Why is it?

Just wondering why it is that any time I ask a question to my Christian friends about obvious contradictions in the bible, they can't be honest and admit they exist? They always say I am taking the text out of context and try to explain away the contradictions. If this book were truly the word of god, wouldn't it be pretty straightforward? I mean, if an all powerful being actually told people to write this book, why wouldn't the book be absolutly perfect?