i agree bill,that there is room for some interpretation in the bible but i would start with the premise that it means what it says.that is not to say that there is,nt symbolism,poetic expression and other literary devise contained therein,but the christian faith is grounded in an historical setting.it gives some dating points and contains chrono-genealogies stretching right back to adam.
if gen 1/2 be considered poetry,where does historical narrative actually begin since the "begats" list begins with adam.
liberals pick and choose what to believe in it -if anthing!
even evangelicals often bow to evolutionary theory but as even dawkins has pointed out ,this is an inconsistent position.

the claim that we know how to measure time back millenia is obviously disputed by some scientists who point out no one other than God was there and the methods are working on suppositions about the past and the dating is frequently adjusted when new discoveries neccesitate it.
i suppose it is a case of who you trust for the layman.
pete.