
Archaeology does not contradict a worldwide flood. There are different opinions on the matter. For more in-depth information watch these presentations as they present an alternate view. Especially presentations 2 (A Universal Flood) and 3 (Bones in Stones). The complete presentation can be seen here, they are by a Researcher and Professor in Zoology.
This is also a matter of opinion. Many different people could write about a different event and that does not necessarily mean they borrowed from one another. They merely wrote about the event. The Epic of Gilgamesh could just easily be a story "based on true events." Just like today's movies, much of it could've been made up just for entertainment value, or to fit into a certain belief system. One more thing about this. Just because they were written first, does not necessarily mean they are more truthful. The reason we believe that the Genesis account is truthful is because we believe that the whole Bible is inspired. Jesus spoke about Noah, Lot, Adam, and other Old Testament characters as historical figures, not simply characters from a fable.
Also along with what Narnian said about literary analysis that suggests that there were multiple authors, in the New Testament some of the writings are attributed to the people that we believe today. For example, Luke attributes the quotation from Isaiah to Isaiah; Luke 4:16-18.


How does Christianity deal with biblical criticism related to the Old Testament?
I'm a few years out of college now.  I've filled out my W4 accurately and I still get a tax refund every year of a pretty sizable sum.  The thing is, I have student loans and I would much rather have been paying that extra money on a monthly basis (to prevent interest charges) than have given it to the government to 'hold' for me.

I've spoken to the HR department about lowering my tax deductions and they suggest putting more exemptions on my W4. However this seems off because I would essentially be purposely filling out a form incorrectly.  Also, I don't see anything on this one sheet to take into consideration my student loan interest deduction, which is a large part of where my refund comes from.

How do I pay my taxes correctly throughout the year so that I don't owe or receive any money when I file?
