Hey Heisenberg, hopefully you're still checking this, I wanted to reply to your issues.
First, about attacking WT vs other religions. I am looking at other churches and religions, I've even attended some. Many of these other christian churches are non judgemental. This prysberterian church I've been to a couple times because of my significant other...they teach about Jesus teachings of love and not being judgemental. In many of these, if a member leaves, they do NOT shun or teach shunning them or teach that they are mentally diseased and avoid like the plague.
Muslims are similar to JW's in that way, but an ex JW who left because their conscious couldn't allow them to remain a JW after learning the truths the Governing Body hide and cover up, whose family is taught by the WT to hate and treat as if dead, not even emailing them, vs other christian religions that teach that they universally accept Jesus and each person has a right to their own faith and beliefs and not to push or judge others, is a big difference. If WT didn't teach to shun those who chose not to worship the governing body and obey them and put them above the bible, then most people wouldn't care. It's the damage the WT teachings have when they demand obediance and say salvation is based on obeying the Governing Body then when they are shown to be wrong time and time again, they'll ask you bend over and accept that, "In past times Jehovah's Witnesses (that's YOU, NOT THE GB) have been presumptuous and over eager....".
As for Christmas.......yes some pagan practices were adopted and yes Jesus was probably not born then. So why should or would christians celebrate it? I asked the same after I left of some close friends. The bible says first not to judge what day a person puts as higher than another, some may observe the full moon, etc. If a person observes a day let it be to give glory to God. People I've talked with said when they do christmas, they are NOT celebrating some old pagan god, but celebrating Christ and how God sent him for our sins. To convert pagans and make it easier, they took the evil out of the pagan practices and made them christian. Also, most of what is christmas today isn't rooted in anything. Most is modern. If a person really does look for everything in origin, they would have to use different calender, call days by different names, not do wedding dress, cake, etc, so just because something meant something 2,000 years ago doesn't mean it does today. ALSO if you do take something on it's roots, the WT is VERY hypocritical that it matters what something meant or originated 2,000 years ago but ignore the WT's teachings and practices from 10 years ago let alone 100 years ago when it was in it's early days. If you bring up the old teachings and a chain of events on how the doctrine today is what it is, you'll be told the only thing that matters is what is taught today. The WT likes to have it's cake and eat it too.
Now, your question on believing in God or not. Yes I do. Thought I'm not certain on truth, but I believe in God or a God because when I see all life, plants, the cycles on the Earth, etc, I see intelligent design. As humans advance in science with computers, robotics, etc, I see all life on Earth as a very advanced science, creating biological lifeforms. You'll find one side insists all by chance that it came out of nowhere because no evidence a superior being made it and another that since we can't find the real origins or replicate,etc, that it's evidence it was created etc. Both sides require equal faith. If matter is eternal, can't be created or destroyed but changed in one form or another, how is that easier to believe then God having always been (neither created or destroyed).
You say nobody can go from JW to a protestant or catholic faith after being a JW. To a catholic faith perhaps. If you learn history, Catholics had full control, then protestant came from Luther's movement, they exposed the false teachings of Catholics and that a person can learn and read the bible on their own. That then spawned all the other faiths since those who went protestant side could disagree and another variation made. JW's are a form of protestant that have slowly gone back to Catholic methods with the elders/circuit overseer, disfellowshipping, control, etc.
From my reading of the bible, it shows before 'the end' that there is no unified one set of people. Christ's people and God's people are scattered, they are those who have love among themselves. In many of these religions you can find good people. The bible says after Jesus leaves it would be the spirit that would guide people, not a physical temple, from what I've read it seems the bible teaches truth can't be found with people but they can encourage when you meet and associate with like minded.
