What if God made us in his image, using evolution as the process? What kind of "image" do you have in mind when you think of God. A fierce, kindly old bearded gentleman sitting in the clouds. Many of the "in his image" arguers seem to be arguing from that kind of viewpoint. Presumably you are thinking of something a little less material and a little more elevated. Would it be outside God's power to grant a soul to a creature that, through the evolution of its ancestors, had attained the mental capacity to have one? Why would such a creature, with its God-given soul, not be in God's image?
I don't really have the *grandfatherly* type image of God, because I don't think it's primarily the physical image that's important. In post 207 this came up and you can read my response.
I accept and believe the creation account and it states that animals were created as a group, as it were, (kind of in the same creation act) and man was mentioned as being created at a separate time specifically out of the dust of the earth. So I go with the idea that it was a distinct species, much as there are similarities with primates. For some reason, I never thought of the soul as being connected with the intellect. I guess that's because a persons moral character does not seem to be dependent on how smart he is. There have been some very bright people who have been very evil and from all accounts, the mentally challenged are reputed to have the sweetest dispositions. Intellectually, it makes no sense to be evil; it benefits no one, but it happens anyway. Thanks for the thought provoking questions.