[Joker_vD]

Epidemies, lightning strikes, floods, crop failures, sudden demolitions, unexpected illnesses — all that stuff has been described as "wrath of god/god's punishments" until very, very recent times. So yeah, he does allow people make their own choice but he also punishes wrong choices amply, not to mention putting people into all kinds of "trials and tribulations".

And I am not making any of that stuff up, that used to be (and "the god tries you" still is) part of generally accepted theology; C. S. Lewis definitely subscribed to "the god sends you trials" part of it which does make that quote hilariously blind-spotted.