I think most people (Christians included) don't take this story in a literal sense, but more of a metaphor. Also, the very notion that someone could survive in a whale is rather silly anyway.

It's like Noahs ark, of course a worldwide flood didn't happen. It's just a story that's supposed to offer guidance, and I think only the hardcore believers would say differently.

So in conclusion: no

Actually there is a theory that there was a large scale flood thousands of years ago, which is why there are a number of the flood/tidal wave myths around the world from the Atlantis story, to Noah's Ark to myths in India. The theory also implies that civilisation was more advanced then we orginally believed prior to this supposed flood. Not sure if I believe it. Also the Noah's Ark story, like a number of Old Testament stories is actually derived from the Babylonian myth "The Epic of Atrasus" (not sure if I spelt that right, but you get the idea).

A lot of these old stories do have some basis in actual events but a lot gets lost in translation and over the years people forget how they came about. Of course, some are also complete crap :P

There is evidence of a great flood. Some History channel show did a whole hour on it. Now whether it covered the whole earth or not. Anywho, it is silly to not think a world wide flood, could not, has,will happen. Well, atleast huge tidal waves without proper knowledge of what is going on I would be Inclined to think amg world is ending and that it was a vast flood.

And two of every species in the world fit into one boat? Besides, surely Noah would just leave the fish and birds?

I don't think much of the Bible is meant to be taken literally. Giant floods, the Red Sea parting, a man surviving inside a whale's body...they're all metaphors. For something.

Of course, I am an Atheist as well, so I am not one to ask.

Well, you could always go get swallowed by a whale

Nope......not possible...srsly!

I think I saw that history chanel or discovery show, I remember it said there couldve been a flood in the place noah was supposed to live, nothing as big as the mith, that flood would have been taken out of proportion to the scale where it was a worldwide flood in the bible. They also said that even with all the water on earth its imposible to make a worldwide flood, at least the magnitude the story says.

We have to remember that people that wrote this stories didnt know as much about the world.

wasnt there anoter mistranslation about a camel being passed through the eye of a needle, wher the word for camel got confused wth the word for thread or something? idk, i've never read the whole bible  but  its just what i heard.

Obnoxiusly rich and selfish people who want to call themselves "Christian" would have you believe that.

@Kantor:

The whole flood story was cribbed from The Epic of Gilgamesh.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilgamesh_flood_myth