You sure have that right.

It is not that strange, given that successful ideas often are adopted by those in power. The evolution of the "Jesus Christ meme" is not so strange if you look at its journey through the centuries.

True in one sense. But you have to remember the reason for which religion is popular, and the main thing which people want it for. Which is that it is the only human institution, that does not include any method of questioning, it is the only resort you have to justify anything which you can not prove by evidence, appeal to majority opinion, natural justice or reason.

As far as I can tell, the thing that makes you a Christian is believing in the divinity of Jesus Christ. Anything else is just a No True Scotsman fallacy. So, if someone believes Christ is divine, but also hates gay people, poor people, science, and foreigners, they are, still, "true Christians".