Why do you not believe in the concept of a God?

[Mister Agenda]

That is a whole topic within itself that may be more appropriate on another thread.

I'm guilty of bringing that up, at the risk of derailing the thread. 

My original point was that many of the atheists here reject the Bible because they think Christians have to believe in talking snakes, etc. They are very much unaware of how hermeneutics work. As Terry Eagleton says, they "buy their atheism on the cheap," by describing a simplified caricature of Christianity, and pretending that's all there is. It's frustrating because it's ignorant.

But I'll drop it now. No more responses on that topic from me.

I don't think taking out the talking animals would affect my overall assessment of the Bible as a collection of fables, fiction, folk wisdom, legends, myths, poetry, and propaganda.