[Enladalusange]

Honestly I don't think choosing one or the other to follow is important. Follow what parts of each resonates with you the most strongly. I go to a Mahayana school and the way they explained it was that, in general, Theravada are focused on the self and attaining nirvana.

Mahayana on the other hand is focussed on enlightenment as they realize that true happiness cannot be achieved while others are suffering so they want to help all sentient minds. However that's just one point of view and it's always important to investigate fully rather than follow blindly. Which is why I say choosing one or the other is not important, that's only assigning labels to something.

On a personal note, anything to do with religion and blind faith makes me uncomfortable, probably because I've had so many born again Christians try to convert me and only deflect any logical questions I have. I don't feel comfortable praying or worshipping or making offerings. However that could also be because I don't understand the motivation behind them.

For example I always thought that performing prostrations was silly; bowing down to a statue? Come on! But then I found out that the reason behind them is more to focus yourself on what you are trying to obtain and that by bowing down before an image of a Buddha is acknowledging that there is something to attain to and refocussing the mind to try to attain that goal. I still don't feel comfortable enough to perform them myself, but I no longer feel uncomfortable when others around me do them.

It's highly likely that the more 'religiousy' aspects of Mahayana Buddhism has to do with that, it's simply that we don't understand the meaning behind them yet so they seem more like the blind faith we are used to in more dominant Western religions.