"But for my money, it's not half as dangerous a path as saying that the 'Word of God' isn't immediately clear but we should follow it anyway."

I'll agree here. There are way too many people who make very bad decisions base on their interpretation of the "Word of God." I think this is an awful thing and flings more mud on Jesus than anyone "on the outside" can do. Many people who follow the bible do not take to heart the awesome responsibility it takes to read the scriptures with humility and responsibility.

That being said, it doesn't mean we shouldn't try to understand it. Nor does it mean we shouldn't investigate different religions on the basis of history, archeology, internal consistency, etc. in order to determine which, if any of them, might actually be true.

Nor does my above statement mean that there aren't some clear and plain statements that can be taken at face value and understood exactly as they were intended.