolves.
Together, we rise to reclaim our DIVINE rights and embrace the fullness of our identities.
Join us in this vital work of liberation and love.
