Is the story of Adam and Eve and the serpent and the snake literal or symbolic.?

A literal interpretation seems ludricous to me. Some of my Christian friends say you must interpret it literally or you can't be a Christian. Others say some is literal and some is symbolic. Others say it doesn't matter. This makes no sense either. How can you pick and choose? I asked a minister and he said if you have Jesus in your heart, it doesn't matter. There's a dodge for you.