Today your friend could come back into the Catholic Church and receive Communion. With the JWs, your friend never will, because your friend is not now and never will be one of the 144,000.
That's another thing that always puzzled me about JWs. By now, those coveted 144,000 spots have to be filled. Everyone else simply dies. No afterlife. So WHY all the effort to convert people to JW? I mean, can't you be an athiest and believe in no afterlife?
Then you can have birthday cake, too.
One place that I really get worked up about is the no blood transfusions edict. Even for kids.
This is based on the OLD testament proscription of eating meat that has the "life" in it. I.e. blood.
So in the JW view, when you get a transfusion you are "eating" blood, which is a no-no. To the point where you must die to not "sin".
Again, why the fuss over the OT rules? Jesus created a NEW covenant. Not one where you get into heaven by following arcane rituals.
JWs don't keep Kosher, though. Can't figure that one out either.