Why are there no windows in the Kingdom Hall?

Blanka · #1 Jun 21, '05, 8:57 am

I notice that all of the Kingdom Halls (Jehovah Witness meeting places) that I have ever seen do not have windows. I have seen Kingdom Hall's in various cities and states and observed that their construction and size may be different but all had no windows......
I asked a JW co-worker about it one time but she was unable to answer the question other than to speculate that it may be to save money.
Does anyone know why?

At His Feet · #2 Jun 21, '05, 9:37 am

I've seen Kingdom Halls both with and without windows. I asked about it one time and I believe the answer I got was - to save money.

I've heard people (whether humorously or not, I couldn't tell) speculate that they must be doing something in there that they don't want people to observe. In reality, a meeting at the Kingdom Hall is about the most straight-laced thing you would ever want to see.

catsrus · #3 Jun 21, '05, 10:46 am

jws pride themselves on putting up a kingdom hall in 2 days. Yes, 2 days. That time frame doesn't leave an extra minute for "extras". Like windows.

jschwehm · #4 Jun 23, '05, 6:09 am

Hi Gang:

I get that question all of the time. I really do not know the answer to it. Both Kingdom Halls I attended on a regular basis had very few windows. I think maybe they do not want the people inside to be looking out of them. The meetings can get long and boring so perhaps they do that to decrease distractions for the people inside.

Jeff Schwehm
www.catholicxjw.com
www.cafepress.com/catholicxjw (I have some cool T-shirts with Catholic sayings on them available here.)

Elliott · #5 Jun 23, '05, 7:13 pm

Maybe they like to stay in darkness???

Ric · #6 Jun 23, '05, 8:08 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blanka

I notice that all of the Kingdom Halls (Jehovah Witness meeting places) that I have ever seen do not have windows. I have seen Kingdom Hall's in various cities and states and observed that their construction and size may be different but all had no windows......
I asked a JW co-worker about it one time but she was unable to answer the question other than to speculate that it may be to save money.
Does anyone know why?

You know what? I've asked that very question before (even on a JW message board). I never got an answer.

The best response I ever got was that you can't throw a rock through a brick wall!

iwonder · #7 Jun 23, '05, 8:46 pm

I have a male cousin who is a Jehovah Witness. I asked him what they do in there behind closed doors and why I could not come to see. His answer was straight forward enough. They are counting the number of handouts distributed, totaling up the number of potential new witnesses they found, and counting money, all of which must be sent to some place in New York, I think he said, to which the Halls are accountable. Boring and tedious indeed. So I would guess they have no windows because they do not want anyone to see the absence of worship inside. They want to retain the facade of being an actual religion. I don't know. My cousin now shuns me as I was not convertible.

Andrea · #8 Jun 25, '05, 5:32 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ric

You know what? I've asked that very question before (even on a JW message board). I never got an answer.

The best response I ever got was that you can't throw a rock through a brick wall!

This is the same response I've gotten when I've asked friends who are JW. Sadly, it would just be too expensive to replace broken windows all the time

Ric · #9 Jun 25, '05, 7:13 pm

I think we need to send a mole in!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrea

This is the same response I've gotten when I've asked friends who are JW. Sadly, it would just be too expensive to replace broken windows all the time

**Katie1723** · #10 Jun 26, '05, 6:07 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by catsrus

jws pride themselves on putting up a kingdom hall in 2 days. Yes, 2 days. That time frame doesn't leave an extra minute for "extras". Like windows.

The Amish put up a barn in a day.
~ Kathy ~

adventistnomore · #11 Jun 26, '05, 10:38 am

Well, from what I understand (and this echoes what someone else posted), the real reason why they avoid having windows is vandalism. Would u have astained-glass window church if you knew your weren't liked by your neighbors, and there have been incidents of window-breaking and other forms of vandalism?.... Hence, "you can't throw a stone through a brick wall."

Kevan · #12 Jun 26, '05, 11:52 am

Almost nobody ever looks in a church window and sees what happens in a service.

I'm surprised to hear that the J-dubs don't have a ready answer to this question, but I think the vandalism theory makes perfect sense. In the old days they made a lot of enemies with their obnoxious witnessing methods, not to mention their unorthodox teachings--so the JWs have a persecution mentality based on hard evidence. Remember, it isn't paranoia if they really are out to get you.

Somebody turned the outfit around and now the witnesses are taught to be nice when going door-to-door, so the old antagonism has faded radically. I'd suppose that their persecution has been reduced by 90% compared to seventy years ago

Part of that might be the climate of this age. Nobody believes much of anything any more, and they don't care much about the few things they do believe. So nobody cares what the J-dubs believe. "Eh, whatever..."

catsrus · #13 Jun 26, '05, 12:32 pm

Quote:

originally posred by Katie1723
The Amish put up a barn in a day.

Hi Katie,
Being from South Central PA myself, I do know this to be true. Unlike the jws though, the Amish don't have to run plumbing and electricity through the barns.

Lisa4Catholics · #14 Jun 26, '05, 1:40 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ric

I think we need to send a mole in!

The Eurasian · #15 Jun 26, '05, 1:47 pm

Can you check and see if the Masonic lodges in your areas also have NO WINDOWS. The one in our area has no windows. I think it has the FM mark.