The issue I have with (2) is that Ham's construction of the three choices doesn't take into account that what the modern mind and it's assumption about what is

The issue I have with (2) is that Ham's construction of the three choices doesn't take into account that what the modern mind and it's assumption about what is "factual" (and valuable) is substantially different from the ancient audiences that listened to these texts. On the point of creation, while Ham contends we MUST take it literally or the entire veracity of the Bible falls apart, there is an inconsistency even within the literal YEC interpretation. Consider Genesis 2:7 "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." If God breathed into the nostrils of does this mean that God had lungs? A YEC would say "of course not, this is a metaphorical/poetic description of the action". And thus they reveal their inconsistency: the YEC demands a literal understanding of the first six days, but when pressed for a simple implication like this, they revert to a metaphorical understanding.