Your association of Christianity tied in with Paganism is quite interesting. Are you Jewish perhaps? Since that's usually the M.O. given by Jews in refuting their own Messiah. The belief being that pagan holidays were hijacked by Christians, etc... Nothing could be further from the truth. The hijacking occurred when the western world changed calendars (Julian / Gregorian) and thus days of celebrating the Lord's birthday / Resurrection etc were altered and not maintained as they were in the old world. The original days of Christmas / Easter etc...are thus in the old world calendars (Eastern Orthodx Calendars). The Jews know this as well as their days of Hanukkah change as the position of the moon.
The truth is simple here. This link
http://www.mother-of-jesus.orgshows apparition photos of the Holy Mother of Christ presenting her son as a blessing into our home. There it is folks from the spirit world, no commentary needed. Read the New Testament, Believe in Jesus the Christ who is God incarnate and live beyond the grave.
As for the comment on me being a former atheist? What????? I think you have the wrong guy here !
Aeginos