I appreciate your thought-provoking article. I would agree that God predetermining all the outcomes in our life would be taking away our free will, but I don't think most God-fearing people believe that our lives and choices are predetermined. At least I don't believe that. I view God as a very wise and loving parent who sees the potential outcomes to the decisions we make, encourages us to make wise decisions, but ultimately allows us to make whatever decisions we choose, for good or bad. If God loves us (a belief that most God-fearing faiths accept) and had already determined our choices for us, don't you think He would have done a better job steering us clear of the sorrow and misery that we all go through at one point or another? The reality is that God allows us to make our mistakes so that we can learn and grow and improve. He'll encourage us to take a happier path and try to teach us how to get there, but He will never force us down any path against our wills. So that the consequences of our mistakes don't dog us for eternity, He provided a Savior, Jesus Christ, to make payment for our mistakes and shortcomings, offer healing, and give us the strength to rise above our weaknesses. It can be difficult to understand God's ways with our limited sight, understanding, and experience (just like it's difficult for most of us to understand quantum physics if we haven't mastered the basics of that field of study), but as we study His words, ponder with an open mind, and desire a greater understanding, our minds can be enlightened and we can feel the truth in our hearts. It is that feeling, given by the Holy Ghost, that allows us to believe so strongly in something we cannot see and don't fully understand yet.