More and more in Seminaries and divinity schools, the Bible is being taught along the lines of Hought's new interpretations. Hought's interpretation is in response to the "New Atheist" movement which points out all the bad things the Bible advocates. Hought believes that one must read with an eye on the background theme of "G-d liberates the oppressed". However, by any objective measure, the predominate background theme is "G-d punishes sinners". Even the Gnostics, 1000s of years ago, came to believe that the G-d of the Bible may have created the world, etc., but is clearly an evil and capricious g-d and therefore must be a demi-god, with a greater power of good somewhere in the background.

There is a movement to encourage religious groups to accept that their holy books are not to be taken literally (mostly this movement focuses on the Qu'ran).

What are your thoughts on this?

I think the Catholic Church is behind it. They don't take the Bible literally either.

Just keep in the fiction section.

depends whether you look at the bible in whole or in part...the old testament refers to the jews under the law and the new covenant through the sacrifice of christ on the cross superceeds all and love trumps all. people tend to get wrapped up into the world and into sinly thiings which deters them from a purpose much greater than even the individual himor herself can ever imagine accomplishing and god provides the roadmap and also the consequences of what happens when veering off of the roadmap and into sin.

I take the bible as written. But, the new covenant does away with the old law (my opinion)