I'm still currently a JW myself and I'm serving as a Minsterial Servant in a limited capacity. (a few weeks ago I was vocal about the doubts I've had and the elders made the decision to allow me to stay on as a MS but without giving talks)
1. Recently as in the last few years I've been paying more attention to the various members in the congregation and I've observed some interesting things. Quite a few people have problems with meeting attendance, with the exception of a few individuals it appears that many members of the congregation are struggling to make it to all of the meetings. Now that I'm older and have a family of my own it really seems unfair to me that so much pressure is put upon the congregation to make 3 meetings week and field service. I look at some of the people as they come to the Kingdom Hall and I can see the exhaustion in their faces. I've noticed that even some of the elders and servants are struggling to make it to the Hall.
It really seems unloving in my opinion to browbeat the congregation about meeting attendance when the majority of the people are tired out from working secular jobs all week and caring for household chores as well as attending to their families. This is all in addition to having to conduct a family study, personal study, keeping up with the latest copies of the Watchtower and Awake, daily bible reading, daily text reading and several hours of field service within the week.
2. Another issue that I have is that of field service time. There is a constant theme of doing more in the ministry: Do you have the pioneer spirit? Are you keeping up with or exceeding the national average for field service time? Can you increase your hours in the ministry? It really annoys me to hear these talks over and over again to push people into field service. It seems to me that there is more emphasis being placed on putting in high hours than anything else. What if I only turn in 5 hours a month but I'm helping several people learn about the bible? Does that make my time less valid that a person with 60 hours of service who is unable to help or talk to anyone?
Another thought about field service is the reporting of time. Why is there even a need to submit how much time you spend preaching? It is'nt up to a congregation or to the WTS to determine how much time a person needs to spend preaching. I'm not sure when this practice got started but it does'nt even seem bibical and it surely should'nt be a means to judge how spritual a person might be.
3. Various rules and restrictions: Its amazing how many rules and regulations that are in place that have no bibical signficance. For example rated R movies, the WTS are constantly issuing the warning that witnesses should'nt watch rate R movies. But in reality this should be a matter of conscience, but the WTS attempts to enforce this view on JWs even with the threat of being counseled and put on scriptural reproof.
Oral sex is another area where the WTS has felt the need to put restrictions on. Again this should be a matter of conscience or personal preference between a husband and wife. But just like with the movies a couple can be severely counseled and even disfellowshipped if they are known to practice oral sex.
Rap and certain rock music is still another issue where the society has put limitations on. Instead of allowing the individual to use their own discretion of what might be acceptable and un-acceptable in these areas of music the WTS has made a blanket statement saying that all rap music and certain types of rock music are bad. Whether this is the case or not, because the WTS has labeled it bad witnesses are not allowed to listen to this type of music.
4. Personal grooming is even severely limited. Men are not allowed to wear beards or anything outside of short hair styles. How the WTS came up with this I have no idea. I fail to see how a man can be identified as being spiritual or not in regards to how he wears his facial hair. As long as a person is clean and presentable there should'nt be any issue with their appearance. Some of the women have been made special targets based upon their physical dimensions. Some female witnesses may be accused of dressing inapppropiately no matter what they wear because of their physiques. But again if a person is clean and presentable then there should'nt be any problem with what they are wearing.
A few other things that I wonder about:
The celebration of birthdays and Thanksgiving. There are no pagan origins involved in these celebrations but if it becomes known that a person celebrates these then they will be admonished or disciplined.
Conventions and assemblies: I've reached the point in my life where it literally drives me insane to have to sit for hours listening to the same information that I heard in the last week or 2. Apparently I'm not the only who feels like this based upon the many elders, servants and other congregation members I see standing around in the lobbies talking about any and everything.
Perhaps one of the biggest issues is the use of the scripture at Proverbs 4:18. (the light keeps getting brighter) I've read that entire chapter and I fail to see how it applies to changes in doctrines in teaching. Its interesting to note that the apostles never used that scripture when they had their misunderstandings of the bible.
Just rereading what I wrote is making me even more annoyed. I better stop now before I totally lose my cool.