What we will and will not touch as far as offerings in the Temple.
While we have a long-standing policy of not touching offerings once placed, we will not allow offerings that threaten or promote violence against identifiable individuals or groups.
As a Council, the Guardians and I have debated how best to handle this situation. What follows is our policy outlining why we remove certain offerings, what specifically will be removed, and how we handle these situations.
We aim to err on the side of leaving offerings untouched. The Temple is a place where people process raw emotion. Angry or profane messages—even ones that offend—are generally part of that process and will not be removed.
However, there is a line. When offerings cross into direct threats of violence or hate speech targeting an identifiable person or group, they no longer serve collective healing—they compromise safety and inclusivity.
We believe that removing such offerings is part of our duty of care. It is not about censorship for comfort. It is about refusing to implicitly endorse violence or targeted hate.
2️⃣ Offerings We Will Remove
Guardians will remove offerings that meet any of these criteria:
Explicit threats of violence directed at a specific individual or identifiable group.
Examples (generalized): “Kill all [racial or religious group]” or “Death to [specific person].”
- Incitement to violence or murder with an identifiable target.
- Desecration of another participant’s offering with hateful or violent messages.
- Messages or objects that reasonably appear to be a threat (including realistic weapons or devices designed to intimidate).
- Any offering posing a physical safety hazard (blocking exits, dangerously placed items).
We do not consider generalized expressions of anger or despair (e.g. “I hate everyone,” “Kill them all” with no target) to meet this threshold. Such expressions will typically remain.
3️⃣ Offerings We Generally Leave Alone
We remain neutral about offerings that:
- Contain profanity or harsh language without violent threat.
- Express anger, grief, or pain in general terms.
- Are offensive or politically charged without threatening specific people or groups.
We recognize the Temple is a space for all participants to grapple with deep emotions—including ones that make others uncomfortable. We will not remove offerings solely for being offensive, vulgar, or politically controversial.
4️⃣ How We Handle Reports and Discoveries
If you, as a Guardian, see an offering you believe crosses the line:
- Notify your Voice and/or Support for decisions and record-keeping.
- The offering will be documented as part of our Must Report process (including photos if appropriate).
- The offering will be carefully removed by either a Voice or Support staff if it meets removal criteria.
If you are a participant wondering why an offering was removed:
Guardians will calmly explain our policy and clarify that we do not allow threats of violence or hate speech directed at individuals or groups in the Temple.
5️⃣ What Happens to Removed Offerings
- They will be placed in the Temple offering box (as with past practice).
- The Offering Box and all of its contents will be included in the Temple Burn on Sunday.
- They will remain documented via Must Report, maintaining transparency about what was removed and why.