[RobRoy]

>>I think the fundamentalists are missing the point that God made man in His own image --namely immortal.<<

That is not how others name it, nor is it what the bible says. It is conjecture. Others say it means "with a spirit". And the tree that brought death was the tree of "knowledge of good and evil". And God said the man will "be like US".

Just something for some to ponder here.

[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.