My workplace is right across the alley from a Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall. Whenever we have a staff meeting or a special event where we have more cars than parking spots, we sometimes borrow a few spaces in the Jehovah's Witnesses' parking lot. Parking on the street is very hard to get and is limited to two hours, because we are a block away from a hospital and in a residential area. The Jehovah's Witnesses' lot is usually completely empty all day and most evenings, except when they are having their meetings. Even then, it is rarely completely full.

Several years ago, we were told that, if they are not having a meeting at the time, it is okay to park there temporarily. However, lately, we have started getting complaints. Apparently, they have video surveillance footage of both our parking lot and their's. When our staff got larger this summer, we removed a storage garage and a row of lilac bushes to accommodate more cars. Even so, we still need to park in the Jehovah's Witnesses' lot sometimes, while snow is being cleared or we have a very large attendance for meetings.

Today we received our final warning from the Jehovah's Witnesses. They quite angrily told us that we are never to park in their parking lot again, at any time, under any circumstances.

Apparently, it's okay for Jehovah's Witnesses to come on your property any time they want ... but try to go on their property, and they don't seem to like it very much! I'd love to say to them, "So, what you're telling me is ... I keep coming here, and you keep asking me not to come back, but I just keep coming back anyway, no matter what you say or do? Don't you hate when that happens?"

As much as I joke about it, I am actually pretty disappointed in the Jehovah's Witnesses' behaviour. I am not saying we don't have to respect their wishes or that they don't have the right to private property, but I do think they are being unreasonable and selfish. They don't need every single parking spot in their lot ever minute of every day. You'd think that they would want to stick together, and maintain a positive relationship, especially since we are the only two buildings that make up our block, and we are both non-secular organizations.

Also, in the past, I think we have been very lenient in regards to their behaviour. Have I ever objected to them parking in our parking lot all night long every Halloween in order to guard their Kingdom Hall from potential vandalism? Don't we always politely accept their religious tracts and magazines? We never deny them the opportunity to try to convert our residents, even though our group home is run by a Christian organization.

If they keep this up ... they're going to give Jehovah's Witnesses a bad name!!!

"And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."
Acts 5:42

"Let all the brothers, however, preach by their deeds."
Saint Francis of Assisi