Lies, damn lies, and statistics

Thanks for your views on those questions. I don't know the answers but my opinion would be:

Once the initial conditions, forces and matter in the Universe were settled upon, was what we see today always going to happen?

No. Because there appears to be uncertainty built into the Universe. Some call it probability, some call it statistics. Building in uncertainty is a really neat trick. It comes from small things, the realm of quantum physics, it spreads itself around into large events, like tossing a coin, or shaping a cloud, or being conscious. In fact I would go as far as to postulate that probability is probably a necessity for free will to exist. Given it's time again, the Universe may have turned out similar to this one, but not exactly the same.

If so, then The Creator doesn't need to tinker with the machine at all. (emphasis added)

Another reason why I answered "no" to 1.

Does He?

I really don't know. As a Christian of course I believe He does, otherwise I would not bother praying, but that is a Faith thing. I've been asking for my leg to be healed for the last three years, and for a good Christian friend to be released from her paraplegic condition for the last two years but these things have yet to come to pass. Faith keeps me asking.