i have read the tao te ching and found it very enlighning.
the reason i think most people who follow the teachings of lau tze refer to them self as a taoist is to simplify things for people brung up in a christan dominant society.
i myself would say that knowing in my heart that it may be wrong but it makes it easier than having to talk for 2 or 3 hours to some one who has no clue.
let face it many people dont even know about the tao. so just to make things easier for them we will say "i am a taoist" but saying "i follow taoist philosophy" would more than likly be a better way of stating it.