Good discussion, as always, I think everyones comments speak for themselves.
TD summarized my views on this.
Taking the Bible literally does not mean ignoring literary devices. When Jesus told Peter to, "..feed my sheep" he obviously was not talking about ungulates in the genus Ovis.
There are very clear literary devices in the words attributed to Jesus, but in most cases, they are easily born out in the context or comments. When Jesus spoke of sheep or leaven, then it was clear what he was saying.
Leolaia also makes a great point, and for whatever reason, it is a point that those who WANT to believe that the bible is a unified message will not look at. The simple evidence is, what we call the bible, is actually a collection of letters written at a specific time and about a specific people. There is nothing unified about the book or "the message."
In short being literal doesn't mean ignoring clearly stated allegories and metaphors within the writings.
My point is simple: To me, if you are the least bit intellectually honest, then you have as much ability to make conclusions about the message of the bible as any theologian. Read it literally, ask the obvious questions, and accept the obvious answers.