second entry

I've been going through the book of Genesis with my sunday school class.  we just finished the account of Noah and the flood.  I left the class with a couple of questions that had problems answering

1) Is it cruel that God should destroy all of mankin and animal life?  how do you reconcile this account with the fact that God is good and loving?

2) If God covenants that he will not do it again, why did He do it in the first place

any thoughts?  oh...and try not answering in the "churchie-Christian" way.  make like a non-Christian is asking you.