Literal belief in the flood story

[Tonus]

Gotcha. It would be Biblically consistent to view the account as cause and effect. The wickedness was the cause and the judgement was the effect. We learn later that the problem wasn't solved, so why assume God meant it as a solution?

I think it's that sort of inconsistency that points to a human-made document, and the need for believers to carefully interpret it to appear differently.

Not intending to split hairs. While I do agree that it is logical to infer that God's actions were meant as a solution that doesn't necessitate it was. More investigation is required. Consider:
God is omniscient.

Omniscience is a tricky one, though. The Bible doesn't claim that god is omniscient, and at times it shows that he changes his mind (as he did when he decided to spare Noah). If man is made in god's image, and man is a creature given to experimentation and occasional failure on the way to reaching goals, it doesn't seem so odd to assume that god would be the same.

If God is omniscient then wouldn't He have always known?

Yes, or if he can really see into the hearts of men and determine what sort of person they are. But if that was the case, he could have headed off the problem long before it would have necessitated destroying almost all life on the planet. Otherwise we are left to wonder why he let things get to that point before taking action.