You said.....”This kid, so roundly rebuked out of the gate, had a better grasp on his faith and personal relationship with Jesus than most of the schooled individuals on this site”.......
Justin Bieber is not an individual that mature Christians would use as a measuring rod regarding other Christians relationship with God on FR.
“the marriage wont last more than a year.” -Secret Agent Man
“I don’t think Justin is sane enough to stay married. certainly not mature enough.” -Cyclops08
“Maybe join a church? For heavens sake, not Travolta’s.” -Beowulf9
“Crucify him. He’ll yell quit on the first nail. He’ll take the slow path like every other sinner,unless he dedicates his fortune to the Mother Theresa foundation, and wears humble weeds for the rest of his life.Then he could have a chance at the redemption every human seeks.” -Candor7
“He’ll OD before 30.” -SMGFan
Doesn't sound very Christlike to me. It actually sounds like judgment, and it's not their place to do that.
So compared to the folks who made the above posts, I think Justin exhibited far more understanding of what it means to be In Christ, especially considering he gave the interview three years ago.