"My assertion is that, without free will, everything is meaningless. And, if everything is meaningless, why bother with anything[...]
Without free will everything would be meaningless to us, but I'm not sure that would have a significant impact on life in it's entirety. Therefore, life might, as a matter of it being the only thing that works, require us to evolve into thinking we have free will, without ever really being in the driver's seat, so to speak. Looking at faithful fanatics we can see that once our minds decide something we're capable of closing our eyes to everything that doesn't align with what we want to believe. I don't see any reason why this can't happen on a subconscious level without us even being aware that we're choosing an illusion.
Regarding fence-sitting... I wouldn't say it's desirable so much as necessary for me, personally, to get a more comprehensive view of as many sides as possible, but I don't feel caught in the middle. I feel like I have options. :)
I can wake up tomorrow a slave to a tyrannical god or a god in my own right. Or neither at all. Who knows how it all really works?
Sounds like a reasonable 'truth-seeking' position to take. Personally, even though I find myself solidly on the 'free will' side of the fence, I strongly prefer truth to illusion, deception, or whatever the alternative might be. That is why I welcome constructive discourse with other genuine truth-seekers.
I used to fall the same way, but experience has taught me few things are as simple as they seem and the bigger the questions the more complex the answers, if any exist at all.
I think we could each find some unknown to drive ourselves mad in pursuit of an answer to, but that denies us the wonder of the mystery. I’m pretty sure if there ever comes a time when the world’s fate hinges on my understanding of everything someone or something will drop me a line. 😁