Argument from "You did it wrong"

[vulcanlogician]

I think somebody's a Billy Joel fan.

[vorlon13]

I'd assert the argument that one didn't do it right is refuted in Romans 9 KJV;

18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

No asterisk or anything on this verse, so God uses His capricious nature to dole out the perks regardless of ones piety or fealty.

[zipperpull]

"No true scotsman" is pretty much it. I find it interesting (and one of my main reasons for conversion) that we have to jump through so many hoops to prove an all-powerful creator of the universe that loves us exists - like hold up I didn't pray correctly? Does the god have his own set of rules for each language? What about dialects and cultural colloquialisms?

Vulcanlogician: Was going for Graham and Olsteen

[Simon Moon]

I'm sure some of you have heard/used this argument in the past, and I was wondering if there's a colloquial term for it?

Something along the lines of:
Billy: I used to be a christian, but I researched my way out.
Joel: Then you were never a true christian.
Billy: I felt like I was, I prayed every day.
Joel: You have to pray more than once a day...
Billy: I did, I was constantly in prayer.
Joel: You weren't praying correctly, you have to ask for forgiveness first.
Billy: I did...every time...
Joel: But did you believe it?
Billy: Yes...
Joel: Well clearly not, because if you did you wouldn't be an atheist now.

I think this kind of argument from a theist is possibly a defense mechanism.

Deep down, they may be worried that they may loose their own belief, so they have to rationalise that anyone else that is no longer a Christian, was never one in the first place.

It's a textbook "no true Scotsman".