When it comes to the Age of the Earth the literal interpretation looses all credibility.
Are you absolutely certain?
Let's deal with mistakes and assumptions based on those mistakes. You assume, for example, that your sentence above its correct.
In reality, it isn't. You have misused the word "loose".
Now, what if in the text, that you say can't be taken literally, you are also making assumptions that are not warranted?
This is by no means an attempt to correct your sentence; it is rather an attempt to show how assumptions have consequences.