The differences that I see between Catholics and Protestants is that we Protestants feel that we can in NO way, 'help JESUS out' with our Salvation, and it looks to us as that is what Catholicism is doing.
I think the real key in this is "and it looks to us." Believe me when I tell you that almost without fail what I run into around here is argumentation not about what Catholics believe, but what people think Catholics believe. No, actually it is what they know Catholics believe. You really cannot disabuse people of these many incorrect assumptions they have about the Church. You can be absolutely crystal clear about something and just directly point out what is true, and people will manage to see past that and argue just what they have been from the start. If I say I like blue they will reply that it is wrong for me to like red. And yet they would interpret scripture.
Yup; I took a bit of thought as how I was going to type that.
We are, I think, very much like the blind men inspecting the elephant.