I've just started Bart Ehrman's new book, Jesus Interrupted, kind of an popular introduction to the historical critical approach to the New Testament. A point that he makes up front is that noticing the inconsistencies and historical errors in the Bible doesn't mean that you have to give up your religious faith. He himself remained a liberal Christian for years after he stopped being a fundamentalist, and became an agnostic because when he could no longer reconcile and all-powerful and all good God with the world's suffering. And it's certainly true that many intelligent people believe that the Bible is telling us something important about God, even if you can't believe every word.
But let me ask, Why? This is God we're talking about. Why would he choose to communicate through a messed up, hobbled together collection of stories. Aren't the fundamentalists right when they say that when you've rejected inerrancy, you've rejected God? Why isn't it that simple?