When mulling over which tradition (theravada or mahayana) is best to use as a starting point, I find this to be instructive:

"Few among men are they who cross to the further shore. The others merely run up and down the bank on this side." Dhammapada, no.85

What this reveals to me is that it is damn well hard enough to save myself, much less all sentient beings. How many among even those devoted to Buddhism can be said to have achieved the goal? It seems that all efforts must be directed to working on reforming our own being. The mahayana schools seem generally to be a concession to those persons (the majority of mankind) who really don't have a chance of achieving enlightenment anytime soon. This opens the way to prayer, worship, ritual and all other types of distraction. The western buddhist would seem naturally to be attracted to the Theravada tradition.