That claim is made by numerous Christians, the problem that I have run into is that many want to make all scripture that does not fit their narrative out as a metaphor, and idiom, symbolism etc. I do not, I take it as it is literally written when it makes perfectly good sense as it is. I would be happy to discuss scripture with anyone but if every time I quote a scripture that goes against a narrative, all of sudden it is a metaphor. I am not trying to "intimidate" any one, I believe that God said what He meant and He means what He said and I do my best to defend His word, as it is written.
How often do we hear about how many different Christian denominations there is and use that for rebuttals? How many would there be if everyone took the scriptures as they literally read. Yes, there are hundreds of metaphors, idioms, and symbolism used in scripture, many of which are explained by Scripture itself and those that are not are more than likely due to our misunderstanding, IMO.
So it is up to you, I am all for a serious discussion but I have had enough of, "God didn't say that man did, that is not what God meant, that is only what you say He meant". If you notice, I very seldom quote commentary from others as there is always another commentator with a conflicting view. If it cannot be proven with scripture, as it is written, then IMO, that is all that it is, an opinion.