Sadly, that is sometimes the claim.
We know it is never really a choice, because for it to be a choice there needs to be knowledge and the variables need to be set. How does a person who does not know God make the choice to defy him? Yes, people may know him by name, but for many, his name means about as much as the name of any of the characters in SpongeBob Squarepants. Of course, if Patrick Star were to make himself known as something that's real and not fictional and said, "give me a krabby patty and be rewarded, refuse me and die" then you can pretty much say, if they turn around and say, "make your own damn patty you stupid starfish!" you pretty much can determine that they made their choice - a bit extreme, but I suppose there are some pretty extreme vegans out there. However, a person doesn't generally choose to be under the command of another's tyranny, their choices in life could well lead them to that place, but to say they made the choice to be there suggests they knew they would reach that destination.
It's like with heaven and hell. I don't understand why people suggest God gave people free will. If He did, He would not offer supreme happiness for those who obey and severe punishment for disobedience. It's be like pointing a gun at somebody's head and saying "suck me off", only with worse consequences. I wonder, if that person sucking me off had the freedom to choose? Particularly when the brain is hardwired for survival. Of course, for it be a fair analogy, my existence would need to be ambiguous, meaning only those who have been convinced I exist will suck me off. So if God really does exist, all that's happening, people are being fucked off without them making a conscious decision of it.
In Christianity and similar religions, your actions are only seen to be a means to an end, but those actions themselves not the end.