Great points.  Let me point out that I am drawing a division between a literal belief in the two versions of the creation week in the beginning of Genesis, and the later history contained within Genesis.  I think that was muddled somehow in my first post, which alluded specifically to the creation story but more generally referenced Genesis.

I struggled specifically with the beginning of Genesis for years until I fell into this Bible study and was really surprised to learn how Bible scholars and historians put the creation story into context.  Seems to be pretty universal agreement among those who have really studied the history, from what little I understand.  They made a great point about how there were two versions of creation within Genesis, which I had noticed but never really thought about, and pointed out how and why there would be the two versions.

The later parts about the Garden, Adam and Eve, the flood, Abraham all have much more evidence, proof, etc as history, which makes good sense. 

From the science side, the more I learn about how the world works, the more amazing it is that we aren't a few thousand miles closer to the sun so we boil, or the atmosphere isn't a little less stable, or we haven't all died from a virulent unstoppable disease, etc.  Definitely points to a statistical anomaly at best, if one chooses not to believe in a more meaningfully designed world.

Definitely agree with your second point.  Again, much more unites Christians than divides us, although we have many denominations and beliefs.  If we all agree on a few basic things, these few details aren't so significant.