Theists: How can predetermined fate and free will coexist?

[robvalue]

God creating reality, knowing every detail of what will happen the instant he creates it, is akin to him writing a very complicated story. He writes every word. He writes every murder, rape, AIDS baby and hurricane. He could have changed any of those details so that something else happens at that precise time, since he has an infinite numbers of scenarios to choose from and he has no boundaries (so we're usually told).

In this story he decides to write, for some reason he thinks making some elements of it self aware is a good idea. Let some poor bastards endure all the rape, murder, hunger and tragedy. Sure, they get to enjoy some good times too. But that doesn't justify all the bad stuff he's choosing to write in. He knows the bad stuff will happen. He could have missed every and any single instance of it out. But he didn't. Sadist.

Talking about what he's trying to achieve is laughable, because he has no obstacles or adversaries (who can stop him). He can write whatever ending he wants, without having to write in a bunch of shit first.

Oh yeah, he then judges the characters in his story. Hmm, that character did a wank. Even though I wrote that he did a wank, I'll say it was his decision. I could have written other stuff, so that means he had free will. I'll just burn him forever. Wow this is getting boring, I'll go play some god-basketball now.

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Of course, this doesn't play out quite like this if God sets up the initial conditions but then isn't able to predict everything that will happen. So if you drop precognition, he loses at least a little of the responsibility.

However, he has still set up the parameters of the reality so that suffering is possible. That's on him. There was no requirement to do that.

Would you do that, if you were setting up a reality?