The Pharisees would have considered Jesus an apostate - correct?
Paul and the apostles were all apostates - correct?
The Spanish Inquisition was established to identify apostates - correct?
Anybody who rejects Islam is an apostate - correct?
Anybody changing religion to JW is an apostate - correct?
Anybody rejecting the JW doctrine is an apostate - correct?
Life goes on.
There is nothing a high control group loves more than to define themselves by opposition to an arch-enemy, real or contrived. Its been going on for thousands of years...