Finally a topic where I can contribute.
I was raised as a JW from the time I was about 8 until I was 20, this was from the 1970s to 1991 when I finally told them I was done. My information only applies to that time period, I'm sure their beliefs have changed since then for several reasons.
It is staggering the amount of cognitive dissonance they employ, both about Russel and about the world in general. Russel used the cross and pyramidology in his publications, wore a huge beard and the early church celebrated things like birthdays. Today JWs are not allowed to wear beards, can't celebrate birthdays and view pyramidology as part of the occult. Basically, while holding their founder in high regard they basically are forbidden from doing anything he did- his actions would have gotten him kicked out of the modern church.
Back when I attended college education was forbidden. I think they have changed their tune on that, but us school aged kids were constantly told not to go to college because Jesus was returning soon and our time was better spent knocking on doors to convert people and sell magazines. It sucks, because most of the kids my age listened and took menial jobs making minimal money while spending 60-100 hours per month knocking on doors. There are other measurements of success besides money, but my generation in that church was often living with their parents well into adulthood because they simply couldn't make enough money to live on. Several of my friends even dropped out of high school with the church's blessing, to spend more time knocking on doors.
Their beliefs on the blood issue are constantly changing- they used to deny vaccines for the same reason as blood transfusions but changed theirs stance. They used to not allow any blood derived products, but have slowly changed their position on that as well. I have no idea what is allowed now, but I remember things changing when I was a kid and thinking about the people who had died refusing something that was later allowed. They would occasionally publish an article in their Awake magazine with pictures of all the kids that died refusing blood transfusions and talking about how great and brave they were, basically brainwashing everyone into getting ready to let their kids die for no good reason. In retrospect it's disgusting.
Russel had a few dates picked out for the end of the world- I think they were mostly in the late 1800s. Once that didn't happen, they moved on to 1914. Once that didn't happen, they claimed Jesus took over heaven in 1914 (apparently Satan was in control up until then) and kicked Satan to earth. The belief then was that the generation born in 1914 would still be alive for Armageddon. For a while there was an unofficial (but never discouraged) belief that the end would come in 1976 because that was exactly 6000 years after Adam was created. They are YECs, if that wasn't obvious. That didn't happen, but back in the 1980s when I was still a member there was a very strong belief that it was coming before the end of the century. People born in 1914 were getting old and people love to pick even, round numbers for events. I disassociated myself (you have to formally leave to really not be considered a member) in 1991 so am not sure what happened after 2000 came and went.
Their tag line on their publications used to state that Jesus would return before the generation born in 1914 died out, I'm sure they have since removed that. But to the question about how you can be wrong so many times and still stay in business- the human brain is fantastic and rationalizing things. Combine that with some tried and true brainwashing techniques and you have a recipe for exactly what you see now.
Beliefs have nothing to do with objectivity. Only the person who believes can tell you what they believe and why they believe it. What you are apparently looking for is some scholar's "analysis" of what they believe the JW believe justified by what that scholar believes about them.
