Reasonfirst did you also read literature that presents the Christian perspective? We all tend to be guilty of conformation bias.
Enough l don't know where you are in the world, are you American? You seem to have had contact with churches that are very dogmatic in their views.
I'm a member of the Church of England ( l have never been a JW ) and l am perfectly free to say that l have a different idea about such and such .
Yes in funerals , particularly those of people who never came to church when alive , sometimes the mourners are given comfort by the thought that their relatives are in a " better place " . It helps them in their grief.
Yes we celebrate Christmas but what is sooo awful about that? It sounds like a case of taking the boy out of the WT etc .
We all have different thoughts on some things but no one falls out and no one gets thrown out .
Jan