As I said, the argument was heated, and while I knew I had an answer to this argument (for it's not a new idea), I was so frustrated by my friend's deliberate blindness that my answer didn't come to me and I attacked his blindness instead. However, while our argument went in a different direction (and we did part amicably), the desire to retort his general thesis burned within me. As his argument isn't new (it's an argument that even predates Christianity) neither is the answer. The answer is simple: God loves us.
The story goes: a woman (or man) feels alone creates a robot (or golem). She is fond of her creation and programs the robot not to be a servant, but a friend. The woman programs the robot to laugh at her jokes, to agree with her ideas, and to enjoy what she enjoys.
It doesn't take long for the woman to realize the falseness of her relationship with her robot (actually, being such a smart woman, she realizes this before she even builds the robot). It only likes what she likes because that's how she constructed its programming. She then programs the robot to disagree with her from time to time, but that also gets old quickly as she knows that the robot only disagrees with her because she programmed it to do so (again, she would figure this out before the initial programming).
The solution is obvious. She must allow the robot to have free will, not to have a program or algorithm determine its likes or dislikes, but a consciousness that is capable of coming up with its own beliefs. There is a danger. The robot may not care for her at all and may leave her all alone once again, but she takes the risk anyway.
For a time, everything is fine, but the robot becomes envious of the woman's role as its creator. Now, it's at this point in most stories that the robot turns on the woman, either demanding the knowledge and abilities that she has (for how can they truly be friends if they are not equal?) or killing her outright and forming its own creations.
However, our God is omniscient. He sees Eve's choice, yes, but He knows that if she is not allowed to make that choice (which will later be redeemed through Mary's choice) then she does not truly have free will. Without that, their relationship will be as false as the woman and her robot. His creations will never truly be able to become His friends.
Jesus tells us Himself that He does not call us slaves, but friends. Death, suffering, sorrow are all painful experiences, but are not in themselves evil (as discussed in a post written long ago). Often, they are what push us to greater achievements. God knows what the future holds: a place where we willingly and lovingly spend all of eternity enjoying each other's presence. He is willing to guide us there, but not force us.
He put the Tree there not to see us fall, but to watch us rise.