Sorry took so long. I was panfrying some tempeh and making a salad. No breakfast, starving, the schrapnel gonna' fly!
You say it depends on where any plans or plots that evil devises against us comes from to determine if we are in agreement.. It obviously comes from evil if I say: "any plans or plots
evil devises against us." If evil devises, plans, plots or conceives them, they have originated from evil - not from God. Otherwise, I would have said: any plots or plans
God devises against us...
As to whether God permitting evil to continue on earth is Him causing it to happen, I don't believe that. If I allow you/permit you to borrow my car and you cause a wreck because you're texting, was my permission the cause of the wreck. If I permit you to eat some of my tempeh and you choke to death, was I the cause of you choking to death?
God could choose to end this all whenever He wants. Evil has not caused Him to not be able to end it whenever He wants or else after the fall, He would not have been able to destroy all but a few men in the flood.
Put it this way, if you ask to borrow my car and you are of age, and my car is insured, and you wreck it because of texting, would your family win a court case if they tried to sue me, saying I was the cause of your death and your death was my fault?
Or, if we are friends and you come over my house for lunch and I cook tempeh and a salad and you choke to death on a piece of tempeh while I'm in the bathroom, would your family win a court case if they tried to sue me, saying I was the cause of your death because I shared my food with you?
The answer to both of those has to be no. Otherwise, no one would ever legally be allowed to borrow someone elses car and no one could ever open a restaurant, share their food, or even give someone a mint or a drink of water!
So to give permission/to let/allow does not then lead to causation of bad. It can be, in cases of negligence or lack of due diligence, but it is not a given at all and depends on many factors.
So when you ask if something is allowed or permitted, isn't that the same as causing it to happen - no. God could end this all (and will one day) but He has not yet. By your argument, by His permitting it to continue, He is causing cancer, murder, etc.
I'm not saying your argument can not be made tenable. But it is not tenable as it stands because you circle around and blame God when your intent is to do the opposite.
As to your last paragraph, I think you probably know my answer! If you really don't, let me know and I'll give it to you.