why would God create us as puppets? When you create something you love you want it to express itself? Or would you deny your own child free-will? Is your child your puppet? When that child touches the hot stove and comes running to you for comfort, do you say sorry I told you not to touch it I have nothing for you? Someitmes that childs expressions wound you, but you still love that child, you want that child to come back.Do you want that child to express his love for you because he’s your puppet(without a mind of his own)? Or someone who truly loves you because now he knows the rules were there to protect him from the pain of the hot stove? And those things you tell him are because you love him, and don’t want him to suffer. Yes God gives us free-will because he wants that love to be free and not a puppet on a string. Could He have done it differently? sure He could have, but if you truly love something you have to be willing to set it free.