Christianity is Not the Religion of Jesus

I've come to the conclusion that the Christian religion that has been passed down to us has very little semblance to what Jesus and his disciples originally taught. Needless to say, this has caused a bit of a religious "identity crisis" in my life.

First off, Roman Catholicism (and all it's protestant offshoots) is based upon the preaching of Paul of Tarsus - a man who never physically met Jesus. He's the one who traveled the Roman empire and converted the "gentiles" to his religious beliefs. While probably based somewhat on Jesus' teaching, Paul modified the message to fit his needs -- causing it take on a more Roman form. For instance, some scholars believe that he blended in Mithraic beliefs and traditions that existed in his home town of Tarsus. As Paul's message spread throughout the Roman world, it continued to merge with the pagan mystery religions that were popular at the time to the point where it lost most of its original identity. That's why we celebrate Christmas on December 25th and believe in a virgin birth.

Second, there is ample evidence that Paul and Jesus' true disciples back in Jerusalem did not get along very well. Paul even admits so much in his own letters:

"But when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face." -- Letter of Paul to the Galatians

Biblical historian Robert Eisenman even goes further to claim that there was open hatred of Paul within the early Christians of Jerusalem, with them calling Paul the "Lying Spouter".

Since Paul was often at odds with Jesus' disciples, it's fair to assume that Paul's teachings were not always in line with what the original disciples believed Jesus taught them. 

And finally, Christianity became politicized when it became the official religion of the Roman state. We now know that many variations of Christianity existed in the years after Jesus died. The Gnostics, for instance, were extremely popular in Egypt and northern Africa. The state-friendly church establishment under Constantine decided what would become "true" Christian beliefs at the Conference at Nicea, and worked to expunge any traces of Christian belief that did not jive with this "orthodox" view. Does anyone today really believe that a group of politicians can get together for a meeting and come out with something that resembles the "truth"?

So here I am. Someone who considers himself at heart a "Christian" - believing in God, and firmly committed to doing "Christian works" to improve the world I live in. But at the same time I am someone who believes that "Christianity" as it is currently being practiced is a sham.

So, am I still a Christian? If not, what am I?