Why & What Is God?

I interpret the Garden of Eden myth as a metaphor for the original and primordial innocent state of humanity. We were equivalent to the animals, just living in the present moment, with no words or context for anything.

Then our innocence was lost as we became aware of the division -- the separation -- of things. Mainly caused by the development of language, we started dividing the world into pairs of opposites, Light and Dark, Good and evil, and two genders revealed by nakedness, etc.

Humanity sees dualities and binaries, because this is the very structure of the universe... Yin and Yang, Thesis and Antithesis -- which create all the diversity we can see.

But the "Fall" from the state of innocence is not a bad, negative, or catastrophic event -- it is a necessary by-product of our coming-to and being in-time, in-space, physical.

We appear to be separated from the transcendent, the All, -- Universe, or "God." But my belief is that while we are here, in matter, separated -- we exist simultaneously: as Human and God.

God looking at itself looking at itself looking at itself.

"Itself," is used as this god-consciousness is beyond gender, an androgynous It, containing both He or She.

Humans have the most developed self-awareness. This is the ability for self-reflection -- but also, self-deception. Animals have some self-awareness, less developed, perhaps the most in dolphins. Even inanimate matter, like rocks, are god, too. They're probably not able to "look at themselves," with no feelings or consciousness; but it's still a manifestation of the ultimate "all."

The paradox of the universe is this apparent contradiction:

On the one hand, there's only One Thing --

God, It, Yahweh, The Force, the Tao, the Universe.

And on the other hand, there's Everything, all the multitude of separate objects: all the people, animals, and things on the Earth, molecules, atoms, quantum particles, maybe superstrings.

It's Every-thing and it's One-thing.

I don't think that any of this can be objectively proved. To be honest, it all ultimately comes down to what can be called "an existential feeling." If it was honest, Religion would admit that it can't objectively prove its own case. The Torah, Bible, or Koran cannot be proved to be "The Word of God."

Even if they were, they're open to many different and conflicting interpretations. Organized religion is used to control people with false or simplistic explanations, strict rules, and much fear.

We don't really know what it's all about.

Why are we here?
Why is there even something -- the universe -- rather than nothing?

"God" is a metaphor for the great unknown, the mystery of existence. But most people can't handle the unknown, so they feel the need for a "Creator"... But who created Him? Did He/She/It create Itself...? Maybe God or the universe always was and is.... Hmmm. But: Is that really a satisfying answer?

We all feel the need to know the great answer, but it may not be knowable while we are "here." Life or existence is a big question, and the lives we live are the answers.