Real Evil and The Source

   G-d causes Life.  (Like the chosen people of G-d, I am now seeing how any human word for
G-d limits the understanding of our Creator) Humans are life's crown. Evil soils life.

  G-d has the final burden for evil.  At the beginning, we humans were not created as puppets. G-d made us so we were able to oppose the will of G-d, if we desired. If this was not so, why did G-d  command them not to eat of the tree? At that moment, they were not sinful people. They had a clear choice before them, but with no clear consequences. In that world choices counted. The divine-human relationship had not been mapped out by G-d. The first humans enjoyed a special freedom!

  Evil destroyed that freedom. Today, humans are still searching for the lost freedom of walking daily with G-d in the Garden of life. What is this thing we call evil? It is anything that destroys our innocent connection with G-d. The story of the Garden is the classic explanation.

  The earliest account tells of two supernatural trees in Eden, the Garden of G-d, the tree of life and a tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We humans were forbidden on pain of death to eat of the special trees. The reason seems to be G-d's concern that we would gain knowledge of good and evil. This would make us more like G-d. Maybe, with this knowledge we might could even threaten G-d's design for Creation. So we had to be removed from any access to the tree of life. With it our new position would be a permanent threat to the designed order of things.

  Some say that the evil force there was the serpent or demon. They say he deliberately lied to lead them astray and they were helpless to his cunning ways. Many like that approach, because it makes us victims and not responsible for our fallen condition. I think this is an intellectual cop out and a cowards approach to G-d in regards to our sin.

  That old serpent was hostile to G-d, and wanted the humans to know a truth about the trees, so they could be like G-d. Evil takes place when we desire to open our eyes and see what G-d sees, just to benefit ourselves. With opened eyes we see things differently from a theological perspective.

  But like the first couple we soon realize that once we must decide for ourselves what is in our best own interest, things look rather different. On our own, we see the world entirely through our own eyes. We now only live out of our own resources.

  Real evil is our trying to be G-d for ourselves. The primal sin is defined as mistrust of G-d and G-d's word. This is seen  in human disobedience and our  blaming others for our own bad actions. Evil is not our being victims in the state of sin. Our condition is merely the consequences of evil, which is our wanting to be G-d. As G-d we will know what is best for everyone. We will have final say so in every matter. Our way will be the right and only way. Evil is ambitious. In the world evil drives us to seek and grab power now.

  A story: A person thought of running for mayor of a big city. If elected, they wanted to be the best mayor ever. But they knew that would not be enough. They would need to be Governor. Not just Governor, but the best one ever. No, it still would not be enough.  President would be next,  and the best one ever! No, wait their sights must be set on being a world leader, the best ever. Still, this was not enough. They must become the greatest person in all history and change all humanity. Then it suddenly  hit this person. They were wanting to be the Christ, G-d incarnate!

  End of story? The person chose to follow G-d, rather than compete with G-d. Like the humans  in the beginning he was free to decide either to walk with G-d or not.  They chose the walk, and the struggle that accompanies that freedom.