Sometimes it's easy to see the favoritism at work. If you are in long enough, you will see examples of it. And if you are close to some of the elders, you get to hear about a lot more of it. Not only is it always a bit surprising that it is happening, it is even more shocking when you realize that they are fine with breaking certain rules or looking the other way, even though the Sunday sermons are all about minding those little things and not chipping away at one another's faith.
I think it is one of the things that very quietly undermined my own faith. How can you say "no exceptions, you must be perfect like God" on Sunday and then shrug your shoulders when you see people who don't even try, and nothing happens to them?