Don't take some of the verses literally?

Actually yes, I interpret that scripture literally. The definition of the word "literal" meaning "as it is written". And it is written in the Bible. So I take it for what the Bible means. The prohibitions on eating shellfish, mixing fabrics, and the instruction to put offenders to death were part of what is called in the Bible the Old Covenant, which was given to the ancient Israelites, and NOBODY is supposed to follow anymore. None of these things were carried over into the New Testament, which teaches the New Covenant. The prohibition on homosexuality is a part of both covenants, though. That is literally what the Bible tells us. Not every rule that exists in the Bible is meant for you. Just like everything that is written in the newspaper is not something you are supposed to do. When you read the newspaper it is important to understand the difference between useful instructions (rain is coming - get your umbrella) and the reporting of facts (a woman murdered her babies). If you say "the newspaper told me to get an umbrella, because of the rain, but it also told me a woman murdered her babies, so shouldn't I also murder my babies?" then people will either think there's something seriously wrong with you, or they will think you weren't paying very close attention in school. It is worthwhile to take the time to understand what you read.