(Adam & Eve garden of Eden reference)

> Actually, since you bring it up, they do. It's
> just not the physical type of death we are
> accustomed to associating with the word. The
> Bible continually refers to the moment Adam & Eve eat the
> forbidden fruit as "death." Death here is a spiritual death,
> a separation from God. There's two meanings to
> the word "birth," too -- a physical birth that
> we generally associate with the word, and a
> spiritual birth (or being "born again") that comes
> with returning to God by a decision of faith.

Err... not to be picky, but I believe you're equivocating here. I was referring to a physical death, that is, and end of life. Your comment - while completely accurate and well thought-out - is addressing a different type of death that I don't feel is quite relevant. In that fashion, everything - every consequence of our actions, anyway - can be referred to as a type of "death"; whether that "death" is physical, mantal, or spiritual (or even something else), it is of necessity a lesser punishment than truly dying, simply because one cannot return to life. Every other type of death leaves us with some type of hope - yes, even spiritual death, for Jesus died to save us from our sins, and through him our spirits can be reborn if we wish it.

> I'm branching out on a tangent again, but since
> you brought it up, I figured I'd say something.

Of course. That's what I was hoping for - I like it when people respond to what I'm saying. Controversy is good, and tangents are not by nature bad. :-}

dkd1