Re:Science and religion (Score 1)

You can believe the bible to be the inspired word of God and without error while not taking everything literally. After all, it isn't all theology. There are many forms of literature from poetry to history all with different intentions and for different purposes. When you interpret the bible you need to consider things like the culture, the language, the audience, the author's circumstances, etc.

The majority of the Old Testament is written in Hebrew which is a highly emotional and poetic language. Many words sound the same or have multiple meanings. Taking theology straight from the OT is asking for misinterpretation. What the OT serves to do is introduce you to who God is, how he works, and the emotions that go with Him.

The New Testament however was written primarily in Greek and is a very precise language therefore it can be interpreted much more literally. This is why it was chosen for theology. There are still stories and parables but the language allows you to do much more thorough word studies to understand the exact nature of each word.