Śyāmasundara: Does Kṛṣṇa create the universe, or does He just make it possible to be created?
Prabhupāda: No, the universe, this material world, is created by God. That's a fact. But if the question is that whether God has created this body for suffering in this material world, that is not God's creation; that is our creation. Just like the government creates the prison house. That does not mean that government wants that somebody should be criminal and fill up this prison house. It is a freedom to the citizens. Government creates university also, or government creates prison house also. But it is your freedom. You make your choice: either you go to the university or you go to the prison house. It is your choice.
Just like government opens some liquor shop, gives license. That does not mean that government is encouraging drinking. The liquor shop is there. Those who are drunkard, they can go. That's a facility. That's all. Otherwise, that is not encouragement. Similarly, the . . . when God created this material world—I think in your Bible also it is said that the Adam and Eve, the forbidden apple—that means He made some rules and regulations, "Do this; do not do this." And if you do this, then what is not sanctioned, then you suffer. God forbade not to eat the apple—I do not know actually—but by the request of Eve, Adam ate it, and he became conditioned.
Similarly—it may be story—but the fact is that God created this world. That's a fact.