Great post, processor! I have it marked for future reading. I've often remarked that the JWs are like the Pharisees, and your post goes into great detail with direct parallels.
Designs - I understand your point as well. I've often read that the Pharisees as depicted in the NT do not represent the actual school, and this depiction contributed to anti-semitism through the ages. Still, to the JWs that I know, 'Pharisee' is simply a buzzword for a self-righteous, hypocritical, rule-obsessed dogmatism. Ironically, the JW religion reflects this - so comparing them to Pharisees is a good tool to use in debates with them.