One Can Accept Evolution as True While Simultaneously Believing in a Deity or Higher Power (God)

However, I am unable to extend the debate an extra round due to rules previously unknown to myself and thus will only have this one chance for rebuttal. Anyway, onto the debate. My opponent defines evolution as an ongoing process resulting in new creations. This is only half true- it is indeed an ongoing process, but it is more accurate to say that the process modifies existing creations rather than resulting in new ones altogether. More specifically, evolution is the result of natural selection- organisms that posses traits suited to their environment survive and are able to reproduce, while those that don't die off, along with their genes. Evolution does NOT, as my opponent later suggests, describe how mankind evolved from apes. Rather, it suggests that the two species share a common ancestor, which both later evolved from. Therefore, it is possible to suggest that God created the heavens and the Earth and used evolution as means of establishing the biological diversity currently present on the planet. My opponent then points to specific verses in the Bible that seem to negate this possibility- for example, how could Adam have named every species on Earth if not every species was present at the time of Earth's creation? To this, I would like to argue that there are multiple ways to interpret the Bible. One could interpret each verse literally, in which case my opponent's argument would hold true, or one could interpret each verse contextually, applying it to our modern understanding of society and the universe. Indeed, a literal interpretation of Leviticus would render shrimp cocktails inedible and slavery permissible, two things my opponent surely does not agree with. However, one does not need to look very far into the Bible to find that a contextual interpretation is not only more convenient, but necessary- Genesis 1:27 and 2:18 clearly contradict each other, as the former states that man and woman were created simultaneously while the latter clearly states that man was created first. Since God can never lie as the Bible later states, a person must indeed interpret the Bible contextually for it to carry any merit. Therefore, if we agree that a contextual interpretation is necessary, my opponent's argument crumbles as each verse he presents can be applied to support the evolutionary view. "Adam" could be the symbolic name given to mankind, which did indeed appear thousands of years ago, while the "dust" that God formed into mankind could very easily be a reference to the process of evolution- obviously, mankind cannot be created from actual dust in the ground. Thus, it is very easy for one to assume (as the Roman Catholic Church does) that God guided the process of evolution in order to produce humanity, a species that would be in his image and rule over the rest of the Earth. Indeed, using natural mechanisms would be a more effective way of establishing this, thus explaining how one could both believe in the God of the Bible and affirm the process of evolution at the same time. Finally, I would like to refute my opponent's claim that evolution contradicts the biblical concept of faith. The only faith that the Bible requires out of humanity is the faith that Jesus Christ was the son of God and died for their sins- indeed, John 3:16, the most quoted Bible verse of all time, clearly states that all who believe in Christ shall be saved. One does not need to have the faith that God created Adam and Eve, and one certainly is not prohibited from investigating the unseen as my opponent suggested. Indeed, to investigate the wonders present in the universe would produce the opposite effect- it would affirm the greatness and glory of God, something I think all Theists and Christians can support. If humanity did not investigate these things, we would not have progressed to the scientific level that we are currently at. Therefore, explaining the unseen does not violate faith in God- rather, it promotes it. As long as one believes in Jesus Christ as their savior, everything else is fair game for Christians, including evolution. In summation, I would like to affirm my argument that the belief in the God of the Bible (or any God for that matter) does not negate the process of evolution- rather, it affirms it. Evolution is merely the means by which humanity can further understand and appreciate God's creation, thus appreciating the eternal wisdom and power of God to an even further extent. It does not, as my opponent suggest, make God impossible- rather, it affirms his omnipotence. Of course, one may accept evolution without believing in God, or believe in God without accepting evolution, but it's very possible for a person to both accept evolution and believe in the God of the Bible. I believe that I have done a good job of proving this while my opponent's argument leaves much to be desired- thus, unless my opponent can offer a final rebuttal that clearly explains why a person cannot hold both beliefs, the voters must vote in favor of my resolution.