2. What is evil? What did God create when He created evil.
First the when: God created evil before the fall, before Adam's sin. the God-created evil did not corrupt the earth.
God did create the evil that entered the world after Adam sinned, and which has messed up our lives and world,
but that is only one of the three parts of evil that God created when He created evil.
It seems that all definitions have been wrong because they describe only part of the evil that we see.
Common definitions of evil include only those portions of evil that corrupt the earth after Adam's sin first corrupted the world.
Corrupting evil is everywhere, and it is impossible to define by itself.
Believers and unbelievers alike do not seem to believe that the Good God could create the evil we see.
often do this because they assume that evil has been in the world since humans could make bad choices.
Knowing all of the three parts of evil that God created will help:
First, in Genesis 1:27, is the created-in-the-image-of-God human ability to make entirely free choices. Each person is entirely responsible for each choice made.
In Genesis 2:17, God created the second and third parts of evil when He spoke to Adam: "Do not eat from that tree, or you will die."
The second part of evil is the 'bad' option.
The third part of evil is the 'bad' consequence that happens when the 'bad' option is chosen.
Most believers are okay with humans, created by God, having the free ability to choose.
Most are also okay with God commanding Adam as He did.
Finally, most are okay with God declaring, and then enforcing the consequences for breaking His commandment.
Since these three define evil, we should also be okay with God's creation of evil.
Remembering the when: God created evil in the perfect Garden of Eden, and He did not corrupt the Garden or the earth.
We are right to believe that the Good God created evil.