This thread is not merely to a debate about determinism, but more particularly a debate about the validity of determinism against the concept of free-will. Free-will limits itself to the question of choice, whereas determinism can include the inanimate happenings of a non-sentient universe as well; therefore, we should concentrate on the former.
I am under the impression that every philosophy forum should have innumerable threads dedicated to this issue--let this be the first one.