Well done, Vinny!
The JW teaching on blood transfusions was the one that caused me the most agony. I felt the Society simply had to be the true religion since no others seemed to be in agreement with the Bible's plainly stated command to "abstain from blood." Additionally, it was a fact that some people had died or had become seriously ill due to tainted or mismatched blood. I was convinced that the Society's position was expressive of God's view. That was one of the main reasons I felt conscientiously that it was my duty before God to downplay all the stumbling blocks in the organization that I had observed or experienced for decades. I viewed such things as tests God was allowing that I might demonstrate my loyalty and faithfulness to him!
A few months ago I had some fine email exchanges with a man who recently got up the courage to leave JWs. He went on and on for several days about all the badness he had observed in the organization for many years. But he was still hung up on the blood transfusion issue. He spent a lot of time trying to convince me that blood transfusions do more harm than good. It didn't matter to him that around the world millions of lives are preserved every year due to transfusions. The comparative handful who have died after receiving blood were clear enough evidence to him that the Society's view is the correct one. He is still searching for a religion with the same view. I think many JWs hang on to the Society as if Jesus had said, "By this all will know that you are my true disciples if you would rather die than accept a blood transfusion."
Freedom came in my own case when my eyes were opened by what Jesus said at Matthew 12:11, 12 and Luke 14:5, 6. I wish I had thought during those email exchanges to make some of the other arguments you provide in your well-thought-out presentation up above!
Frank