No windows at Kingdom Hall?

Question

Can someone explain the significance behind Jehovah's Witnesses not having any windows on their buildings of worship?

Answer 1

"Mel" Wish you were still a JW's, because that is a excellent answer you gave, thanks.

"searcher" has your religion build this many buildings in a year, I believe not.

During the service year, 2,340 Kingdom Halls were completed around the world. This represents an average of 195 halls per month, or just over 6 per day! Since November 1999 when the construction program in lands with limited resources began, 11,930 Kingdom Halls have been built. In many areas, once a hall is finished, meeting attendance soars and halls are soon filled to capacity.

And the reason we have to build so many Kingdom Halls is this:

Last year 2005, 247,631, became Jehovah's Witnesses and everyone of these had to change their minds pertaining to the false teachings that they had been taught, these were people that used their own Bible, King James, etc., 28,384 were from the United States.

When you build as many Kingdom Halls as we do each year, you save money by not having windows, we do not waste money. The money we save in a year, with the amount of Halls being build, would more than likely pay for a Kingdom Hall, in some countries.

Many of our Kingdom Halls do have windows, the one I attend, in CA. does not.

Answer 2

Actually, some Kingdom Halls do have windows. Others do not have windows because of cost and for the sake of security. Generally, a Kingdom Hall is built without windows in areas which tend toward hate crimes and vandalism against houses of worship.

Pictures of some Kingdom Halls that *do* have windows:
http://defendingjehovahswitnesses.blogspot.com/2011/09/windows-and-kingdom-halls-of-jehovahs.html

We invite all interested ones to attend meetings with us at our Kingdom Halls. Just contact your local Kingdom Hall for times.

From the Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site:

"Jehovah’s Witnesses hold meetings for worship twice each week. (Hebrews 10:24, 25) At these meetings, which are open to the public, we examine what the Bible says and how we can apply its teachings in our life.

Most of our services include audience participation, much like a classroom discussion. Meetings begin and end with song and prayer.

You don’t have to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses to attend our meetings. We invite everyone to come along. Seats are free. No collections are ever taken."

Full Article:
http://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/meetings/

Also see:

Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses meet together? What happens at those meetings? And what do visitors who are not Jehovah’s Witnesses say about the meetings?
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/wp20090201/invited-to-the-kingdom-hall/

Answer 3

there is no significance. having no windows gives more freedom with arrangement of the building inside.

most also have a hallway all round the building this lets them have rooms around the whole building for Sunday school classes and then the "Church" part in the center for services.

Also as a side note many Non Witness Churches have windows but they are stained glass that you can't see through anyway, why doesn't any put a significance to that?

Answer 4

I was raised as one, but I'm no longer in the faith.

The Kingdom Halls are usually built in 2 days by a volunteer group of several congregations from surrounding areas. They use pre-engineered plans from the home office in NYC, altered slightly for local code. When they do have windows, they're usually small and inconspicuous. The utilities are a lot less expensive (notice that a whole lot of them also have brick vaneer)

Considering the voluntary "tithing" nature of the orgainisation, most of the buildings look more like clinics and small busnesses, efficiently built, cheap to operate and maintain.

Answer 5

This question has been asked before... Im not a JW but I studied with the JWs for a few years. That Kingdom Hall DID have windows. Not stained glass or anything, they were like auditorium windows. Maybe the halls that dont have them just wanted to save $$ on construction?

Answer 6

As another person mentioned. This is an interesting observation. I did some research and found this answer from another website. As a pastor's daughter, I don't buy the lack of construction costs as a valid issue, since most churches I attend have had to raise the money and do the work themselves as well.

Here is the link: http://www.answerbag.com/a_view.php/39322

Answer 7

Same reason prison camps have few if any windows. Its all part of the brain washing process. Limit the contact to the outside world and you can begin to break down the mind with your own information flow. At least that is what I have heard.

Answer 8

Whether it was done on purpose or not, it is symbolic of how the leaders of the JW's want to close off all personal understanding of scripture and "enlighten" people with their own interpretations and revelations of scripture. This has become dogmatic and heretical, they have twisted the scripture into a lie, it is deceptive and demonic in doctrine.

Answer 9

I feel it does not matter that there are no window, but more important is the message that is given in the place of worship.

Answer 10

I have been to the hall and there is windows in there... I have never come across one that had none at all..

Answer 11

Probably they don't want people to distract looking out the window while the speech is going.