1) "When Jesus says "I and the Father are one," how can this mean anything other than that they are one God?"

Jesus says that the Father is the only true God:

"you, the only true God"

not "you and me the only true God"

"Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

(John 17:3)

2) “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."

(John 17:20-23)

#Christianity

"... he refers to himself as "I am" which is the name God gave Moses when Moses asked who was sending him."

you mean John 8:24?

"I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”

you should believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God

"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

(John 20:31)

that is the message of the Gospel of John, if you read something else into it you are wrong

#Christianity

#Jesus