To take the story absolutely literally as it is written in the Bible and to thereby discount all the other ancient Great Flood survivor stories from so many other cultures is to base one's belief upon ignorance, willful or otherwise.

As indeed it is, done so balefully by pete and his ramshackle but quite dangerous bunch of literalist fellow-travellers, to base their belief on many another Bible yarn. Creationists, racists, homophobics and misogynists can and do find abundant succour in the good book, literally taken, for their detestable notions. When it comes to religious belief, I can respect private and quietly-held convictions even though I think they're deluded. People who force their beliefs on others, especially on children, and people who are so determined to be literalist that they sneer at anyone of far more measured views who happen to get in the way, are way beyond deserving respect in my view. Far from needing to be defended, they fully deserve to be attacked.