Ex pastor explains how Christianity is fake

[tackattack]

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It's not that difficult. We're not to judge others, but we are to judge ourselves. That is the purpose of the law and the Holy Spirit, to pint out ways we are not Christlike to repent from them. I don't and didn't judge this ex-pastor. I was merely pointing out that by his words he judged himself a faker, and by definition not a Christian. Then the band wagon got riled up at a perceived Christian being judgy to a down and out guy, when I was just calling a spade a spade. I am assured in my salvation. I can only speak for me. I can hope for others that I love and care for, even some of you, but I don't know. Christians are taught to have a genuine faith and assurance of their salvation. You study and learn how to judge yourself, it's called sanctification.  It is exactly like saying WE shouldn't judge others, and I am saved. Christians didn't originally call themselves Christians, it was a term used by non-Christians to label followers of Christ. This whole last two pages really isn't about anything other than agreeing to a definition of "true Christian". I'm sorry if you remain confused, I hope I cleared some of that up for you.

"It's not that difficult," as you say, only if you interpret the original as you do.

The original Matthew 7 says this: "[1] Judge not, that ye be not judged.  [2] For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."

I take this to mean, "don't judge others, your community, or yourself."  The reason for this was implied in the second verse: we are not capable of doing so, and if we do so we set ourselves up for future failures.  People can be good or bad over time, and most certainly can change.  Every judgment is jumping to a conclusion, including about our own righteousness.  That is as much a trap for us as thinking we or others are awful.  So not judging is a way of being on guard.  Many people who believe they are already saved are not on guard.

What may confuse this issue is that the saying which follows it in the Bible is about finding fault with another, the speck in another's eye.  But to me this explores only one aspect of the first idea.

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If you read in context, what makes you differentiate the 2 sentences as being about different things? Als, it doesn't say don't judge. It says don't judge or watch out for what's coming. Continue reading... "‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."
It's a warning that the tongue is a 2 edged sword and judging others heaps judgement back onto yourself. It is a warning on setting your house straight and being careful with your words before helping someone else. That's what it can be, helping others. There is a difference between discernment and judgement. The latter holds a denotation of condemnation that lacks in the former. You can't say the first sentence has a scope of self, other and community without reading scope into it and ignoring other verses.

Couple that with a few other verses like
bolding by me-

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Lamentations 3:40
Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the LORD.

1 Corinthians 11:27-31
Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.

2 Corinthians 13:5
Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?

Galatians 6:4
But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.

1 John 3:19-21
We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;

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People can certainly be good or bad over time, and most certainly can change. I also agree that
Every judgment is not jumping to a conclusion. Every judgement contains a valuation and worth premise. Every discernment just contains a valuation. Judges in courts can be wrong, and that's the trap we don't want to fall into by judging others, especially in the scope of an eternal soul. Hope that is a little clearer.

One more time, tackattack: I'm fine with calling people who are faking it until they make it fake Christians. I think that's a course of action that will discourage new converts and I think that, in the grand scheme of things, Christianity leans towards toxicity, so we're all better off if we mock the ones who struggle. You get to restrict Christianity to True Christians Only ™ and I think that would be great. I'm not arguing with you about how beliefs are formed, I agree. But did you know that sincerely trying to convince yourself that something is true often leads to belief that it's true? It would be grand to nip that sort of thinking in the bud, and mockery is an effective tool for that. Win!

Perhaps the T Swift call out was a bit distasteful. I don't think I would have done that to the person's face so I'll consider that mockery and bad on me. I intended it as the same kind of vitriolic humor prevalent here. Perhaps it's a bad influence? Empathy and understanding towards those struggling would be more appropriate.

Torture, systematic brainwashing, and chemically induced altered states of mind are proven ways to convince any of us to believe things we previously knew were untrue. The problem with self-deception is the sincerity. We can talk positive affirmations, positive expectancy, static paradox and the differences between rationalization and self-deception if you like. I like Triver's take on irrationality and emotionalism being a key to potential self deception in the subconscious. Nothing of what I was talking about was a plan for a course of action.