I grew up in a fundamentalist household where every Bible story was taken as literal history, but studying geology in college made me see the Noah's flood narrative as impossible—the sedimentary layers just don't support a global deluge. At the same time, I've watched how a purely metaphorical reading can strip scripture of its moral weight for many believers. Should religious texts be read literally when they conflict with scientific evidence like radiometric dating or evolutionary biology, or is there a way to honor their spiritual value without demanding factual accuracy?