The Final Hurdle of becoming a Muslim is

"Does the Trinity make sense, or is it just polytheism in disguise?"

"Did Jesus ever actually say it's OK to eat pigs?"

"Was he crucified, or beamed up at the last minute?"

Are these topics a fair cross-section of what gets everyone fired up in interfaith forums? Do they help convince anyone who isn't already convinced? Where might I find a less dogmatic (and therefore more persuasive) presentation of the case for God/Allah?

Rational wrote: It's not for us to ask him anything. The plasticine is his and so he can do whatever he wishes with it. He can choose to give whatever purpose to a figure. He can choose to have a figure with no purpose at all. He can choose to make a figure with no arms infinitly or temporarily. He can then choose to give the same figure arms and wings. The plasticine is his, he's the one working with it, he knows the purpose, we can only claim and assume we know. He qualifies to dictate over the plasticine in any way he chooses.

By substituting lifeless objects in place of sentient beings you seem to imply that questions 3 & 4 above are both irrelevant. To me, they make a huge difference.

Maybe it is naive for me to think that 'justice' has something to do with whether the punishment fits the crime.  I am guessing that many readers would agree with you that - just as we see in the grubby world of realpolitik -  it's really all about who is in charge, and who doles out the punishment. As long as they're one and the the same, then my notion of 'justice' is rendered totally meaningless or, at best, an airy-fairy construct for philosophers and dreamers.

Rational wrote: I have an example. Tell me what you think. A child is given some plasticine and begins to create several figures. He decided that a couple of them are not to his liking and so chooses to put them into the recycling bin. Is this 'apparent injustice' to those unfortunate figures? He owns them and created them so it's his business what he does with them and no one has the right to tell him anything. If anyone shares their opinion with him by saying he is unfair, it's not incumbent upon him to answer.

1  Did the child damage some of the plasticine figures?
2. If yes, was it on purpose, just so they would be 'not to his liking'?
3. Does each plasticine figure also have an immortal soul?
4. Will there be eternal suffering for the 'recycled' figures?
5. Is the child fully aware of all these facts?
6. Does he generally appear to know right from wrong?

What I think depends very much on these details.