Historical criticism puts you on a slippery slope that leads to atheism. The Bible is God's Word, but you make it sound as if it's just another piece of literature. In principle we should take it quite literally, unless specified otherwise in the Bible ITSELF. If Jesus tells us a story AS a parable, we can assume it IS some sort of a metaphor, for instance. The choice of liberal theologians to call this or that story JUST a metaphore, or JUST a hyperbole etc is mostly completely arbitrary, and only serves the weaken the faith of true christians. Ultimatiey it serves the agenda of liberal politics. And who are they to say this or that story is JUST a metaphor anyway? A verse that comes to mind:
Matthew 18:7
7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!
Matthew 18:7
7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!
If I say to you 'Fathers sometimes make bad decisions that children have to live with', then that is a philosophical statement, quite a literal one. But as Jeremiah put it; 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'. Now, the father didn't LITERALLY eat sour grapes, but it serves as a more vivid explanation of how fathers decisions and shortfalls can affect their sons and daughters.
Therefore, the statement you replied to stands.