Allowing evil to take hold of those you created/love isn't what I'd call a loving act, jezza. It's like putting an infant next to a bucket of scalding water and then saying they have the choice of whether or not to put their hand in it. Why not get rid of the danger? Allowing the possibility of sin isn't a matter of lovingly giving people choice. It's about setting people up to fail.
And you make the Devil sound like simply a person who doesn't believe in God/wants to live their own life. You're calling me, and a number of people here, the Devil.
And OK, I'll rephrase my comment - that the only way to complete our purpose in life (ie, getting to Heaven) is by following and worshipping a God that we often do not agree with is utterly offensive. How's that?
And one last thing - if God wanted to give us the choice, why does the Word need to be spread? We've made our Choice, why the need to go preaching annoyingly at us? Or does God want to give us a choice, but only the one he wants?