that maintaining one's faith is an essential,  unchanging characteristic of a true Christian.

However, when faced with examples of  devout individuals who have renounced  

their Christian faith, the claimant might respond,  

"Well, anyone who leaves the faith was  never a true Christian to begin with."

This reaction demonstrates the No  True Scotsman fallacy. It involves  

redefining the criteria of what  constitutes a 'true Christian' in  

response to a counterexample that  challenges the original claim.

Instead of acknowledging that faith  can be complex and subject to change,  

even among sincere believers, the assertion  is adjusted to dismiss these instances as  

not fitting the 'true Christian' definition. This approach sidesteps the need to address the  

original statement's validity and avoids engaging  with the reality of diverse faith experiences.