[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Unless the passage says otherwise, or is clearly using metaphorical language give Scripture a literal meaning. It is a well stated rule, "If the literal sense makes sense, seek no other sense."

I see, Zulu. Because you like snakes, you find a need to interpret Scripture to suit your personal likes. Hmmmmm!!!!!

Obviously God created snakes and reptiles and they have a purpose. How you translate that fact into denial of the events leading to the fall of man is confusing to me.

[ZULU]

"I see, Zulu. Because you like snakes, you find a need to interpret Scripture to suit your personal likes. Hmmmmm!!!!!"

No, I think what I am doing is looking at a passage in the Bible, trying to figure out what the meaning of the passage is from a moral perspective, and then relate that passage to known biological facts.

"How you translate that fact into denial of the events leading to the fall of man is confusing to me."

The way I interpret it is, Satan took the form of a serpent and tempted Eve to disobey God. She got Adam involved, and God caught them at it. He punished Adam and Eve and their descendents, cursed Satan, and promised to send a redeemer to save them from their sins.

I think that's the essence of the story.

I don't think we need to accept verbatim the nitty gritty of every detail. But then, that's just my opinion.

At any rate, I know snakes evolved from lizards who had legs. I know this happened far in the distant past, in the Mesozoic era, before modern mammals had evolved. I know that therefore, God could not have "punished" snakes by taking their legs away for tempting Adam and Eve and "snakes" didn't tempt them anyway. The tempter was actually Satan. God really cursed Satan and promised He would send a Savior through a woman ( Mary ) who would crush him.