[beancounter13]

I have no issues with your points to ponder. My only point is that animals do not have spirits so to assume they carried any kind of immortal lineage such that physical "death" did not affect them before the fall takes quite a leap of imagination.

Also, let's not forget that in the past, people generally did not distinguish between death of the body and death of the soul. Because of that literal interpretations have become clouded with the passage of time. "Physical" death, meaning death of the body, could have existed for many milenia while "Spiritual" death is what was brought about by the fall of man.

[RobRoy]

It looks like we don't differ much on this. I separate creation into two groups:

1. Man
2. Natural resource

I have intellectual problems with the concept of no death before the fall. After all, what were Lions teeth for back then, stringing hammocks together? And how did you get two of them to sit still?

[Virginia-American]

...My only point is that animals do not have spirits...

A minority opinion. AFAIK, only Jews, Christians, Muslims, and atheists deny animals having spirits. Hindus, Buddhists, and animists all assert that they do.